Lebanon
Nov.r
28.th 1767
My dear Broth.r
How glad should I be to see yo, but I patiently wait 'till God has done w.th
y.o where yo are — The imprudent Letters w.h
paſs'd between yo
&
M.r
E–s have occasioned Me much trouble, &
seemd for a while as tho' they would unhinge
y.e whole affair — I Charitably believe he ment no more than to pursue
y.e Plan laid by our Board of Com̅iſsioners before yo
saild, & to take y.t advan =tage of trade w.h somebody must have upon that Plan, & why not he as well as another? yet y.e Letters as they appeared were shocking indeed. I knew nothing of them till I had ye
Copie of them by M.r Keen, w.th advice y.t my Bill in fav.r of M.r Breed was protested, on y.t
acco.t — I had no other Refuge but God alone it occasioned me a long,
tedious, &
fruitleſs Journey to Portsmouth, before I had
recover'd from a fit of sickneſs so as to be able to ride 20 miles in a day. but God has helped me thro' all, &
y.e Cause has not suffered greatly by it, on this Side y.e Water — But I suspect there is yet some Jealousies remaining in y.e minds of ye
Gentlemen of ye Trust, which it concerns yo fully to remove —
M.r
E–s wrote M.r Whitefield
y.t
w.h I hoped would be satiſfactory but have never heard whether it reach'd him — M.r Keen writes me y.t it is generally understood &
y.t
y.o have declared y.t
y.e Trust have right to pay or protest Bills as they shall think
advisable; but I presume y.o
ha'n't well digested y.t Matter; because yo
ha'n't had y.e Experience w.h I had very timeously had of y.e Danger, &
Risque upon y.e Plan, nor do I know who y.o find willing to be an Agent on y.s side y.e Water, upon y.t Plan, so long as his own Intrest is pawn'd to defray all Charges — The Gentlemen of ye Trust
shewed a laudable, & truly christian Integrity towards y.e Redeemers cause as ye matter appeared to them — I never
blam'd them so much as in a tho't, tho' I was myself so great, &
y.e only sufferer — But I can aſsure
y.o I did not always feal as I should, while I was expecting y.e protested Bill, &
tho't on all ye consequences w.h
woul likely ensue — The support of y.e
Miſs [illegible][guess: res], who ask for no other Reward for their service, must be sure, — I think
y.t
leſs than y.t can't be right, nor pleasing to God; unleſs they were able & willing to support themſelves — And I don't see how y.e Affair can be accomodated without an Incorporation, or at least a trust here. — I have been
turning my tho'ts, & weigh =ing every Man within my acquaintance, & design soon to fix upon a num.r
& make a new Will, & submit ^it^ to ye Censures of my hono.d Patrons, ye
Gentlemen of ye Trust
My son Ralph after such a long & dark cloud as he has been under w.th respect to his health, has now ye a prospect of enjoying y.t
Bleſsing to a good Degree. He is in high spirits for Indian affairs, he understands ye
Buſineſs, & has a tallent at Ggoverning Indians beyond any man I can employ — I
don't know w.t God intends for him, but at present he is a Comfort
& help to me. it may be he will be y.e Man to conduct ys affair when I have done, — Indeed I know of no man [illegible]at present who can do it better — but I wait upon God
to direct
& I love to wait, & hope, [illegible]& trust in him alone — Your &
M.r Occoms Sons w.th me are well,
y.r Families were so not long ago. Give my love to M.r Occom; I want to see him; does he keep clear of y.t Indian distemper Pride. If y.o see anything of it, advise him y.t he had better have a rattle-snake in his Bosom; I don't write y.s because I suppose him worse than myself, but because I have known so much
of the mischiefs of y.t Evil, & know his temptations to be very great — Oh! watch & pray — My dear Broth.r I love yo right well; & am
Yours in ye dearest Bonds
Eleazr Wheelock
P.S. I trust y.o will see my Letters here with transmitted to y.e trust
& to M.r Whitefield. to w.h I refer y.o for intelligence. My Physicians say I must soon quit all unleſs I will abate of my continual Labours. But w.t shall I do? I imploy one pen besides my own continually & sometimes two,
& have done so for mayny months.
Rev.d
Doct.r Whitaker.
Letter to the Revd
Doct.r Whitaker
Nov.r 28. 1767.