About three weeks past I received
Doctor Wheelock's letter, dated
22 of april; for
which I return a grateful tribute of Thanks. —
This was very timely, and
gave me to
understand a little, though not fully, the
Doctor's's
mind and pleasure respecting my Des‐
tiny. His other Letter, referred to in this
which I have, is yet on the way. —
It gave me the
most sensible sorrow
to hear that all of my letters to
Dartmouth have fell short. — What is the mean‐
‐ing
‐ing of Providence in this I can't
tell. — Have
wrote again and again, representing the State
of affairs in
these parts, giving an account
of God's work in a particular
Parish, and expressing
the earnest desire of that poor, needy, desti‐
‐tute People that I tarry with them a
little while longer,
that I may know what
my Rev. Patron would advise and direct to. —
I have been, and am still,
exceeding loath to
do any the least thing contrary to his Pleasure
to whom am
under the most inviolable
obligations, next to Almighty God. —
The Rev.
Mr.
Buell being in
New
England I could not consult him 'til this week. Now
I have laid before him my affairs
and
taken his Advice in this case, which is,
That I tarry about two months on the
Island and then return to
New Hampshire.
This advice I have concluded to follow.
Mr.
Buell informs me he saw Rev.
Mr.
Patten and Mr.
Woodward, whom he
discoursed on the point, and they were
of opinion that it would not, likely, be
displeasing to the
Rev. Doctor if I
should tarry for such reasons as he
gave them
— (viz) My not being in a con‐
firmed
state of health sufficient to go
upon an Indian mission in the
heat of summer. — And the late
happy
revival of Religion in
Ketehebonack,
which
appears to be a particular Call to labor
with them a little longer.
—
(Blessed be God the Work still goes on
and there is a prospect of ingathering of
souls.)
If I should go to
Dartmouth now, by what I can
learn, my
ordination could not conveni‐
‐ently be
attended before
Commencement,
and without that I should not
be prevailed
upon to take a mission.— Perhaps it may
be thought best this ordinance should be
so‐
lemnized at that time when the
Corporati‐on shall be together; which I most
earnestly
request
1
1
request may be done; for I am
much ex‐
‐ercised about preaching barely by virtue
of a
Licence.
With respect to my going under
Boston Board, I know not
what to say—
I should, by all means, choose to con‐
‐sult
the
Corporation on the head.—
As it is a very delicate point, so I shall
endeavour to manage it.— That Letter
not having come to hand in which
the
Proposal was made, Rev.
Mr.
Buell did not know what advice to give.
If by going under that
Board I must in the
least
break connections with him, whom
it is my honor to call my Rev.
and Worthy Patron
I could not endure the thought of it— but if
it shall be thought best, on the whole, to
an‐
swer the general Design in view — it is likely
I
shall be willing to comply with the propo‐
sal.— It has given me much of the heart‐
ache that some things are as they are,— but
God's Government is over all, according to
In
‐finite
Wisdom — the issue therefore must,
and can't but, be for his Glory; yea, for a
greater
Display of Divine Glory than other
‐wise there would be if it were
not for some
dark
Scenes.. This consideration bears my
Spirits up, or it
seems, I could not, at times, sub‐
‐sist — Let Zion and her Sons, rejoice in their
King/ — The Rev.
Doctor mentioned a pro‐
‐posal
‐posal lately made to him of my
taking
a tour to
Saint John's River this summer,—
and asked me what I
think of it? —
If I knew what prospects there are of
doing good , — the situation
of the Indians — the air — accommoda‐
tions, etc. I should be better able to form
a judgment.— But as my health is
but low, being attended with a
constant Fever,
much exposed to take Cold,
and unable to undergo much hard ser‐
‐vice by reason of a weakening Disorder
which has long affected me— And
also as I have no companion to go as
a preacher with me,
as I know of, or
could likely be obtained this season, it
does
not appear Duty for me to undertake the
journey at present.— My heart
says 'Lord,
what wilt thou have me to do'?— Wherever
Providence gives the
Lead, I am willing to
follow — but, alas! I know so
little, or no‐
thing, how to read divine Providences or get
an
answer to prayer that am afraid, many
times, I am not in the way of Duty —
It appears to me I should be the happiest
of many mortals if
I only knew what God's Plea‐
‐sure is respecting my situation and Destiny
in the world.— At present He is laying out
a great
variety of work for me, the least of all
his servants, is it not Duty to perform
it?
