The GOSPEL TRUTH
LETTER OF

CHARLES G. FINNEY

1866

To John Moody

2 May 1866

 

[MS in Finney Papers, Supplement #159]

 

Oberlin College

2d May 1866.

Capt. John Moody.

My Dear Brother.

Yours of the 8th of Feb. was duly

recd & would have been answered

long ago but for the fact that

I have been confined to my bed

with sickness over three months.

I now am able to get up &

ride out in pleasant weather.

Am gaining strength gradually.

I am not yet able to attend

to business & must write you

only a short note, at present.

Life has run very low with me

of late & for some weeks it

was very doubtful whether

I could recover. I got quite

overdone in revival labors,

& was obliged to lay aside &

give up such labors altogether.

The work has however continued

[page 2]

up to the present time.

Our college is full of students

& much of the good spirit

is manifested among them.

Revivals have prevailed & are

extending very much in this

country since the war is

ended. As soon as the south

is settled I think we shall

see such a revival as the

world has never yet seen.

Charles writes me that

business is becoming very

lively in Oshkosh, that real

estate is now selling freely.

I hope you have not disposed of

your real estate there.

The mainspring spring of my chro

nometer broke since I have been

sick. It injured the work some

inside but I sent it to N. York

& got it repaired & I think it

will run as well as before.

[page 3]

It is & has been a great comfort

to me & reminds me of you

very very often.

I have been greatly blessed

in my present wife she has

excellent health - has been

my only nurse during my sickness

& has not left me to the care

of another for an hour day nor

night. She is a most affectionate

prudent & in every way excellent

Christian woman, & universally

respected & beloved by my children

& my people.

I earnestly hope you will

succeed in your patent rights

& that we shall see you in

this country soon. With very

much love to Ann & Mr P.

& to all friends I am as

ever your Brother in the Lord.

The Lord has sustained my

spirit in comfort during my

[page 4]

sickness. As my disease was

a nervous fever & prostration

I kept as calm as possible

& made no effort to keep up

any religious excitement my

soul has been kept in

peace & hope has not been

shaken. Grace has abounded.

God bless you my

very Dear Brother

C. G. Finney.

 

Footnotes:

The word Charles is underlined, but not by Finney.

Moody refers to "my American Property" in his will, dated 13 September 1870, in Somerset House, London.

On 24 August 1865, Moody, who was at that time Managing Director of the Goole Steam Shipping Company, had been granted a patent for "Floating light, beacons, floating batteries and other vessels" (Patent No. 2173, 1865, Patent Office, London). He subsequently took out further patents for "Means and apparatus for moving vessels or floating bodies" (Patent no 594, 1869) and for "Keels for ships boats etc." (Patent No. 1547, 1871).

That is John Moody's daughter Ann, who was married to Rev. Edward Potter.