[MS Group 70, Box 1.6g, Judd Family Papers, Bernice P. Bishop Museum Library, Honolulu, Hawaii.]
Elnathan Judd (1773-1845) was a physician in Paris, NY.
Address: Doct. Elnathan Judd.
Paris, Oneida co.
N. York.
Letter:
Troy 23 March 1827.
Dear Brother Judd.
Your kind letter came to
hand yesterday. I have heard [of] the transactions
in Oneida county - am not surprised much in
these days at any thing. My Dear Brother, things
seem to us to be carried forward in great confusion.
But with the blessed God there is no disorder, no
mistake, no confusion, no disappointment. All is well!
Dont be dismayed, the ark of God is safe. Be strong,
in that county, "acquit yourselves like men". Dont let us
be rash, Now is the time to "let our moderation be
known". Do all you can Dear brother to keep christians
in that county from a controversial spirit. A spirit
of party. "I am of Paul, & I of Apollos," To excite this
spirit just at this time, is doubtless Satans
object, & the occasion is peculiarly favorable
for his purpose. Here then, just now, lies our
danger. Say to all the friends of Zion, pray
& not talk much just now. The times are
too perilous, & the church & world in too great
a fermentation to say much. 'Tis better to pray, I
think, than to speak, when there is so much noise that our
voice cant be heard. I would express my gratitude for your
remembrance of me at a throne of grace. Things remain
here about in statu quo. Revival goes on in the midst
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of opposition from earth & hell. Our Brethren at the east are
certainly in great darkness with respect to the state of things
here & at the west. The fact is, the smoke has come up
from the bottomless pit & filled the & darkened the
air - lies have been hatched in hell, & have come
up like Locusts upon the face of the earth & filled
the land,& are so that they know not what to
believe. Let us pray that the wind of the spirit may
sweep away this smoke & these lies, & then we
shall all come out from und[er] the Cloud & see eye
to eye, & love eachother & serve our God better than
ever. Let us take care that we do not dash against,
& hurt each other in the dark. Satan wants to turn
our weapons against each other. O I pray God that I
may have no weapons to use in that way.
Mr. Beman's affair with Presbytery is going on.
You will hear particulars in due time.
The effect produced by the letters from the east is
here about what I suppose it is there. There are different
opinions of course. Hold still, & let us see what God
means by this. Say to Brother Waters, I have spent
3 sabbaths at New Lebanon. Revival there has become
powerful. His friend Tildens family deeply affected
I believe Mr. T. began to indulge some hope before I
left. Tall Oaks, & the "Cedars of Lebanon" bow down there,
at the foot of our Emanual.
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Love to all our dear [the] friends of Jesus.
O do My Dear Doct Judd to preserve
in that region the gentle spirit of the
blessed Jesus, "who when he was reviled,
reviled not again, when he was persecuted,
threatened not, who did not strive nor cry
nor lift up his voice in the streets". Only
cultivate & keep the true spirit of prayer,
& all will be well. Give that away, &
a blighting curse will follow.
In great haste yours fraternally -
C. G. Finney.
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Charles Finney (1792 - 1875)
Known as one of the leaders in the Second Great Awakening revival in America. He was a revivalist who called for deep introspection of sin and preaching of the law to bring about sin. He was known to preach 30+ nights on sin and than the last night on Christ to have people flee to Him for mercy. Used greatly in the book: "Revivals of Religion" which is a classic on the subject of revival.He preached on the true Baptism of the Holy Spirit and its necessity. In his revivalistic campaigns he was used of the Lord to bring some estimate over 50,000 souls to the Lord which many were sound converts. There has been questions raised surrounding his theology in the later years of his ministry but this does not discredit that God used him powerfully in revival and for God's kingdom.
Charles Finney was born in Connecticut to an ordinary family and life that gave little hint of the great things God had in store for him. He was a schoolteacher and then a lawyer before his conversion at age 29. Finney was filled with the Holy Spirit on the same day he was saved and immediately began witnessing to friends and family members. More than twenty people were saved in the 24 hours following Finney's conversion. Finney's personal evangelism soon became public evangelism as he began to travel and preach in extended revival meetings. He considered revival to be a natural result of following the instructions God had laid out in His Word.
During Finney's fifty years of preaching, more than 500,000 were saved. He wrote many books, the most enduring of which are The Autobiography of Charles Finney and Lectures on Revival of Religion. After ill health forced him to stop traveling in meetings, he accepted the pastorate of a church in New York City. From 1852 until 1866 he served as president of Oberlin College in Ohio. Although some of his theology was lacking, he was a powerful, Spirit-filled soul winner who brought revival to cities and towns across the eastern United States.