1890-1891
South Africa, Tasmania, Australia, New Zealand
March 16th, 1891
Adelaide
My Beloved Henry,
The last mail bringing your letter brought also the sorrowful tidings of dear Charlie's pain in the loss of his dear wife, now removed from a scene of deep sorrow to be with the Lord to wait in His blessed presence a little while for that moment we also wait for when the sleeping shall be raised and we shall be changed and caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and to be for ever with the Lord. I know what a deep trial it will have been for you in many ways, but He is over all and His voice has not lost its power and majesty nor ever will.
It is a very real sorrow to my heart to think of dear Arundel having been carried away by this evil, but it only keeps me near the Lord who was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Our heart feels the same for Charlie I know and not them only but for the thousands who seem to be engulfed in the devastating flood.
The Lord has delivered nine out of the evil here and many are deeply exercised and cannot go to the usual meeting and I hope these may soon be clear too. The determined effort being made to persuade the saints that F.E.R. holds nothing contrary to the teaching of J.N.D. is very marked – very little reference to the Word of God is ever heard. I have not had the parcel of papers yet but shall get them on my return to Melbourne in a few weeks. D.V. I go to Freemantle in Western Australia tomorrow – 7 days steam from here and shall be glad of an opportunity to spend a little time again with the few God has separated from the evil in this place – I do indeed marvel how men like J.B.S., W.T.T. and others can go with this error. C.H.M. too – his name carries thousands with it, so few appear to really get any truth direct from God to their own souls that in a crisis like this they are bewildered and have no divine standard to measure things by. Through mercy I have never known deeper joy in the Lord than we have, only it is with a mere handful of poor outcasts this trouble appears to bring out of prison – we had here last night at the dear brother's house who is the Chief among those outside a real time in the gospel – a full room not very large and some outside in the passage and there are a few hopeful cases where we trust blessing was given.
God has prospered my business so I move on amid the strife and ruin filled with thanksgiving – the storm time will soon be over – thanks for reference to the XXIX Psalm – I have and do enjoy it very much.
Received a nice letter from Mr Frost of Clifton last week and have just answered it – I am very busy so excuse this scrap now and with much love and to Zoe. Believe me.
Being very affectionate Brother,
Edward