LETTER OF
The GOSPEL TRUTH CHARLES G. FINNEY
1859
To Thomas Rees
27 January 1859
[Ms in the Rees MSS, 384D, National Library of Wales.]
Finney received the following letters from Thomas Rees:
Beaufort Jan. 10 1859
Dear Sir
I am happy to find
that you have once more
visited this country. May I
beg of you if possible to pay
a short visit this time to
Wales. There are thousands
here who desire to see and
hear you. You may be the
means of doing much good
amongst us. We are willing
to defray all your expenses
May the Lord bless you and
make you blessing
I am
Dear Sir
Yours in the Gospel
Thos Rees
and:
Bristol Jan. 17 1859
My Dear Sir
I am exceedingly
glad to find that you will
pay a visit to Wales Any
time will suit us after say
the 10th of February I will
make arrangements for the
services if you will kindly
inform me when you will
be able to come It will take
you a day to travel from
London to Beaufort where
I hope you will begin your
labours You will I hope be
able to preach once every
day and hold an hour or
two of religious conversation
with ministers and others
The best plan would be for
[page 2]
you to remain about two days in
one place and then proceed six or
seven miles to another locality
me
If you will informewhat day you
will [be] able to begin with us and
how many days you will favour
us with your services I shall
be then able to make the arrangement
I expect to reach home next
friday and therefore you will be pleased
to address your letter as before to
Beaufort Monmouthshire I will
furnish you with as full a statement
as [I] can of the character of the people
and the spiritual state of the churches
in the localities you will have
to visit, in a future communication
May the Lord comfort and bless
you and Mrs Finney and may your
visit to our churches be attended
with much good.
I am
My dear Sir
Yours in the Gospel
Thomas Rees
Finney's reply is as follows:
St. Ives. 27th Jan. 1859.
My Dear Br. Rees.
Yours of the 17th is before me.
So numerous & urgent are the calls for labor
in various directions, that I can not now
decide upon the question of visiting
Wales. I am for a short time engaged here,
where I have preached a few times, & where
a good work is evidently begun. From here
I must, D.V. visit London. I hope not to
spend a long time there, but I desire to
visit more especially the manufacturing
districts. I can not say as yet in what order
God intends I shall visit the numerous
fields which he has thrown open before me.
The character & design of my labors are
incompatible with my making so rapid
a movement through the country as it seems
you contemplate in Wales. I must take
more time, lay the foundations deeper
in the convictions, & build up a more
permanent structure, than I could do
[page 2]
by a few appeals addressed to the feelings.
Perhaps my preaching is not adapted to
the state of the Welch mind. Have any
of your leading men ever heard me preach.
I must reason with the people. I can not
approach them with confidence in any other
way. This at first seems tiresome to an excitable
& impulsive people. It takes therefore more time
to carry them, but is sure by God's blessing
finally to prevail over sin & Satan.
This course is with me 1. A necessity of my
constitution, I can not respect myself in making
appeals unless I have first laid hold on
the intelligent convictions. 2. It is a matter
of judgment with me. 3. It is sustained by
nearly 40 years experience. I often see very sudden
outbursts of a revival, & sometimes a first
sermon will shake a community. But these
are exceptions, the rule being a considera
ble number of searching discourses needed
to break up the fallow ground, before
the seed will spring up on every side.
[page 3]
Much depends on the state of the church.
When the hearts of God's people are
prepared to offer prevailing prayer
the word will take immediate effect
with the ungodly. If the church is
backslidden in heart, it often requires
a thorough searching to get them into the
work. Should the Lord direct me to
Wales the brethren must not expect such
a journey as Whitfield used to make.
I must take more time. i.e. if time
is allowed me of God. Could I make
no other than such an one as you
contemplate, it would doubtless be
productive of much good. But it
would not secure that permanent
state of things that I labor to secure.
The Lord bless you my Brother
C. G. Finney.
Footnotes:
In Finney Papers.
George Whitefield.