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Flowers from a Puritan's Garden
Excellent devotional.
287 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1883
145 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
5,989 books1,622 followersCharles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) was England's best-known preacher for most of the second half of the nineteenth century. In 1854, just four years after his conversion, Spurgeon, then only 20, became pastor of London's famed New Park Street Church (formerly pastored by the famous Baptist theologian, John Gill). The congregation quickly outgrew their building, moved to Exeter Hall, then to Surrey Music Hall. In these venues, Spurgeon frequently preached to audiences numbering more than 10,000—all in the days before electronic amplification. In 1861, the congregation moved permanently to the newly constructed Metropolitan Tabernacle.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 7, 2023
This is my second collection of Spurgeon’s where he takes quotes from a Puritan and shares them with us a a superb collection. I was not really familiar with Thomas Manton, but he is brilliant and I was blessed by this. I can’t wait to use them in my sermons. Good stuff
Only draw back is that they are truly random, I wish they were listed topically but even with it this I was impressed with this book!
Only draw back is that they are truly random, I wish they were listed topically but even with it this I was impressed with this book!
May 17, 2023
Charles Spurgeon compiled his favorite spiritual metaphors from the great puritan Thomas Manton and used them as anchors for his own brief biblical meditations. This is basically like a great spiritual redwood tree of the faith writing about another great spiritual redwood. Hence, I think we spiritual saplings should all stop and read this one.
This particular sapling is going to list some of my favorite Manton metaphors and some of their corresponding Spurgeon commentaries:
Manton: “There is more hewing, and hacking, and squaring used on a stone which is to be set in the wall of a stately palace - than that which is placed in a rock wall.”
Spurgeon: “Ah, Lord! Let me never sigh for ease, but always seek for usefulness. Square me until I am fit for a place in your temple! Prune me until I yield my utmost fruit!”
Manton: “The compass-needle may be shaken and agitated, but it never rests until it turns toward the pole!”
Spurgeon: “Thus our heart’s affections, when once magnetized by the love of Christ, find no rest unless we turn to Him … Blessed necessity! We are driven to Jesus, by an unrest which finds no remedy elsewhere!”
Manton: “When men have much to say in a letter, and perceive that they have little paper left, they wrote closely.”
Spurgeon: “‘No day without a line,’ is a good motto for a Christian … we cannot afford wide blanks of idleness … Lord, whether I live long or not, I leave to you discretion. But help me to live while I live, that I may live much.”
Manton: “To be served at table by a great prince, would be counted as great favor as the meal itself.”
Spurgeon: “Providence is no other than God providing! He measures our our joys, weighs our sorrows, appoints our labors, and selects our trials! There is no morsel on the saint’s plate, which is not of the Lord’s serving.”
Manton: “As the Hebrew tongue must be read backward … so divine Providence is to be read backward.”
Spurgeon: “To judge His proceedings, is folly and ingratitude. What can we know? Especially what can we know of His design and purpose - while His work is yet on the anvil? Our judgments at their best, are only moderated foolishness.”
Manton: “Before corn can be ripened, it needs all kinds of weather. The gardener is glad of showers as well as sunshine. Rainy weather is troublesome, but sometimes the season requires it.”
Spurgeon: “God knows how to ripen both corn and men, and orders all things according to the counsel of His will.”
Manton: “A garment which is too long, trails in the mud and soon becomes a dirty rag … we think that it would be easy to be rich - but it is a harder things than we think it to be!”
Spurgeon: “It is hard to carry a full cup with a steady hand! … Lord, give me neither poverty nor riches!”
Manton: “The first appearances of error are many times modest. There is a chain of truths; the devil takes out a link here and a link there, that all may fall to pieces!”
Spurgeon: “Satan knows that we would never consent to give up a wheel of the gospel chariot, and therefore in his craftiness he only asks for the linch-pins to be handed over to him.”
Manton: “God knows what is best for us. Like foolish children, we desire a knife. But, like a wise Father, he withholds it.”
Spurgeon: “How much more restful our minds, now that we know that our wise and loving Father arranges all things … we should soon perish by our own folly - if the reins of Providence were placed in our feeble hands.”
Manton: “The unsoundness of a vessel is not seen when it is empty. But when it is filled with water, then we shall see whether it will leak or not.”
Spurgeon: “Success is the crucible of character … O Lord, preserve us when we are full - as much as when we are empty.”
Manton: “God has been also great a cost to provide a throne of grace, that we must not neglect prayer.”
Spurgeon: “To neglect it (prayer) is a shameful ingratitude to God, and a wanton rejection of one of His costliest blessings.”
Manton: “Fish will not live out of the water that breeds them.”
