Faraday to Caroline Deacon   4 September 1851

Thursday 4 Septr | 1851 | Park end Cottage | Lee Road | Blackheath

My dear Caroline

I am about to write a few words I hardly know why except that your last letter moves me in its mention of the troubles of one I love namely yourself; and truly you have much to make you sorrowful seeing that though in possession of the surpassing gift of hope in Christ you with us all are still in the flesh and our Lord in his mercy testified that even when the spirit was willing the flesh was weak¹. When I think of you & Thomas I try to cheer myself by what I doubt not also sustains you namely that all is under the ruling guidance of a merciful God who knows best what is needed by those whom he has chosen[.] All the scriptures of the New Testament & therefore all the body of the word in its true meaning & intent shew that for the people that are of God in Christ this world is not their rest implying I think that it must be different to them to what it will be to those who are of it. In the parable Abraham says that when the rich man had his good things in the world Lazarus was receiving evil things² - but now he is comforted & thou art tormented[.]

And then again there is that part of the Scripture (Hebrews) where the Apostle speaks of those who are without chastisement as being out of the Fathers love & its exercise;- as bastards & not sons³. And I do not understand this chastisement as implying merely some evident form of rebuke like that which I trust has been in mercy manifested towards Elizabeth⁴; but also such dealing of God with us (very often in private) as shewing us how soon we are beset by repining & impatience may lead us to see how weak our faith & trust in him is, and how little we understand of the true value of the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ. And indeed such chastisements may & do come as much to those who seem at ease in respect of such matters as you are greatly tried, with, as to those who are surrounded by them: for we make our own trouble by our folly, and when temporal things are easy to us then the world is as a snare, and we are perhaps in more danger of letting go the faith and saying where is the presence of his coming for since the fathers all things continue as they were[.] What a happy thing it is my dear Caroline that if we are moved by him to think of these things; then we are encouraged & urged to go to a throne of Grace for the remedy and ask for Mercy & Grace to help us in time of need.

I write to you as if I were forgetting Thomas but it is not so. Whatever the nature of our trial we all have access by the same door to him who is a very present help in every time of trouble. Only I think you can better choose the time of giving my earnest love to him than I can by the Postman & so I write to you.

Give the little one⁵ a kiss for me[.] I think when she was looking at the setting sun she probably saw a phenomena which you may perhaps never have distinguished - a certain reflection of the light from the eye lashes which gives the appearance of a ray elongating & darting forth. Ever my dear Caroline | Your affectionate Unkle M. Faraday

I am very glad to hear what you say of Elizabeth[.] We shall see if the effect continues. It certainly has not continued since when the expression were so sober that it could not stand for a moment against them[.]