Clapham
28th February 1772
Dear Sir
Since my last I duly received your several favors of the 11th
January
20th June
1st August
29th do
9th
September
and
31st October Ap and I should have wrote you long since had I known what to say, but I was
much comforted by the last with the glad tidings that you and
Mr. Kirkland had met I come to the Agreement to put it out of the
power of evil minded Peo ple to break into that harmony that ought ever to
sub sist between those of the same Views; by disbelieving all false insinuations relative to
each other and ever coming to an explanation between yourselves, I hope this will be steadfastly adhered to in future and that you will be enabled to see the Cloven foot, whenever any Person
shows a tendency to prejudice you against that valuable Minister, who indeed in
this unhappy difference has acted as few besides himself Would have done and I shall ever highly value and esteem it for it and all considered he has made as few mistakes as could be expected, as
indeed my Dear sir he harboured not the evil reports that were falsely suggested against you,
but ever spoke with becoming regard and respect of your Character it is for best to bury all that is past and not so much as to think of it, but I must with my usual unreserve
Received
May. 16th 1772
tell you that I think your Parental regard to your Son
Ralph, has blinded your Eyes to some misconduct of his
and that
Mr. Woodward has not been so single Eyed as I
would wish all to be
in so glorious a Cause, I don’t mean
to enter on any discussions, but rather
what I say is by
way of caution that neither of them may have it in their
power
to injure the Redeemers Cause through the sides of
Mr. Kirkland if they should be so unwise as to attempt it
but be
you forewarned
and thereby forearmed, so as not to listen
to the
Subtle Adversarys poison, should he be prevalent
enough to obtain an Eve to administer it, I know how
hard it is to know no one
after the flesh and to look th
[gap: tear] all to him with whom we have to
do, but that Lord
who strengthens is Almighty, and he requires not
more then he will enable us to perform, when we are
armed from his heavenly Storehouse, all things are
possible, not only so but they are made easy through the
divine influence, may the Lord ever guide you by his
Counsel till
he receives you to glory, and keep you watchful
and mindful that those who have not the Spirit of Christ
are none of his.
Your Drafts are duly taken Care of and whenever your
occasions further require assistance I have (through mercy
wherewithal to assist you and at any time you may draw for One or Two Hundred pounds on your private
account or more if you find it needful to set you quite clear as it must relieve
your mind and be in every view desirable to stand quite clear of debt, I assure you the
Gentlemen of the Trust are disposed to do all
they consistently can to strengthen your hands that you need be under no
apprehensions of failure therein I was glad to find you had guarded against blending
the accounts of the School
and
the College, in which you have acted wisely I
feared much your being involved thereby that it was an ease to my mind to see my
fears were groundless
and that consequently my Credit given on that score was unnecessary, I own I doubt much whether your Charter will be confirmed on this side, as we don’t see it
in the light you do; the Trustees will soon have
a Meeting and then you will hear from them about th[illegible][guess: at] as well as other matters, but I don’t
think an Interview would tend to clear things as you imagine; many Men will be
of many minds and opinions, upon the whole you have an admirable
good set of Trustees
and I believe they are as disposed to favor you as you could wish
and you need fear nothing harsh from them, but go on with confidence, keep
always in mind Jesus reigns
who has all hearts at Command, he makes our enemies to be at peace with us and brings good out of evil, continue simple and keep in mind that as his ways are in the Sea and we can not trace them, we must not pretend to make our Mountain
strong, but our strength consists in the acknowledgement of our weakness
and looking to him continually step by step to direct us in all our ways, let
us never go forth but with his presence and when we feel a void let us humbly wait
and be still and he will shine upon us, surely it is his Work
and not ours and he knows best how to carry it on, and
unless when we have done our duty to the utmost we rest it as wholly as if we
had done nothing we shall find a Canker in our Gourd and experience a blight instead of a blessing you will know my dear Friend that nothing is simpler nor plainer then
the path of duty and it seems easy but is unaccountably difficult, and we are often called on to groan being burdened by indwelling Sin, that
even when we would do good evil is present with us
and we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves but blessed be God our Souls being restored, we can triumph in Christ and be more then Conquerors over all
and draw from his fullness grace to help in our every hour of need, for with him is plenteous redemption and we are strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner Man
That the Adversary and many of his Party will oppose you is undoubtedly true and it is not less so that if you look on them you will embitter your own Spirit, therefore let us go on unweariedly in the fear of the Lord
disregard ing those on the right and on the left and we shall be safe the danger is abundantly more from false Friends than from open Enemies, but blessed be God they are all Tethered and can’t pass the bounds prescribed them whereas we know all things are ours both present and to come for we are Christs and Christ is Gods.
