It has been my Lot for a
long time to have Sorrow of Heart, I have
had Burden
upon Burden, Trial upon Trial, Both without and within
far and Near,
A General Concern is Riveted in my Heart,
for my Poor brethren According to the flesh, Both for their Bodies
and Souls; my Relations causes
heavier Sorrow; Every ob
struction and discouragement to Your School, and every mis
conduct and behaviour of Your Indian Scholars, Touches
me to the quick; More than
all these, the considerations of my
poor Family, as it were, lets my very Heart's Blood; I am ready
to Say, I am a Cruel Husband and Father, God had given me
a large Family, but they have no enjoyment of
me, nor I
them for Some Years back, and the whole Burden and Care of
a Large
Family of Children, lies upon my poor
Wife;
what
adds to my Sorrowful Heart is this, that whilst I am a Teacher
to others, I have neglected my own Children, by my peregrina
tions, and now my Children are growing, up, and are growing
wild; and the Devil
has been Angry, yea he has and is devil
ish Mad with me, and if he can, he will Drag all my Chil
dren into
all Manner Sins and Down to Hell; But blessed
be God he has provided an almighty Saviour, and all my
Hope is in
him, for myself and Family,— If I was
not fully persuaded and assured that this work was
of god, and I had an undoubted Call of god to Come
over
into this Country, I would not have Come over, like a fool
as I did, without any Countenance from
our Board,
but I am willing Still to be a fool for Christ Sake — this elevates
my Heart amidst all my Burdens, and Balances
all my Sorrows at Times, or enables me to bear
my
Trials, that I am in the way of my Duty, and the
Lord uses me in any Shape to promote his
kingdom in the World, — I am Glad,
and am thankful
that you have taken
my wild
Son, if You Can make
anything of him, I Shall be happy in him, if he Inclines
to Book Learning, give him Good English Education, but
if not, let him go to Some good master, to Learn Joiners
Trade, he Inclines to that, and
if that won't do, Send
him over to me, and I will give him away to Some
gentleman here — I return you Hearty thanks for the
Care you have taken of my Family, — Sir, let it suf
fice you, to hear of me by
Mr. Whitakers Letters, there is no
need of my writing often, Since
Mr. Whitaker writes So often,
PS: Perhaps you may wonder why I write After this manner I have received
chiefly Mournful Letters from my Wife, yet I have not
forgot the Tender Mercies of god to me and mine — —