The GOSPEL TRUTH
LETTER OF

CHARLES G. FINNEY

1853

To Henry Cowles

28 March 1853

 

[This letter was in the Cowles-Little MSS which were in the possession of the Misses Alice and Elizabeth Little of Oberlin, Ohio in the 1940s. The whereabouts of the collection is not now known. A typed transcription of the letter, taken by Robert S. Fletcher, is now in the R. S. Fletcher Papers 30/24, 3.1 Research Files, typescript copies, Folder 7, Box 6, Oberlin College Archives.]

 

Syracuse 28, March 1853.

Dear Br. Cowles.

Your letter bearing several signatures & of the 25 inst. is just recd. I have intended to leave for O. at this date, but will tell you in few words why I do not! 1. Julia has been sent to N. York to consult about her sore eyes which has threatened the loss of sight. I find it necessary to go down there before I return. 2. I must have a few days rest as my labors have been very great & prostrated.

3. We expect to leave for N. York tomorrow evening or Wednesday morning & expect to be at O. the latter part of next week. I feel pained at the necessity of leaving here in such a state of things. The revival has blessed & extended daily until it seems almost impossible to leave, especially as there are no ministers in the these churches. The interest increases of late in a most delightful manner. But O there are no here to gather up the results, nor to carry on the work. But I must leave it with God. As long as I remain they will never get any ministers, & where I ask can they get such as they need. But for the fact of Julia's condition I think your letter would have prevented my attempting to get any rest & that I should have left for O. at the time I must leave for N. York.

Had I known that I must go down to N. York I should have broken away from here a week or two ago. Wife & others insist & perhaps it is true that I must rest a little or break down.

You speak of afflicting Providences but say not what they are.

We are both in very good health though fatigued with incessant labors.

With much love to the brethren & sisters & especially to your dear wife & family I am as always in the [ ] of cause

C. G. Finney

Footnotes:

Fletcher has "part" here, which is probably incorrect.

There is a blank space followed by "of cause." here, which has been crossed out.