Ray Rhodes Jr. - Yours, Till Heaven: The Untold Love Story of Charles and Susie Spurgeon

No sermon preached in the Metropolitan Tabernacle pulpit nor any lecture delivered to nascent ministers ever conveyed greater gospel consistency or more intense declaration of truth than Charles and Susie Spurgeons marriage. We were overwhelmed by the sense of sacred intimacy Ray Rhodes achieves in Yours, till Heaven by making us silent observers to the passionate lifelong love between the Prince of Preachers and his precious Susie. Their determination to keep each other in second place, but loving each other so much more because they made Jesus preeminent, moved and encouraged us immeasurably. This book is at times devotional, a manual, an encouragement, and a biography, but always a beautiful love story that we will never forget and that, we pray, shapes our own.

HERSHAEL AND TANYA YORK

Hershael W. York is Dean, School of Theology and Victor & Louise Lester Professor of Preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Pastor of Buck Run Baptist Church, Frankfort, KY

The apostle Paul teaches that a pastors conduct at home must not be divorced from his conduct in the church or his message (1 Tim. 3:45). If a pastor is selfish, neglectful, and feckless in the home, it will show up in the church, and it will necessarily weaken his ability to preach with conviction. So, it is a joy to see how the godliness that Charles Spurgeon displayed in the pulpit was no ruse, but was practiced daily in his marriage. I have immense gratitude to Ray Rhodes for so adeptly demonstrating that to us in this book. There are many books that tell us how to have a good marriage. But here is something unique: a book that shows us what such a marriage looks like in the midst of all the joys, frustrations, and disappointments that life brings. Husbands and wives will do well to read this book and emulate the loving marriage of Charles and Susie Spurgeon.

JOHN MACARTHUR

Pastor-Teacher of Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, CA

An unlikely couple with strong personalities and a deep sense of humor, Charles Spurgeon and Susannah Thompson stand out for their faithfulness to each other and commitment to the Lord. In Yours, till Heaven, Rays careful research and thoughtful retelling of their unlikely relationship create a marital treasure that inspires and challenges us at the same time.

STEPHEN MCCASKELL

Award-winning director, Through the Eyes of Spurgeon, LUTHER: The Life and Legacy of the German Reformer, and EPIC: An Around-the-World Journey through Christian History

Ray Rhodes takes his readers on a delightful journey into the little-known world of Charles and Susannah Spurgeons love story. We found ourselves captivated by how they loved, and we were compelled to follow their example. Encouraging, and at points convicting, Yours, till Heaven is just whats needed in todays climate of self-centered approaches to love and marriage. Theirs was a love centered on Christ, a love that flowed into a joy-filled journey through both tragedy and triumph.

JEREMY AND JINGER VUOLO

Stars of the TLC series Counting On; host of the podcast The Hope We Hold

Ray Rhodes has given us a beautifully written account of the love story of Charles and Susie Spurgeon in Yours, till Heaven. I am truly very thankful for the deep love that my great-great grandparents shared for God and for each other, and I have learned valuable lessons from reading about their lives together. Today, I fear that marriage is losing its God-given meaning as a picture of Christs love for His church, and people enter into this sacred union with little thought of what their marriage should look like in the day-to-day.

As you read Yours, till Heaven it will encourage you to love your spouse better, to support them through all the difficulties life can bring, and most importantly, to build your marriage on the sure foundation of Christ.

SUSANNAH SPURGEON COCHRANE

Great-great granddaughter of Charles and Susie Spurgeon

The beautiful love story expressed in the marriage of Charles and Susie Spurgeon offers reassurance to countless exhausted couples that deep and abiding love weathers any storm if anchored in the safe harbor of Christ. Both Charles and Susie model the diligent work of love to sustain, encourage, comfort, and strengthen one another during both the joyful and tearful times of life. Ray Rhodes serves the church well by uncovering this beautiful portrait of how a godly marriage can typify Christ when He resides at its center.

DUSTIN AND MOLLI BENGE

Dustin is provost and professor at Union School of Theology, Bridgend, South Wales

Behind the story of an extraordinarily powerful ministry is the story of a beautiful marriage written in the golden letters of kindness, forgiveness, romance, and perseverance through sorrow. Though many have heard the first story, we are in Ray Rhodess debt for the second: the true tale of Charles and Susie Spurgeon, told realistically, grippingly, movingly, and powerfully. If you want to grow in your dedication to God and to your spouse, read this book.

JOEL (President of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary) AND MARY BEEKE (wife of Joel, and author of The Law of Kindness)

As a pastor of forty-three years, I had never read a pastors wife biography until Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon. Now Im captivated by the details of a pastor and wifes deep love for one another. In Yours, till Heaven you will find deeper love and appreciation for your spouse and their sacrifice.

JOHNNY M. HUNT

Senior VP of Evangelism and Leadership, NAMB of SBC; former president of SBC; former pastor of thirty-three years at FBC Woodstock

When we look at the accomplishments of Charles Spurgeon, we are right to be astounded. He preached more than 600 sermons before he was 20 years of age, sold 25,000 copies of his sermons in 20 different languages every week, founded a college for pastors, authored more than 140 books, edited a magazine, responded to approximately 500 letters each week, and faithfully pastored his church in London that experienced dramatic growth. The life and ministry of Charles Spurgeon is one unbelievable story. Spurgeon was a preaching phenomenon and remains a towering figure who transcends Baptist history and impacts evangelicals far and wide. If Charles Spurgeon is the Prince of Preachers, Susie Spurgeon is his Princess. Their Christ-exalting love and affection for one another is one of the greatest encouragements of Charless lifeenabling him to labor with intensity and faithful attention to the ministry of the gospel. Ray Rhodes does an excellent job of putting on display the affection that Charles and Susie had for one another, which provides an example worthy of emulating.

JOSH BUICE

Pastor of Prays Mill Baptist Church; founder and president of G3 Ministries and G3 Conference

When years upon years separate us from the people that live on only through their writings, it is easy for these dead though they speaketh types to loom large as superheroes without a single fault, and to forget they had faults like all of us. Spurgeon was one of these folks for me, which is why I thoroughly enjoyed Ray Rhodess humble yet honest retelling of the relationship between the Prince of Preachers and the love of his life, Susannah. They were not perfect, but they were faithful. They had struggles, but they persevered. A lesson worth learning for every couple, young and old. I thoroughly enjoyed