Edward Hoare, M.A Part 18

"I have thought a great deal of you in your re-settlement at home, and I trust that you have returned for a happy, holy, and useful winter.

"I look back with the greatest pleasure to my pleasant visit when all the boys were at home, and I trust that the same happy, peaceful spirit may be the abiding characteristic of your family.

"... I often think of the promise, 'They shall bring forth fruit in old age,' and most earnestly do I desire that my old age may be a fruitful season, but I am inclined to regard anything I can do as little more than the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done. I trust, however, that whatever is left may be diligently used for the glory of my Blessed Saviour.

"Give my dear love to Robert, and also to Chris. and Lettice.

"Your most affectionate Father, "E. h.o.a.rE."

"TUNBRIDGE WELLS, _August_ 29_th_, 1891.

"I have very much enjoyed your letters, though I have been slow in acknowledging them, for I find typewriting to be both slow work and very tiring to the brain. But I am glad of it, as it makes me sometimes fancy that I am independent. But independence is not the gift for me just now, for I am dependent for everything, and have to be unspeakably thankful for such loving caretakers on whom I may depend.

"Above all, how ought my heart to overflow with grat.i.tude to that loving Father on whom it is my joy to depend for everything!

Daughters can do a great deal, and would do more if they could, but He can do everything and does supply all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

"I trust all the dear sons are prospering, and the tutor doing well.

I wonder whether we shall meet anywhere this autumn. I do not feel much pluck in me for Norfolk; my home is so comfortable that I am not eager to leave it. But there is an idea in people's minds that we ought to go out in the autumn, so I suppose I shall go somewhere, though I do not at present know where. I am very thankful for my two visits to the North. They helped me to realise better the great interests for which to be continually in prayer. I was very happy with you and your sons. May our gracious G.o.d bless you all!

"Your loving Father, "E. H.

"TUNBRIDGE WELLS, _December_ 27_th_, 1891.

" ... Most heartily do I respond to all your loving wishes for a rich Christmas blessing on our whole party. We have enjoyed a very happy Christmas together. We have had with us E- and his family, and very pleasant have they all been. We have thought continually of the homes of the absent, and many a time both by day and by night has my heart been lifted for you all. I have thought very much of you and all your boys, and cannot doubt that you have had a very merry party.

G.o.d grant that they may all know the joy of the Lord! I am very sorry to hear of your disappointment... . I never forget the advice given me by my grandmother-never to act without seeking the guidance of the Lord, and after acting never to re-open the subject.

She would have said that your great mistake is in distressing yourselves now about your decision made two years ago. So as you sought His guidance trust Him to have given it, and push away regrets.

"The Lord be with you all!

"Your loving Father, "E. H."

"TENCHLEY, LIMPSFIELD, _October_ 6_th_, 1892.

"My typewriter is none the better for its journey, so that I have been unable to write and thank you both for my very happy visit. I most thoroughly enjoyed it, and throughout the whole of my visitation tour there has been nothing on which I look back with more genuine pleasure than I do on those happy days at Chenies. I thought the village lovely. I was greatly pleased with the meeting of Communicants and with the Church Services. I delighted in the children, and am looking forward with the greatest pleasure to their visit; and I greatly enjoyed all my pleasant intercourse with you both, which I valued the more as I have seen less of R- lately than of you, so that I was glad to enjoy his thoughts on many points of interest.

"May the Lord bless you abundantly both in your home and in your paris.h.!.+ With dear love to the children,

"Your most loving Father, "E. H."

"TENCHLEY, LIMPSFIELD, _December_ 28_th_, 1892.

"We had a very happy day at home, lovely weather, the very perfection of a Christmas Day, and I trust a good deal of suns.h.i.+ne within. I preached to the people on the sacred Name of Jesus, and I gave them what was new to myself, and, if I mistake not, new also to most of them, so we had fresh thoughts on an old subject. What a remarkable feature this is in Scripture! It is full of old truths, but is always bringing them out in newness and freshness to those who will take the trouble to study it.

"Dear love to Robert and the boys.

"Your most loving Father, "E. H."

From the Archbishop of Canterbury:-

"DEAL CASTLE, _April_ 13_th_, 1893.

"TO THE REV. CANON h.o.a.rE.

