Clapham
28th February 1772
Dear ſir
Since my last I duly rec
d your several favors of the
11th
Jany
20th June
1st August
29th do
9th
Septr
&
31st October Ap & I
should have wrote you long since had I known what to
say, but I was
much comforted by the last with the glad
tidings that you &
Mr Kirkland had met I come to the
Agreement to put it out of the
power of evil minded Peo
ple to break into that harmony that ought ever to
sub
sist betwixt those of the same Views; by disbelieving all
false insinuations relative to
each other & ever coming
to an explanation betwixt yourselves, I hope this will
be steadfastly adhered to in future & that you will be
enabled to see the Cloven foot, whenever any Person
shews a tendency to prejudice you against that valuable
Minister, who indeed in
this unhappy difference has
acted as few besides himself Would have done & I shall
ever highly value & esteem it for it & all considered
he has made as few mistakes as could be expected, as
indeed my Dear ſir he harboured not the evil reports
that were falsely suggested against you,
but ever
spoke with becoming regard & respect of your Character
it is for best to bury all that is past & not so much
as to think of it, but I must with my usual unreserve
^[left]Received May. 16th 1772^
tell you that I think your Parental regard to your Son
Ralph, has blinded your Eyes to some misconduct of his
& that
Mr Woodward has not been so single Eyed as I
would wish all to be
in so glorious a Cause, I don’t mean
to enter on any discussions, but rather
what I say is by
way of caution that neither of them may have it in their
power
to injure the Redeemers Cause thro the sides of
Mr Kirkland if they should be so unwise as to attempt it
but be
you forewarn’d
& thereby forearmed,
^so as^ not to listen
to the
Subtle Adversarys poison, should he be prevalent
eno to obtain an Eve to administer it, I know how
hard it is to know no one
after the flesh & to look th
[gap: tear] all to him with whom we have to
d
[illegible]o, but that Lord
who strengtheneth is Almighty, & he requires not
more then he will enable us to perform, when we are
armed from his heavenly Storehouse, all things are
poſsible, not only so but they are made easy thro the
divine influence, may the Lord ever guide you by his
Counsel till
he receives you to glory, & keep you watchful
& mindful that those who have not the Spirit of Christ
are none of his.
Your Drafts are duly taken Care of & whenever your
occasions further require aſsistance I have (thro mercy
wherewithal to aſsist you & at any time you may draw for
One or Two Hundred pounds on your private
account or
more if you find it needful to set you quite clear as
it must relieve
your mind & be in every view desirable
to stand quite clear of debt, I assure you the
Gentlemen
of the
Trust are disposed to do all
they consistently can
to strengthen your hands that you need be under no
apprehensions of failure therein I was glad to find
you had guarded against blending
the acco
ts of
the School
&
the College, in which you have acted wisely
I
feared much your being involved thereby that it was
an ease to my mind to see my
fears were groundleſs
& that consequently my Credit given on that score
was unneceſsary, I own I doubt much whither your
Charter will be confirmed on this side, as we don’t see
it
in the light you do; the
Trustees will soon have
a Meeting & then you will hear from them about th
[illegible][guess: at] as well as other matters, but I don’t
think an Interview
would tend to clear things as you imagine; many
Men will be
of many minds & opinions, upon the whole
you have
^an^ admirable
good set of
Trustees
& I believe
they are as disposed to favor you as you could wish
& you need fear nothing harsh from them, but go
on with confidence, keep
always in mind Jesus reigns
who has all hearts at Command, he makes our enemies to be at peace with us & brings good out of evil, continue simple & keep in mind that as his ways are in the Sea & we can not trace them, we must not pretend to make our Mountain
strong, but our strength consists in the acknowledgement of our weakneſs
& looking to him continually step by step to direct us in all our ways, let
us never go forth but with his presence & when we feel a void let us humbly wait
& be still & he will shine upon us, surely it is his Work
& not ours & he knows best how to carry it on, &
unleſs when we have done our duty to the utmost we rest it as wholly as if we
had done nothing we shall find a Canker in our Gourd & experience a blight instead of a bleſsing you will know my dear Friend that nothing is simpler nor plainer then
the path of duty & it seems easy but is unaccountably difficult, & we are often called on to groan being burdened by indwelling Sin, that
even when we would do good evil is present with us
& we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves but bleſsed be God our Souls being restored, we can triumph in Christ & be more then Conquerors over all
& draw from his fulneſs grace to help in our every hour of need, for with him is plentious redemption & we are strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner Man
That the Adversary & many of his Party will oppose you
is undoubtedly true & it is not leſs so that if you look
on them you will imbitter your own Spirit, therefore
let us go on unweariedly in the fear of the Lord
disregard
ing those on the right & on the left & we shall be safe
the danger is abundantly more from false Friends then
from open Enemies, but bleſsed be God they are all
Tethered & can’t paſs the bounds prescribed them
whereas we know all things are ours both present &
to come for we are Christs & Christ is Gods.
Mr Occom seems to me to have been hardly treated
& that I fear has been one means of driving him to
his unjustifiable
Character
^Conduct^, I had rather stand in
his Shoes than in those who
have a much better
opinion of themselves & exceed him abundantly in
putting the best gloſs on every thing; the best respecting
them is only considered & the worst of him, it should
be remembered he has been taken from that
scene
of life that made labor & the greatest parsimony
habitual to him & it is not in human Nature
to return
^[inline]to^ it with
that alacrity which is expected
^from him^ If people that
Judge harshly would make his Case
their own, they would be compassionate instead of ſevere
O how differently would they judge! & pray look to his Case
&
Dr Whitakers, & see who was benefited & yet
Mr Occom was the Instrument (under God) that was the means
of
collecting all the Money & Had the Doctor come
without him the disgrace would have all fell to
his share, whereas poor
Occom proved
the ScapeGoat
& I am much mistaken if a day is not at hand
that a Vail will be drawn over his great Infirmities
& his heart be found upright with God, do my
dear Sir shew him all the kindneſs you consist
[illegible][guess: on]ly
can, he will not prove unworthy of your Patronage
I never was
more deceived then in him if he is
not an Israelite indeed; his trials have been
very
great, I trust he will set bright at last —
Aſsist him with whatever you please from
^[inline]me^ I am
very
willing my heart yearns towards him & I love
him unfeignedly that I can’t but feel for him
I am very
glad to hear
Mr Avery is gone to
Oneide
& that the Lord seems to be smiling on the good
work you are engaged in I
trust the
[illegible][guess: mou]ths
of
I shall not cease to pray that the Lord may long strengthen you in your Work & for your Work, it is hard Service that forms Veterans, as you have often
seen in the Book of the way to Zion, may you be enabled to say with a departed
Friend of mine under very severe Discipline, “I have great Confidence —
great Submiſsion “no complaining. The Word to Christians goes beyond “all
this “in every thing give thanks” Hard as this “may seem under
great bodily trials &c I have no objection “to it, & the real sense of my own mind is, thankful “for Christ —
thankful for every thing”— I shall be always glad to hear from you, may
you & yours be growing up in the love of Christ devoted Servants of the Croſs, live daily upon the will of God & enjoy yourselves in nothing else praised be God there seems a
great revival in this Land in various parts while those that preserve the form
only are making great strides to cast that intirely off & Luxury & dissipation surely never were more prevalent