I have now to thank you for your favors of the
9th
November
and
3rd
December
As it is my sincere desire to alleviate
that load of anxieties and Care that you must necessarily
be under for I bear you much upon my heart and I do
believe I may safely assure you that my poor prayers
are not
wanting, I trust that kind Lord that has upheld
you hitherto will long continue your
valuable life and
direct and guide you through every intricacy, I was sorry
to hear of
Mr. Kirtlands going over to the
Boston
Trust which I did my utmost to prevent and with that view
offered to assist him with Money if his exigencies
required it, he had complained of your unkindness
on account of some disagreement with
your
Son which also
Mr. Whitefield mentioned to me as well
as himself, he is as you
well know a valuable Man
much owned and
blessed, his Zeal runs away with him
sometimes and consequently leads him into some mistakes
but I believe even then his
intention is commendable
and all that will be set right by the Discipline of the
Spirit by a little more experience, you
well know what
slow proficients the best of us are in the School of Christ
the great forbearance we require and will I dare say make
every possible allowance, manifesting the Law of kindness
is wrote upon your heart, I hope all breaches will be
made up and every mistake over looked, the Gentlemen of
the
Boston Trust on this side are not in our Sentiments and
I wish that may not be a bar to a perfect union
for they have
testified opposition hitherto and you would
be grieved to see, how much has been said about
the
Trust being abused and the Moneys applied to very
different purposes from that for which it is collected
and there has been almost an outcry about it, that
you must let the
benefactions on your side be em
ployed towards the Building of both School and College
as we really have not a power vested in us to apply
our Monies
to any Building, if this should put you
to any difficulty I am ready to assist you with 4
to £500 out of my private fortune or
the double thereof if you judge it needful but we must
let our yea be yea and our nay nay for whatever is more
then this cometh of evil, many things have
been said
on this side maliciously to hurt the Cause but it matters
little for by our Master we stand or
fall and the most that
speak against us is on account of the Cause we are
engaged
in, however we must not only take heed that our end is
right, but also
that it is rightly pursued and that we give
no just occasion to those that such occasion, it has
been
surmised (but barely so) that you had changed your
religious Sentiments and was disposed to
Sandimans
senti
ments, I trust that like every other Calumny is believed
by few, that are
acquainted with Jesus and those who do
pretend to believe it, don't know what it means, I
presume you know
Dr. Whitaker was thought a double
minded Man and artful while on this side the Water
that his espousing your Cause can by no
means help it
I really believe all the Gentlemen of the
Trust have
a just opinion of your Conduct, and as far as they think
they consistently can they will go hand in hand with
you, but where they can not do it without Infring
ing on
the
Trust it can't be expected and they will
not depart one tittle therefrom—
I was grieved at what I heard of
Mr. Occom indeed
I Fear he had hard usage and that drove him into
the horrid Sin of drinking, pray my dear sir use
him tenderly for I am much mistaken if his heart
is not right with God, I apprehend the
Trust can
have no objection to your assisting him occasionally
if you can not do it for them, pray do it for me and
draw the money as before
I send you herewith a List of the Bills that
have appeared all
which are taken care of and as
there will be a necessity of producing some accounts
I hope you will forward them as soon as possible
I trust every blessing of Covenant love will be
vouchsafed and that your unwearied endeavors will
be crowned with abundant success which will
most sincerely rejoice
If I mistake not the
Rev.
Mr. John Todd is
your Neighbour and a valuable one
I saw an account from him in
July 1768 when he was
bringing up
some young Men for the Ministry and I liked
what I saw so well that I was glad to throw in my
Mite to
forward the good Work —
Dr. Whitherspoon gives me a pleasing account of a great revival at his
College in New
Jersey, that the Lord has many witnesses far and near.