I rejoice in the goodness of God that directed
your thoughts to So excellent a Plan for propagating the Gospel
among the Indians— It is I apprehend, in the General, ap
proved. Messrs.
Whitaker &
Occom
have (in the places known
to me) for the most part had great success.. It was Right
to send over
Mr.
Occom
, as a Specimen of the benefit of
the School— As far as I hear he pleases in every Town
&
city— So much Simplicity appears in the man: So honest,
guileless a Temper, with seriousness in his public Service.,
So well he speaks in public, & So well he acts in private,
among his friends & mankind, that he
engages their hearts—
may you be as successful in training others to the ministry as
you have been in him!— By
virtue of the Power given to
Mr. Whitaker, Such Gentlemen of Fortune & Character
are now chosen on this side the Water, Trustees for the
Money that may be raised, that I doubt not the Collection in
Great Britain
&
Ireland will be exceeding
Great.
From the many Thousand Pounds in Capital, & the many
hundred, the
yearly Interest of the same, which will be
advanced, permit me to be a Petitioner for the worthy
Mr.
Occom
.
Tis natural to enquire into his family & worldly Circumstances.
His Children are, I
apprehend, many, & Substance Small—
yet the Good man seems to express full Contentment
if he can have a Sufficiency to Improve his little Estate.
Undesired, &
entirely without his
knowledge I write this
in his favour; but though I write in my own name only,
I'm persuaded, I might easily get many hundred Persons
to join in the Same Petition— Shall I entreat,
that
you, Dear Sir, will make use of all the Interest for Effecting
it— It must be supposed that the Great
acceptance he
meets with among mankind, adds considerably to the
Collections,
"
This Preacher was born & bred an Indian—
He
left his family— He risked his life on the Sea, for the
good Cause. He is ready to Preach when
desired— And
behaves with
a decency. that seems to give universal Satisfaction —
In the Narrative P 27, I am much pleased with the words, Father, we are very glad you have come among us with the Good word of God, or God is news— we will by the help of God, Endeavour to keep the Fire which you kindled among us; and, will take our Old
Customs, "ways, & Sins,
and put them behind our backs & never look on them
again; but will look straight
"forward & run
after
the Christian Religion— May The Indian People be renewed' in the Spirit of their minds (may they be turned from the error of their ways & built up in their most Holy Faith). 'o, that, the
Power of Godliness, the Love of God producing a Conformity to his moral attributes, all that
is Pious, Right, & Good, may prevail among them! May their minds be enlightened,
well-informed, & healthy; rightly disposed; possessing the Christian Temper! may duly regulated wills & affections, with a Behaviour corresponding, be the happy Effects of the Schools, & the
Ministerial Services!— — As I have the Satisfaction
of contributing my best Endeavours to the Increase of the Collections, it will be
greatly promoted, by frequent accounts of the success
which
may attend the additional Schools in the Wilderness— That God will bless the Endeavors & Reward your Pious zeal in time & to all
Eternity Prays
I shall esteem it a favour, if by one or other
of the Ships, that sail from
the Country to
Bristol,
I may at certain Seasons, receive Letters from you—