2
2
Through Divine Favor, my health is in some
measure recovered — am able to
preach
every sabbath and several Lectures.—
The awakenings in
Ketehebonack still continue in several instances,
though perhaps not so great as some time
past.... As I presume the
Doctor has
before this time received my Letters
I need give no farther account of God's
Work in these parts, save that there
is,
of late, a very great revival in
Southold‐Town,
under Rev.
Mr.
Storrs'
ministry.— I expect to go there
next
week, God willing— I find it a very great
advantage to me to live here in this Day
of
the Outpouring of God's blessed Spirit. —
When People's Ears are
open it is
easy
Preaching to them. — It has rejoiced
the hearts of many that God has
revived
his work in the
College last
Winter— O,
what an happy omen for good! —
After I received the
Doctor's
Letter, I
sent a line to
David Fowler with a
Desire that
he would give me an honest, faithful account
of the late State and Character of Mr.
Occom —
and he wrote me the following
—
—"I can't tell you any bad thing of him. —
He is, as it
were, crying out to Sinners in a
private manner — he don't
preach
as yet, but I hope he will. He seems
to enjoy a
newness of life again.—
He goes from one
Place to another ex‐
‐horting the People, that is, among
the Indians. — He has entirely aban‐
‐doned spirituous
liquors — he uses
none, nor keeps any in the house.=
I shall likely give you a better
Nar‐
‐rative of his Character at my return
from the main
shore."
I know nothing, Sir, but what
this account is entirely just —
But
nothing has been done to wash
away his Stain in these parts, or in any
other
that we have heard of.— Rev.
Mr.
Buell heard little if anything about him
on the main. — Perhaps Mr.
Woodward is
able to give a more particular
account of
Mr.
Occom than I can, and better able to
judge
whether it will be for the Good and
honor of the Cause to improve him as a
missionary — it seems to be a very great
frown of heaven that his usefulness has
been prevented.—
David Fowler appears much as usual—
with respect to his being deeply humbled etc. I
am not able to say — he manifests a very
great regard for the
Indian Cause — and has
some bitter reflections on his rash conduct
in
3
3
in the wilderness.— I have not said much
to him about his conduct, because am
very
ignorant of what the
Foundation or pretended
foundation of it was. If
he was to see and converse the Rev.
Doctor, am quite inclined to think he
would
make gospel satisfaction.—
His natural Temper is well known to be
violent
and sometimes his passion
blinds his reason. — respecting him‐
self he writes me,
"If I can pay off my Creditors this
year I design to go off this
Island next
year,
either to
Mohegan or the wil‐
derness: I don't think of going any
where this year."
East-Hampton judge he is very
un‐
steady and fickle, roving and wandering
But by converse with
David, am of opinion his
unsteadiness was much owing to his too small
salary and the Indians living a good deal
upon
him. — He does not keep the School at
Montauk;
he thinks,"if he did, it would be to none effect —
The Indians seem to be cursed — they don't ad‐
‐mire anything that would be beneficial
to them, either temporal or
spiritual."—
Imagine if he should visit the
Doctor it might
answer some valuable Purpose —
accordingly
shall recommend it to him.— I can't
but think he means to act
honestly — He is
now somewhat involved in Debt; but he
follows Fishery and hopes to raise something
on the land to defray his charges this
sea‐
‐son.— Thus, Sir, I have given the best
account
respecting him am able to do.—
If it shall be judged best to ordain me
at
Commencement, would not the
Doctor
think proper to appoint some of the
Rev.
Corporation the ordination ser‐
‐mon? — Would it please him to
pitch upon the Rev.
Mr.
Pomeroy?
But I mean not to dictate — shall be
perfectly well suited with Doctor
Whee‐lock's appointments.— If this Plan
should be agreeable to him, it would
lay me under farther obligations of
Gratitude, if by
any means, I might
have intelligence of it — but am
afraid these Letters
will suffer the same
misfortune as the other.—
It gives me unspeakable Joy
to hear Mr.
Ripley is hopefully religious! If this is the
case,
What extensive service may the Man of his
rare
abilities do for God, if God goes with him!
We hear the work of God is powerful in
several
Places upon the Continent...
People are liberal and very kind to me in these parts — O, how good is the Lord to the evil and unthankful!
— Oh! for an humble heart! a meek and lowly spirit!— the Benevolence,
the Love, the Pity and compassion of Jesus Christ to‐‐wards dying men! — my Soul
burns with ardor to do something for my Maker and Redeemer.—
The
Reverend Mr. Brown gives very kind
and affectionate Salutations to the
Reverend
Doctor
Wheelock — He is a
Father to me —
Please, Sir, present Duty to Honored
Madam,
and continue daily to pray for,
Rev.
and
honoured Sir,
Your very dutiful and most obedient humble servant
David Avery