SD1120. Edward Moulton-Barrett (father) to Henrietta Moulton-Barrett
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 4, 365 (in part).
[London]
[Postmark: 11 April 1840]
My dearest Henrietta
God is our Refuge, a very present help in trouble, seek it there then & you will find Him as all his people have ever done, faithful to his word– We cannot disguise it to ourselves, that it is a severe, a very heavy bereavement, & nature & its affections will have their payments, but the obligations of Christianity are on occasions like these, as well as on every event of Providence, great & cogent, & whilst we do sorrow, we are enjoined not to sorrow, even as others, who have no hope; and the joyful season follows, for our merciful God Knows our weakness & always in infinite compassion condescends to meet us there in order to speak peace to us, & hence He gives as this balm for our wounded spirits, “For if we believe that Jesus died & rose again, even so them also who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him”—and Paul concludes the blessed subject with this exhortation “Wherefore comfort one another with these words”—and now dear Henrietta, in the exercise of this authority, I tender you this consolation, better I cannot find ampler there cannot be– All must die, it is the penalty of Sin; Life is a race, & some run it faster than others & if our beloved Sam has outstripped us, will he not wait on the other side of the Goal to welcome us, when we have finished our course; in the way of Nature I should have been before him, but it has been judged otherwise, & who shall gainsay the decision– Wisdom, infinite Wisdom, as well as Mercy, has determined it, & let us Kiss the rod which chastens. Henrietta, murmur not, it is the Lord & therefore let us say “I was dumb, because Thou didst it”– And surely from what our beloved Storm wrote of his confession of faith, & what Mr Waddell has written of his sorrow & repentance of Sin, & belief of the truths he set before him, we may have more than hope, that only sorrow endured for a night, & that joy came in the Morning to his disintralled spirit– Let us praise & bless our God, that like many others he was not cut off in forgetfullness of the one thing needful, but that a few days were permitted him to prepare to meet his God, & that not in his own weakness & insufficiency, but, by faith, in the strength & inexhaustible sufficiency of the Lord our Righteousness– Oh may this event be unto us all a preaching of the Gospel, turning us from all that is in the World unto all that is the Promises of God, from all the creature has to offer, unto all the high Priest of our Profession has pledged himself to do for us, if we would forsake all for his sake & come body, soul & spirit to God by him– Mr Waddell is to write to you by the next packet–
And our dear Stormie, poor fellow I feel most deeply for him, knowing his proclivities, he must be as one desolate, but I thank God, he is not alone; God bless him & Comfort him & support him, I cannot doubt– I write by this packet to desire that he will return directly–
Bro’s letter to Harry this morning is heart rending, oh why dont my beloved Ba cast herself on all those blessing & consolations which she knows so well; I know that her spirit is willing, & her flesh weak, but let the spirit do its perfect work & much may be accomplished.
I hope to see you all in the ensuing week, & that through the mercies of our God I shall find you in some measure reconciled to the blow that has been struck–
I cannot write more, as I must send a line to Hedleys & there remains only a small space before the Post shuts– And that our God may pour his rich consolations into your wounded hearts for the Lord Jesus sake is my sincere prayer.
Yrs very affectionately
E M Barrett
Address: Miss Henrietta Barrett / 1– Beacon Terrace / Torquay / Devonshire / ppd.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library, Altham Archive.
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