Spurgeon: “All our instincts should lead us to God … we ought as naturally to seek after the Lord from day to day - as the river seeks the ocean, or the sheep it’s pasture, or the bird its nest.”
Manton: “Would it not be insanity to dig for iron, with shovels of gold? Just so, to prefer our own ease, quiet, profit, before the glory of God, is madness!”
Spurgeon: “It must always be unreasonable to make the means greater than the end.”
Manton: “A Christian should be always thinking of heaven.”
Spurgeon: “The object which is supreme in our heart - will continually make itself prominent in our life.”
Manton: “A racer does not stand still, or look behind him … but it is his business to get through the remainder of the race.”
Spurgeon: “Lord, if I am ever tempted to be satisfied - scourge me into a holy restlessness, and make the very ground beneath me burning to my feet.”
Manton: “We must not shun to declare, nor you to receive, the whole counsel of God.”
Spurgeon: “Imagine a druggist altering the ingredients of a medicine to suit his own notions! We would soon have him on trial for manslaughter; and surely he would deserve to be tried on a still higher charge, should a patient die through his folly.”
Manton: “The world eats up our time, our energies, and our thoughts - and God has but a little share, little worship, little reverence.”
Spurgeon: “For the most part in our households, Mary might well complain of Martha, for family cares still encumber many and keep them away from Jesus’ feet.”
This particular sapling is going to list some of my favorite Manton metaphors and some of their corresponding Spurgeon commentaries:
Manton: “There is more hewing, and hacking, and squaring used on a stone which is to be set in the wall of a stately palace - than that which is placed in a rock wall.”
Spurgeon: “Ah, Lord! Let me never sigh for ease, but always seek for usefulness. Square me until I am fit for a place in your temple! Prune me until I yield my utmost fruit!”
Manton: “The compass-needle may be shaken and agitated, but it never rests until it turns toward the pole!”
Spurgeon: “Thus our heart’s affections, when once magnetized by the love of Christ, find no rest unless we turn to Him … Blessed necessity! We are driven to Jesus, by an unrest which finds no remedy elsewhere!”
Manton: “When men have much to say in a letter, and perceive that they have little paper left, they wrote closely.”
Spurgeon: “‘No day without a line,’ is a good motto for a Christian … we cannot afford wide blanks of idleness … Lord, whether I live long or not, I leave to you discretion. But help me to live while I live, that I may live much.”
Manton: “To be served at table by a great prince, would be counted as great favor as the meal itself.”
Spurgeon: “Providence is no other than God providing! He measures our our joys, weighs our sorrows, appoints our labors, and selects our trials! There is no morsel on the saint’s plate, which is not of the Lord’s serving.”
Manton: “As the Hebrew tongue must be read backward … so divine Providence is to be read backward.”
Spurgeon: “To judge His proceedings, is folly and ingratitude. What can we know? Especially what can we know of His design and purpose - while His work is yet on the anvil? Our judgments at their best, are only moderated foolishness.”
Manton: “Before corn can be ripened, it needs all kinds of weather. The gardener is glad of showers as well as sunshine. Rainy weather is troublesome, but sometimes the season requires it.”
Spurgeon: “God knows how to ripen both corn and men, and orders all things according to the counsel of His will.”
Manton: “A garment which is too long, trails in the mud and soon becomes a dirty rag … we think that it would be easy to be rich - but it is a harder things than we think it to be!”
Spurgeon: “It is hard to carry a full cup with a steady hand! … Lord, give me neither poverty nor riches!”
Manton: “The first appearances of error are many times modest. There is a chain of truths; the devil takes out a link here and a link there, that all may fall to pieces!”
Spurgeon: “Satan knows that we would never consent to give up a wheel of the gospel chariot, and therefore in his craftiness he only asks for the linch-pins to be handed over to him.”
Manton: “God knows what is best for us. Like foolish children, we desire a knife. But, like a wise Father, he withholds it.”
Spurgeon: “How much more restful our minds, now that we know that our wise and loving Father arranges all things … we should soon perish by our own folly - if the reins of Providence were placed in our feeble hands.”
Manton: “The unsoundness of a vessel is not seen when it is empty. But when it is filled with water, then we shall see whether it will leak or not.”
Spurgeon: “Success is the crucible of character … O Lord, preserve us when we are full - as much as when we are empty.”
Manton: “God has been also great a cost to provide a throne of grace, that we must not neglect prayer.”
Spurgeon: “To neglect it (prayer) is a shameful ingratitude to God, and a wanton rejection of one of His costliest blessings.”
Manton: “Fish will not live out of the water that breeds them.”
Spurgeon: “All our instincts should lead us to God … we ought as naturally to seek after the Lord from day to day - as the river seeks the ocean, or the sheep it’s pasture, or the bird its nest.”
