Part 14 (pages 190–203)
confidence in Him, that I felt perfectly willing to give myself, my wife and.my family, all to be disposed of according to His:own wisdom.
Following this experience, the evangelist experienced a wonderful victory. He-had given his beloved wife up to the perfect will of God and now experienced an abiding peace. He had a new “holy boldness,” and said that his “mind settled into a perfect’ stillness.” A great joy per- vaded.his soul along with-an intense desire for God's will to be done on earth as.it is in heaven.
. God: had prepared Charles for Lydia’s death in December of 1847. Although it was difficult initially for him, Charles again surrendered himself to God’s perfect will. Almost a year later, in November of 1848, Charles married a widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Ford Atkinson of Rochester, New York. One chapter had closed i in his life; a new one was about to begin. | Large numbers of people came and enjoyed fellowship and meals with the Finneys.
Before long each of Brown’s adopted children had come to Christ. Of course, many of the inquirers also came to a knowledge of Christ, and joy began to spread throughout the community.-The Oberlin Evangelist, in Ohio, reported the wonderful success of Charles’s work in England: “We learn that Professor Finney’s first labors in England have been chiefly in Houghton for a period of about three weeks, and signally successful. People have come in from a distance of forty miles to attend the meet- ings, and many are turned to the Lord. The state of things there is said to be very much as it was in this country twenty years ago.” In addition, the publication wrote that “Mrs. Finney is with her husband, abundant in labors, and jointly with him requests the prayers of. Christian friends.”
.. After a three-week stay in Houghton, the Finneys moved on to Birmingham, where Charles preached in Carr’s Lane Church, pastored by the Reverend John Angell James. James had written the introduction for Finney’s British edition of Lectures on Revivals of Religion. ©
In Birmingham, the evangelist learned of several crit- ical letters complaining of theological errors. As. usual, Charles met the criticism head on by inviting a number of ministers for. breakfast and .an open discussion on the questionable points. He also gave James a copy of his Lectures on Systematic Theology so he would know where the evangelist stood on different issues.
Charles alsogave a copy of his book to Dr. George Redford, a well-respected British theologian. After to come forward. Sometimes as many as two thousand people rose in response to the invitation. People came from every part of the city and from miles around. The crowd would sit spellbound as Charles preached for one and a half hours. The British Banner stated that the peo- ple would gladly have heard Charles speak throughout the night.
Mrs. Finney took part in the women’s movement dur- ing the revival meetings. Such meetings were a brand new thing for the people of London. At. first, she did not assume a large leadership role, but Dr. Campbell asked her to help one day in what the Londoners called “tea meetings” for poor, uneducated women. She was: ex- pected to lead the service, and she assumed the men who were present would leave when the meeting began. At that time, women did not speak to groups that included :adult men. However, the men stayed, and Mrs. Finney, charac- teristically like her husband, rose to the occasion. and spoke to the group for forty-five minutes. Following this breakthrough, Mrs. Finney’ continued to take a more prominent part in the meetings.
_ After preaching for several months in England, Charles was summoned back to Oberlin. He:sensed that he should stay in England because of widespread revival, but discontent was increasing in Ohio due to:his absence and problems that were developing with the Oberlin pres- idency. Reluctantly, Charles agreed to. return; but. he promised the English he would come back, which he did in December 1858. The second time the. evangelist preached, he was as warmly received as the first time.
On his second trip to England, Charles ministered in _\ prepared to ‘Jeave Bolton, the: citizens presented the: é watt a lovely Paper which stated: :
“couraged those attending the meetings to. go out tw by “two and canvas each home in-the town with the: gospel ~ message. ‘This was his latest new measure. As the Finneys
: Ra and:Dear: Sir; Itis with deep resiet but also oe i "with cordial. feeling and devout gratitude: to the . Father of mercies and. God of all grace, that we assemble: and bid you “Farewell” at the. close. o “your arduous labors in our midst. We own the . Providence which directed your steps to our. town: : and we feel that we can never. cease to be‘your. debtors for the earnest and self: “sacrificing efforts Pag ‘which: ‘you have made, while with us, to’ deepen. Boe ue the ‘spiritual life in our-own hearts, to increase’ : our devotion and enjoyment of the gospel, tO Nowe, secure the salvation of our. friends, and-to extend ~ the Redeemer’s kingdom in this important and : ’ . densely populated district. ‘Wherever ‘you go, we ae ~ “will follow you with our.earnest prayers and: deepest sympathies, May. ‘you be long spared to. labor, and after you have finished your course with je joy, may. you receive the crown of life that ses - fadeth not away, and:shines as the brightness of the firmament i inthe Hengiion of ‘our Father er for: a ever and ever. :
95.0 “As the Finneys left England on August 2, 1860, they were tired. They had worked long and hard throughout the , nation and needed to return to Oberlin for some much- deserved rest.
seventeen
Oberlin Institute had grown considerably by the 1850s. The student body alone had increased from 101 students in 1835 to 484 in 1840.
