The GOSPEL TRUTH
LETTER OF

CHARLES G. FINNEY

1851

To Daniel James

26 January 1851

 

[MS in Thomas Raffles "Original Letters - Authors" in John Rylands University Library of Manchester.]

Daniel James (1801-1876) was a partner in the New York firm of Phelps, Dodge & Co., who had come to Liverpool in England in 1831 to work in the English end of the business, importing cotton and exporting and dealing in metals. He took over the English business in 1834 under the name of Phelps, James & Co. Finney had known him in New York. (See Finney, Memoirs, p. 576 n. 15.)

 

Tabernacle House.

Finsbury.

London 26. Jan.

1851.

My Dear Brother James.

Your favor ann

ouncing the arrival of

our Br. Weed came

duly to hand. Dear

Brother, I think his

time on earth is very

very short. Well, he is

prepared to go. Few

of Christs servants, of his

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age, & day, have done

more to honor him, than

Br. Weed has done.

You speak of comming

to London. I shall be

most happy to see you.

I am, at present, very

busy in getting my

theology through the press.

preparatory to embarking

for America. The work of

the Lord goes on prosperous

ly here. I suppose I shall

be off, before our American

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friends arrive to visit the

great exhibition.

In much haste I

am your Brother

in the gospel.

C. G. Finney.

Footnotes:

Edward Weed (1807-1851). Weed had been in England while Finney was there, and had returned, very sick, to America on 7th December. The very last words that he wrote in his diary are under the date December 5th: "Still improving. Received letter from Brother F---- and £5." Two days later he returned to America, arriving on 22 December, and four weeks later he died. See Faith and Works, or the Life of Edward Weed, Minister of the Gospel (New York: C. W. Benedict, 1853), pages 259, 261-263. Daniel James had been especially helpful to him. See "Obituary of Rev. Edward Weed." in The Independent (New York) (30 January 1851), page 18.

Whether Weed saw Finney in England is not clear. There are references to their contacts in several letters written back home which were published in the biography of Weed, Faith and Works: on 22 August from Liverpool: "I expect this morning to go to Manchester, where I shall probably abide until Monday, and then return to Chester, and from there go to North Wales, where I intend to remain some weeks in the country. I wrote last week to Brother F-----. He has closed his labors in London, where he has been greatly successful." (p.239); on 30 August from Parkgate, Chester: "I have not yet seen Brother F-----, and have received but one communication from him." (p.241); on 21 September from Chester: "I expect Brother F----- and wife here next week to see me." (p.244); on 27 September from Chester: " I expect Brother F----- and his wife here, on their return from the continent." (p.247).

In his diary, Weed refers to a letter he received from Finney on October 13th (ibid,. p. 258].