Condino, Jewel A.

February 24, 2021

Christian Womanhood Ms. Sara Morris

Character Study Project: Susannah Spurgeon

1832 - 1903

“It is mercy that our lives are not left for us to plan, but that our Father chooses for us;
else might we sometimes turn away from our best blessings, and put from us the
choicest loveliest gifts of his providence.” -Susannah Spurgeon

It has often been said that “Behind every great man is a

great woman.” In the names of the ladies given, a name that
caught my attention is Susannah Spurgeon. It is simply because,
I have heard many things about the accomplishments of her
husband but I have never heard of her yet.

She grew up in a Christian family in London but was only

converted from a sermon that she heard from Mr. S. B. Bergene
at Poultry Chapel. She was able to write later “From that service,
I date the dawning of the true light in my soul. The Lord said to
me, through his servant, ‘Give me thy heart,’ and constrained by
His love that night witnessed my solemn resolution of entire surrender to Himself.”
Like normal Christians, she was able to encounter problems, trials that tested her
faith, and circumstances that seemed to be unbearable among others. This caused
her to have a backslidden heart. Soon after, in the morning of December 18th, 1853,
she met Mr. Spurgeon. But, she was a bit disappointed because the way he looked
and acted that time, at first, seemed to be unbecoming of a preacher. But she was
able to have a spiritual restoration after hearing God’s words through him. Well, this
was a classic example of first impressions do not always last because after several
months, they became good friends, Charles proposed to her, they got married, and
had twins. ‘Susie’ was very thankful that there is a God who works wonderfully
because she knew that making decisions on her own would not cause her any good.
On her knees, she asked for God’s blessings acknowledging that the life she was
about to enter in would need resources and guidance that only God has the power to
give (Ray, 1905; Rhodes, 2018). The marriage that they had was not an easy one.
Both of them have had deteriorating health problems but their married life is really
inspiring that even if Susie had been struggling physically, she really made sure that
this would not hinder Mr. Spurgeon from performing the tasks that God wanted him to
do. Charles was not always at home. It made her sad at times but she supported him
all the way. They wrote books, prayed, travelled, served God, and even crossed the
Alps together. She prayed for her husband and helped him while he was studying and
preparing for his sermons and in other areas of their lives. Even in the time that her
husband suffered from depression due to one incident in the church, she encouraged
him to move forward and reminded him of the promises from the Scriptures. Aside
from her faithfulness, she was also described as a creative author and also a lover of
the Bible. She was able to co-author a book with her husband. Her readers love her
book, not just because of the humor in it but also how she uses the words. Her
husband acknowledged her to be a necessity in the ministry. Some named her as one
of the best women in her era in many aspects.

Mrs. Spurgeon was a very strong woman. Though she dedicated her life to be
of help to her husband and considered it to be her primary ministry, she made sure
that she will be able to perform the unique role that she was supposed to do and be
used in the ministry mightily. Aside from personal concerns, they also encountered
persecutions from the people around them because of Mr. Spurgeon’s popularity but
they did not listen to criticisms; instead, they focused on how they would be able to
mould themselves and adjust their actions in a way that would still be well-pleasing
and would glorify the Lord. Also, even if she had health problems, she kept on and
looked for ways to be of service to God and never blamed Him or questioned Him for
her condition. There was a time that her husband wrote a book and she wished that
every pastor would have the chance to read the book and it was brought to reality:
the Book Fund. She even encouraged other Christians to donate to the faithful
servants of God and let not money be a hindrance to them. When she was widowed,
she still continued to serve God, to publish the works of her husband, to gather funds
for her book ministry, and was even used by Him for a Baptist church to be planted in
a place where it does not exist yet. She made it to a point that even if she was having
personal struggles, she still served as an encouragement to other people especially
to the servants of God as she was well aware that the tasks that they were
performing were not easy.

Even in her deathbed, she died peacefully while saying "Blessed Jesus!
Blessed Jesus! I can see the King in His glory!" Many people attended her funeral
which only shows how thankful they were to her and how blessed they were for being
able to witness a life of person who has a very pure and genuine heart.

The life of Mrs. Spurgeon can really serve as an inspiration and as an

encouragement to Christians nowadays. We can see from her life that hardships,
trials, pains, heartaches, and persecutions are but normal and would be encountered
by anyone even if you have been doing the will of God whole-heartedly. She
acknowledged the power of God in her life and trusted everything to Him and did, with
the best of her ability, the things that she has to do while staying here on Earth
temporarily. Her life also showed the importance of being a ‘helpmeet’ to her husband
and to be of support to him whatever happens, in any circumstance. She had shown
a fully surrendered life to God and to the God-given authorities in her life. She was
able to experience the power of God in many ways. She was provided with the things
that she needed and even the desires that she has and she found comfort from the
Scriptures and was able to fight the good fight of faith.
 Bibliography

Chappell, J. (2016). Mrs. C. H. Spurgeon. Christian Biographies.

https://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biospurgeonmrs2.pdf

Gatewood, T. (2018, October 23). Susannah Spurgeon: A Necessary Woman. Credo

Magazine. https://credomag.com/2019/08/susannah-spurgeon-a-necessary-
woman/

Hoover, C. (2018, October 10). Susannah Spurgeon Lived for Christ Without Leaving
Her Home. ChristianityToday.Com.
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/october-web-only/susannah-spurgeon-
life-legacy-ray-rhodes.html

info@historyswomen.com. (n.d.). Susannah Spurgeon. History’s Women ©2000.

https://www.historyswomen.com/womenoffaith/SusannahSpurgeon.html

Ray, C. (1905). Mrs. C. H. Spurgeon. Wells of Grace.

https://wellsofgrace.com/biography/english/mrsspur.htm

Rhodes, R. (2018, October 15). Who Was Susannah Spurgeon? - 5 Important Things
You Need to Know. Christianity.Com. https://www.christianity.com/christian-
life/who-was-susannah-spurgeon.html