Manton: “Would it not be insanity to dig for iron, with shovels of gold? Just so, to prefer our own ease, quiet, profit, before the glory of God, is madness!”
Spurgeon: “It must always be unreasonable to make the means greater than the end.”
Manton: “A Christian should be always thinking of heaven.”
Spurgeon: “The object which is supreme in our heart - will continually make itself prominent in our life.”
Manton: “A racer does not stand still, or look behind him … but it is his business to get through the remainder of the race.”
Spurgeon: “Lord, if I am ever tempted to be satisfied - scourge me into a holy restlessness, and make the very ground beneath me burning to my feet.”
Manton: “We must not shun to declare, nor you to receive, the whole counsel of God.”
Spurgeon: “Imagine a druggist altering the ingredients of a medicine to suit his own notions! We would soon have him on trial for manslaughter; and surely he would deserve to be tried on a still higher charge, should a patient die through his folly.”
Manton: “The world eats up our time, our energies, and our thoughts - and God has but a little share, little worship, little reverence.”
Spurgeon: “For the most part in our households, Mary might well complain of Martha, for family cares still encumber many and keep them away from Jesus’ feet.”
March 30, 2018
After owning this book for a while, and putting off its perusal for such a very long time, I've finally read it and I loved it. I will definitely be reading it again in the future.
September 9, 2025
Classic Spurgeon. I can't believe I've never read this (and worse, wasn't aware of it until about a year ago). Basically, Spurgeon raxes a stack of illustrations from the Puritan Thomas Manton and expands on it to make a nice encouraging thought for the Christian life. I forgot that reading Spurgeon is not like reading standard prose: He is eloquent, witty, and surprising. It is an experience.
Key takeaways were:
- Obviously, the fact that Spurgeon would read a Puritan work, and systematically extract every illustration from it, shows that is something he was intentional about noticing and including in his own stuff. Spurgeon's work isn't how it is by accident. People wanting to effectively communicate God's truth should take note.
- The breadth of things addressed in this really impressed me. Spurgeon understood the range of people who would read/hear him (new believers, the complacent, those struggling with besetting sins, those with no assurance, the discouraged, those who are past their prime, those who are suffering, the lazy) and writes an earnest, timely, and convicting word. Spurgeon was no one tricky pony, as this book makes clear repeatedly.
Highly recommended.
Key takeaways were:
- Obviously, the fact that Spurgeon would read a Puritan work, and systematically extract every illustration from it, shows that is something he was intentional about noticing and including in his own stuff. Spurgeon's work isn't how it is by accident. People wanting to effectively communicate God's truth should take note.
- The breadth of things addressed in this really impressed me. Spurgeon understood the range of people who would read/hear him (new believers, the complacent, those struggling with besetting sins, those with no assurance, the discouraged, those who are past their prime, those who are suffering, the lazy) and writes an earnest, timely, and convicting word. Spurgeon was no one tricky pony, as this book makes clear repeatedly.
Highly recommended.
December 13, 2022
Charles Spurgeon read Thomas Manton, collected his favorite quotes, and then added his own thoughts and elaborations to Manton's. I loved every page. I read an entry daily for family worship and we were all profited.
I recommend this book to any lover of Puritans or those who are looking to dip their toes into Puritan literature.
I recommend this book to any lover of Puritans or those who are looking to dip their toes into Puritan literature.
November 3, 2023
Flowers, Puritans, gardens - all the right buzz words for me… <3
The depth of Manton and eloquence of Spurgeon make for a beautiful series of meditations that compels, provokes, and pierces. It’s truly such a gift that we’re able to explore their minds in a layered discourse of Psalm 119. Spurgeon continues to be one of my favorite teachers for he has taught me to pray and see (yet again).
Note to self: Revisit this book as devotionals rather than a straight read-through.
P.s. One of my love languages is book gifting and I’m so grateful to G who so aptly gifted me this. May our souls continue to knit together like the sweet Psalmist of Israel and his beloved friend, Jonathan.
A list of my favorite musings:
1. The Bright Counterfeit (5)
2. The Ship which is Always Sailing On (6)
3. The Cracked Pot (8)
4. The Best of Ways to the Best of Possessions (9)
5. The Needle and its Pole (14)
6. Empty the Bucket (17)
7. Rare Exotics Need Care (27)
8. No Age Old in Grace (57)
9. The Child Wanting a Knife (77)
10. Bernard’s Charity (84)
11. The Sunflower and the Aqueduct (100)
12. Theology Think the Earth Move (111)
13. A Saying of The Fathers (114)
14. Waiting for the Key of the House (143)
15. The Dumb Beggar (129)
16. The Freightened Wolf (149)
17. The Clock of Providence (161)
18. Provision for a Journey (163)
19. Slow Showers are Best (167)
20. Loose Stones in the Foundation (180)
21. On the Tree and in the Still (198)
22. Horse with Halter (226)
23. Houses and Ships Prepared for the Storm (229)
24. The Warriors Thoughts (261)
25. Asking in a Person’s Name (265)
26. The Fish in a Pail (270)
27. In Training (295)
28. Milk for Babes (302)
The depth of Manton and eloquence of Spurgeon make for a beautiful series of meditations that compels, provokes, and pierces. It’s truly such a gift that we’re able to explore their minds in a layered discourse of Psalm 119. Spurgeon continues to be one of my favorite teachers for he has taught me to pray and see (yet again).
