LETTER OF
The GOSPEL TRUTH 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.