"MY DEAR CANON h.o.a.rE,-It was very kind and thoughtful of you to send me your two sermons, in which I was sure to take a great interest. I have read them both with much satisfaction. I think the 'Agnus Dei'

ought to be very useful. It puts that great hymn in its right position, and it shows the fallacy of certain deductions drawn from the fact that there were no legal grounds on which it could be decided that it was impossible for it to be used. I daresay you have noticed that Richard Baxter (not exactly a Ritualist) did not hesitate to make use of that same pa.s.sage from St. John in his draft Communion Service.

"The sermon on Confirmation I think most serviceable; its instruction most clear, and the remarks on what the Gift _is_ very impressive. I am glad you teach that that beautiful pa.s.sage in the Epistle to the Ephesians refers to the event recorded in the Acts. And what a motive it supplies, and what a basis for the Christian life!

"Thank you very much; I think no one can read that sermon without feeling that Scripture and its true teaching leaves more and more to us, in spite of all fears of 'Criticism.'

"Sincerely yours, "E. CANTUAR."

The following letter was to a lady in the United States who had written gratefully about some of his prophetical books, and asked for guidance on various points, as well as for some larger work on the same subject written by him:-

"TUNBRIDGE WELLS, _May_ 29_th_, 1893.

"TO MISS GRAY.

"MY DEAR MADAM,-I have received your letter with very great interest and thankfulness. How little do we know either the _where_ or the _how_ or the _when_ it may please G.o.d to make use of any effort in His service, and how little I thought that my two small books had found their way to the hearts of any of G.o.d's people in America! I am the clergyman of a large parish, and they were printed chiefly for the use of my own paris.h.i.+oners, and G.o.d has made use of them in His own way and far beyond my expectations. I am thankful to say that the coming of our blessed Lord is more and more the joy of my heart, as I am persuaded it is the central part of our Christian hope. I trust it has pervaded the whole of my ministry; but I have not published anything to be called a book upon the subject, though fragments have been occasionally printed in our local press. I am sending you the sermons recently printed, though only one refers directly to the Advent of our Lord. I am very glad to hear of your meeting for the Study of the Prophetic Word. At one time we had such meetings here, at which we discussed with great brotherly freedom the bright hope pointed out to us in Prophecy, and I believe I learnt more from those Christian conferences than I have ever done from all the books in my library. I trust the Lord may grant you all a similar blessing, so that when our blessed Saviour returns in His glory you may be able to greet Him with the words: 'Lo, this is our G.o.d; we have waited for Him, and He will save us.' 'This is the Lord; we have waited for Him: we will be glad and rejoice in His Salvation.'

"Believe me very faithfully yours, "E. h.o.a.rE."

To one who was losing her sight:-

"MARDEN, _June_ 8_th_, 1893.

"DEAREST -,-May the Lord give you a happy birthday to-morrow! You have your heavy trial hanging over you, but I trust that in G.o.d's leading you may have a bright and happy year, and may have a clearer sight of your Heavenly Father's boundless love than you have yet enjoyed. I trust that we may both have the eyes of our understanding enlightened, that we may know better what is the hope of our calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.

It is my unceasing prayer that I may see these things clearer and clearer. And I am sure that, if He manifest Himself more clearly to my soul, I shall be more than repaid for the failure of my earthly vision. Your case is different to mine, for you have every hope of complete restoration of sight. But we are one in the desire for heavenly light, and I trust the Lord _may_ give it to you abundantly through the new year, and that I too may enjoy a share."

Extract from a letter to one of his married daughters:-

"TUNBRIDGE WELLS, _August_ 3_rd_, 1893.

"We thank Him also very heartily for the happy week spent with you.

It was absolutely impossible that greater care and kindness should have been shown to the old man, and I wish you to know how successful you were in giving me a comfortable, pleasant, and happy week, so that I was well repaid for the effort of the two long journeys, and shall ever retain a happy memory of that pleasant visit.

"I was very glad to see as much as I did of the three dear sons, and felt exceedingly interested for them all, as I could see in each one that he had a special claim on our loving and earnest prayers.

"It was also a great gratification to me to make the acquaintance of your future daughter. Oh, how I hope that the voice of rejoicing and salvation will be in their 'tabernacle'! With dear love to them all, to the two boys arriving from school, and above all to yourselves at the head of such a family,

"Your most loving Father, "E. h.o.a.rE."