LETTER OF
The GOSPEL TRUTH CHARLES G. FINNEY
1873
To Jacob Helffenstein
18 November 1873
[Ms in the Finney Papers, Box 9, in the handwriting of Rebecca Rayl Finney.]
Oberlin Nov. 18th 1873
My Dear Brother Helfenstein,
Have I indeed
received a letter from you? One informing me,
that you are not only alive yourself, but that
your dear precious wife, whom I loved so
dearly in the Lord, is also alive? I have often
thought of you both, but did not know whether
you were in this, or in the heavenly world. Did
you see that article to which you allude,
in the Independent, or was it copied into
some other paper? I have written another
article to the Independent, on "the causes of
the decay of the individual and public
conscience". If they publish it, and you
take the paper, you will see how fully
I accord, with the views expressed in
your letter. You did not tell me your
age, nor that of your dear wife, which
I should greatly like to know. I am
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in my eighty second year. I preach only
occasionally now, but when I do preach, I am
grateful to say, that the Lord manifestly
puts his seal to the word. My health
is quite comfortable, if I do not
overdo. But I am apt to go beyond
my strength, and bring on a nervous
prostration. You can judge somewhat
from my writing, how my mind
works. Of course I am not what
I used to be. On account of the dimness
of my sight, I use the hand of my dear
wife, to write the most of my letters.
In reference to the revivals to which
you allude, of our early days, I can
truly say, that although I have labored
in revivals ever since, I have never
seen, read, or heard of, revivals
in any age of the church, more pure,
powerful, and in every way desirable,
than those of that period. Because
of what Drs Beecher & Nettleton said
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about them, it has come to be common
to speak of them as revivals to be sure,
but as having been mixed up with a
great deal of human infirmity and
mistake. This, in the sense in which it
is intended by those who speak of them,
I utterly deny. From the history of the
revivals in the days of the Apostles,
as given by themselves, I am fully convinced
that those revivals were by no means, as
pure and permanent in their results
as were those against which Dr Beecher
and Mr. Nettleton made such opposition
Indeed it was not to be expected, that
revivals among ignorant heathen, should
be as pure and permanent as they should
be expected to be, in the present day.
But of late, I fear that defective in-
struction is letting down the tone of
revivals, and that there is to be a
very disastrous reaction. Ministers
are striving to preach the gospel without the
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law, and hence the true significance
of the gospel is not understood.
My Dear Brother, you cannot realize
perhaps, how much I am rejoiced
to receive this letter from you! God
Bless You, My Dear Brother and
Sister! We are almost through,
and shall soon meet, to part no
more. I should be most delighted
to see you, and your dear wife
and confer with you, of the past &
future, of the blessed Zion of
God. What do you think of the
course of Henry Ward Beecher?
Is he not doing more harm than
good? And will not the Lord be
obliged to rebuke him? If it will
suit your convenience, pray write
again. God Bless You and Your
dear wife, Forevermore!
C. G. Finney
by Mrs. Finney
Endorsed at the top of page 1:
Last letter - He died soon after.