The Oberlin trustees had asked Charles to assume the presidency of the college after the resignation of Asa Mahan. He accepted with some reluctance, but.he real- ized, as the trustees assured him, that Oberlin needed his energy in its highest office. He would be able to continue pastoring the Congregational church in Oberlin and maintain his professorship as. well.
h | o longer an insignificant wilderness college,
When Charles became president in 1851, the college ,
had grown to. 1,020 students. The evangelist’s rapport with the students proved to be warm and friendly, and his sense of humor greatly appealed to young people. One evening after Charles had invited his class to his home for a lec- ture, a student fell asleep in a. comfortable chair. As the professor finished lecturing his class, he prayed, asking God to keep the class interested enough so that they would be able to stay awake.
When the group returned for another lecture the fol- lowing day, however, they discovered the room had been filled with wooden, straight-backed chairs from the kitchen. With a twinkle in his eye, Charles told them, “You see, young gentlemen, I have found a way to answer my own prayer.”
Not only did Charles have the love and respect of his students, but the townspeople admired him, too. He, in turn, expressed interest in their concerns. In the summer of 1853 when the northern Ohio farmers were experienc- ing a terrible drought, Charles offered a prayer in church for the situation: — .
Lord, we want rain. We do not presume to dictate unto Thee, but our pastures are dry, and the earth is gaping open for rain. The cattle are wandering about and lowing in search of water. Even the little squirrels in the woods are suffer- ing from thirst. Unless. Thou givest us rain, our
’ cattle will die and our harvests will come to naught. O Lord, send us rain, and send it now! Although to us there is no sign of it, it is an easy thing for Thee to do. Send it now, for Christ’s sake. Amen.
Before the service ended, the rain began to fall in such torrents that’ the preacher could scarcely be heard. Charles paused, and urged, “Let us praise God for this their t tears. God was still at work on the: e Ober ee = ‘Charles endured various trials’ during the’1860s and : 1870s. The: fitst: one‘was ‘the. death ofthis: second wife: ‘on.
: ah: ‘She had been the’assistan ‘iheipal of = : the ladies’ dept at’ ‘Oberlin: Rebecca Fey" died i in’.
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the church, but in 1872, when he was almost.eighty, he resigned from the pastorate as well.
His time on earth was drawing to a close. Charles had served his Lord. faithfully for several decades and been instrumental in countless revivals. and souls coming to Christ. His preaching, with its many innovations, pro- vided an entirely new pattern for evangelism. His call for immediate repentance. was revolutionary. One contempo- rary said of him:
Mr. Finney is one of the most remarkable preachers in America. His strong logical powers, and educated as a lawyer, he deals much in con- vincing argument. He preaches more the love of God,.and wins as well as alarms to repentance. His strength of mind is equalled by that of
few; for a certain scope of preaching he is unequalled—that of impressive argument,.and such presenting. of the relations of religious truth as in its completeness and clearness works irresistible conviction, and brings skeptic, infidel, and atheist alike into broken hearted submission to. the power of God.
Further, Charles proved to be a talented and effective reformer. His view of the gospel compelled him to speak out on many of the social issues of his day; abolition, women’s rights, racism, and temperance were all touched on by his ministry as he sought to deal with people fairly, according to God’s Word.
His writings, in particular, spread his ideas worldwide.
Oberlin in July 1875, when he was eighty-two years old. His erect posture, demeanor, and bearing seemed that of a younger man. Then in-August of that-year, he preached once more at his beloved First Congregational Church of Oberlin. His piercing eyes ‘penetrated wherever they glanced. The congregation sat in quiet awe of his spiritual power and keen insight into the Christian life.
On Sunday, August 15, 1875, Charles spent.a quiet day with his wife. They thought of God’s goodness and faithfulness. At sunset.they strolled over'to linger near the old.church and listen to the singing. They joined in as the congregation sang, “Jesus, Lover of My. Soul.” The words went straight to Charles’s heart as he remem- bered the long-ago day of October 10, 1821, when sal- vation’s truth had first pierced his soul. When the hymn faded away, the Finneys walked back home and retired forthe evening.
About two o’clock in-the morning, the evangelist experienced: severe chest pains. His wife got up, and shortly, some friends gathered. Charles asked for water, but his thirst could not be satisfied. In his pain, as. he looked at the anxious eyes around the bed, he said softly, “Perhaps this is the thirst-of death.”
A moment or two later, he added, “I am dying? He closed his eyes. Although he lingered a few more hours, those were his last words. As the dawn began to break forth that August morning, Charles breathed his last breath and passed on to his heavenly reward. At last he was home and joined the multitudes of others he had brought to Christ.
His‘ son, Frederick: Norton Finney, had inscribed in FREDERICK NORTON FINNEY. In the Year of Our Lord