Note to self: Revisit this book as devotionals rather than a straight read-through.
P.s. One of my love languages is book gifting and I’m so grateful to G who so aptly gifted me this. May our souls continue to knit together like the sweet Psalmist of Israel and his beloved friend, Jonathan.
A list of my favorite musings:
1. The Bright Counterfeit (5)
2. The Ship which is Always Sailing On (6)
3. The Cracked Pot (8)
4. The Best of Ways to the Best of Possessions (9)
5. The Needle and its Pole (14)
6. Empty the Bucket (17)
7. Rare Exotics Need Care (27)
8. No Age Old in Grace (57)
9. The Child Wanting a Knife (77)
10. Bernard’s Charity (84)
11. The Sunflower and the Aqueduct (100)
12. Theology Think the Earth Move (111)
13. A Saying of The Fathers (114)
14. Waiting for the Key of the House (143)
15. The Dumb Beggar (129)
16. The Freightened Wolf (149)
17. The Clock of Providence (161)
18. Provision for a Journey (163)
19. Slow Showers are Best (167)
20. Loose Stones in the Foundation (180)
21. On the Tree and in the Still (198)
22. Horse with Halter (226)
23. Houses and Ships Prepared for the Storm (229)
24. The Warriors Thoughts (261)
25. Asking in a Person’s Name (265)
26. The Fish in a Pail (270)
27. In Training (295)
28. Milk for Babes (302)
April 28, 2025
Spurgeon on Manton
In this delightful and penetrating book we have the reflections of the great Victorian preacher, the “Prince of the Pulpit,” Charles H. Spurgeon on various quotes of the great Puritan divine Thomas Manton. This is an invaluable book. It has no specific organization but is rather commentary and expansion on random quotes from Manton. But it will snag you. It will e pose areas of spiritual weakness (even sin) that need addressing. It is quaint in that it reflects the manner of communication prevalent in Spurgeon’s time, but it is not difficult to understand. It is very readable—and worth your time in reading. It would serve well as a “thought-for-the-day” manual, since the entries are brief. In fact, it would be difficult to digest any given entry if you didn’t linger with it awhile. I encourage anyone who wants to grow spiritually to acquire this book and to think your way—even pray your way—through it.
In this delightful and penetrating book we have the reflections of the great Victorian preacher, the “Prince of the Pulpit,” Charles H. Spurgeon on various quotes of the great Puritan divine Thomas Manton. This is an invaluable book. It has no specific organization but is rather commentary and expansion on random quotes from Manton. But it will snag you. It will e pose areas of spiritual weakness (even sin) that need addressing. It is quaint in that it reflects the manner of communication prevalent in Spurgeon’s time, but it is not difficult to understand. It is very readable—and worth your time in reading. It would serve well as a “thought-for-the-day” manual, since the entries are brief. In fact, it would be difficult to digest any given entry if you didn’t linger with it awhile. I encourage anyone who wants to grow spiritually to acquire this book and to think your way—even pray your way—through it.
September 28, 2024
Substantive, heart-warming, convicting. Heavenly yet earthy. A book you could keep picking up all lifelong and getting good for your soul. It's Spurgeon reflecting on Thomas Manton's reflections on Scripture, so sort of a triple layer of insights.
"Come, my heart, art thou now walking with God? How long since thou hast spoken with thy sovereign? Arise and get thee to his royal courts, and, once there, go no more out forever. Thy heaven and thy preparation for heaven both lie in thy Lord."
"Come, my heart, art thou now walking with God? How long since thou hast spoken with thy sovereign? Arise and get thee to his royal courts, and, once there, go no more out forever. Thy heaven and thy preparation for heaven both lie in thy Lord."
April 5, 2024
A must read!
March 9, 2021
really insightful illustrations. Much to learn and expand your thinking
October 6, 2019
Fantastic day by day illustration highlighting a different issue, point, circumstance, tenancy or wonder of the Christian life. Spurgeon takes sermon illustrations from the puritan Thomas Manton and adds to them in short sections.
November 4, 2015
Classic devotional thoughts from the inimitable Spurgeon using nature to illustrate truths.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews