The GOSPEL TRUTH
LETTER OF

CHARLES G. FINNEY

1860

To James Barlow

12 September 1860

 

[MS in Finney Papers, 2/2/2]

 

Oberlin, Ohio. U.S.A.

12th Sept. 1860.

My Beloved Br. Barlow,

Your precious letter of the

24th ult. is, this day, recd Thank you many

times for it. Before this you will have recd

Mrs. Fs letter written before we arrived & mailed

on board the Persia before we landed in N.Y.

She did not pay postage, as she had no

American stamps & they could not receive

postage pre-paid on the ship. This will

explain why postage was unpaid.

I stood it out in parting with you all until

you were on board the Mail Boat & we

were fairly off. I then fairly broke down

& had my crying spell. After this I kept

about for one day & then came on the

lumbago from which I have not yet recov

ered. I am about my College & Pastoral

duties, but am lame & sore across my

back & hips. Mrs F. is better than when she

left E. We found our friends well, & much

rejoiced to see us. Our daughters Julia

& Ange are now both with us. We have been at

home only one week. I am but just able to

get about for lameness. But I will heal.

[page 2]

We are cheered by the intelligence in your

letter of the state of religion in Bolton

& Edgworth. The Lord prosper the work abun

dantly. Since our return we are, as usual,

exceedingly pressed with duties. This fact

has enabled us the better to sustain the

depression resulting from tearing away

from our dear friends on your

side of the Atlantic. We were obliged

to rule the thought of parting with

them, probably to see their faces no

more, out of our minds by a constant

effort of will. This we were able to

do until we were at sea. Then

it did seem as if Wife would

die before we reached N. York &

neither of us could look much after

the other. But the Lord has brought

us home safely & the glad hearts

surrounding us here & the many

things to be attended to enable us

to rejoice in all our bereavement.

Your letter is of the right kind. It

is not an essay. It gives the facts we

want to know. It answers the

first questions we should ask..

We shall look for Dear Mrs. Bs letter

[page 3]

with earnestness. Dear Soul! When

shall we forget her sad, silent, fixed,

settled peculiar indiscribable look,

when we parted with her. Br. B. it

is not every one that can understand

or appreciate your precious wife. Her

nature, her heart is too deep to be

fathomed by the many. We have a

world of news interesting to us, but

it would not be important to you.

I have contracted for two hundred dollar

i.e. perpetual scholarships for you & Mrs

B. as you requested. I have them at

a discount of 25 percent. They cost you

together one hundred & fifty dollars.

You can send the money in a draft on

London. Our youngest daughter is

to be married D.V. before long. Wife

will write to you about getting for

her some more linen. The cost &

expense of which please deduct

from the $150. & send the remainder

per mail in a bill on London. In your

letter please request me to hold the schol

arships for you & give the use of them

from time to time at my discretion

to such as I shall deem worthy. This

[page 4]

I understood to be your wish. I desire

it in writing that the transaction

may appear strait on the Books

of the treasurer. We have abundance

of fruit. & the earth is loaded with

the riches of Divine Goodness. I am

not surprised to hear that your rains

continued to the date of your letter.

You recollect that I expected it.

It has pleased God to give us in this

country this year the greatest &

most universal abundance that

was ever seen in this county.

We have plenty of bread stuffs &

you have plenty of money. Did I

own these stuffs I should delight

to supply England at the lowest

possible rate! The traders in them

will be sure to get as much for them

as they can. But have them you

will. God bless you & Dear Mrs. Barlow

God bless Mary Ann & the children

God bless your servants & Mill Hands.

God bless all the people of Bolton.

Of Manchester, & of Dear Old England.

Give a word of love to Dr. Br. & Sister Bell,

To Brs. Davison & Best & Smith & all the

dear ones. Your Br. C. G. Finney.

 

Footnotes:

This letter is not in the Finney Papers.

i.e. England.

Rev. William Hope Davison.

Rev. Robert Best.

Rev. Thornley Smith.