How Charles Spurgeon Won and Kept the Heart of Susie Thompson
Charles Spurgeon was the unlikeliest of candidates to win the heart of Susie Thompson. He was rural England and she was London and Paris. After seeing and hearing Charles in the pulpit for the first time, the furthest thought from her mind was marrying him. How then did Charles Spurgeon win and keep the heart of Susie Thompson?
- He sought Christ first and foremost.
- He cared about her soul before he pursued her romantically.
- He wooed her with poetry.
- He proposed to her in a little garden.
- He reserved the words ‘I love you’ until he was ready to ask her, ‘Will you marry me?’
- He established a weekly date that was disconnected from his work.
- He invited her to join him while he worked.
- He penned creative love letters to her.
- He held her hand.
- He laughed with her.
- He travelled with her as long as her health allowed.
- He listened to her when she described her favourite places.
- He put his arm around her and prayed for her.
- He encouraged her to act on her dreams.
- He sought out the best medical care for her when she was sick.
- He invited her to join him in his pursuits.
- He deepened her connection to the books that would help her.
- He promoted her interests.
- He wrote to her every day when he was away.
- He penned love poems for her.
- He shared his sorrows and his joys with her.
- He asked her to pray for him.
- He led her in family worship and prayed for her.
- He celebrated her accomplishments.
- He enjoyed her company.
- He was excited to introduce her to places that he loved.
- He kept pointing her to Christ until he died.
- He secured her provision for after he died.
Charles loved Susannah every minute of every day for as long as he had breath. She said that he was her ‘most precious treasure’, the ‘desire of my eyes’, and ‘my loving and dearly beloved husband’.
Ray Rhodes is the author of the upcoming book from Moody Publishers, Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon. The book will be released on September 4th.
Latest Articles
On the Trail of the Covenanters 12 February 2026
The first two episodes of The Covenanter Story are now available. In an article that first appeared in the February edition of the Banner magazine, Joshua Kellard relates why the witness of the Scottish Covenanters is worthy of the earnest attention of evangelical Christians today. In late November of last year, on the hills above […]
A Martyr’s Last Letter to His Wife 11 February 2026
In the first video of The Covenanter Story, which releases tomorrow, we tell the story of James Guthrie, the first great martyr of the Covenant. On June 1, the day he was executed for high treason, he coursed the following farewell letter to his wife: “My heart,— Being within a few hours to lay down […]