Mr. Occom seems to me to have been hardly treated
and that I fear has been one means of driving him to his unjustifiable
Conduct, I had rather stand in his Shoes than in those who
have a much better opinion of themselves and exceed him abundantly in putting the best gloss on every thing; the best respecting them is only considered and the worst of him, it should be remembered he has been taken from that
scene of life that made labor and the greatest parsimony habitual to him and it is not in human Nature to return to it with
that alacrity which is expected from him If people that
Judge harshly would make his Case
their own, they would be compassionate instead of severe O how differently would they judge! and pray look to his Case
and
Dr. Whitakers, and see who was benefited and yet Mr. Occom was the Instrument (under God) that was the means
of collecting all the Money and Had the Doctor come without him the disgrace would have all fell to
his share, whereas poor Occom proved the ScapeGoat
and I am much mistaken if a day is not at hand that a veil will be drawn over his great Infirmities
and his heart be found upright with God, do my dear Sir show him all the kindness you consist[illegible][guess: on]ly can, he will not prove unworthy of your Patronage I never was
more deceived then in him if he is not an Israelite indeed; his trials have been
very great, I trust he will set right at last —
Assist him with whatever you please from me I am very
willing my heart yearns towards him and I love him unfeignedly that I can’t but feel for him I am very
glad to hear Mr. Avery is gone to Oneida
and that the Lord seems to be smiling on the good work you are engaged in I
trust the [illegible][guess: mou]ths
of
all our adversaries will be stopped, I sent Dr. Erskine of Edinburgh a Copy of the Agreement between you
and
Mr. Kirkland
and endeavoured to remove some prejudices I found he had imbibed to the prejudice of your new School,
as I got an extract of a Letter he wrote Mr. Davidson of Braintree
last September as follows — “By accounts from America one Mr.
Kirkland “a missionary among the Oneida
and
Tuscarora Indians “has been wonderfully blessed
and in the judgement of Charity “many of his hearers savingly converted. There has
been “nothing equal to this since Mr. David Brainerd
and “yet he might have starved for Dr. Wheelock had not “our board
of Correspondents
and the London Commissioners “at Boston
taken him under their care. The Doctor instead “of employing Missionaries, Schoolmasters or Catechists
“has alienated the greatest part of the Monies collected “in England to creating a new
College in New Hampshire
“the Charter of which where he is named first President “is conceived in
such artful terms, that that College “will
soon fall under Episcopal management, and had “not this been in view, the ease with which he
“procured a Charter, when Mr. Whitefield was refused “it can hardly be accounted for
—”
I shall not cease to pray that the Lord may long strengthen you in your Work and for your Work, it is hard Service that forms Veterans, as you have often
seen in the Book of the way to Zion, may you be enabled to say with a departed
Friend of mine under very severe Discipline, “I have great Confidence —
great submission “no complaining. The Word to Christians goes beyond “all
this “in every thing give thanks” Hard as this “may seem under
great bodily trials etc. I have no objection “to it, and the real sense of my own mind is, thankful “for Christ —
thankful for every thing”— I shall be always glad to hear from you, may
you and yours be growing up in the love of Christ devoted Servants of the Cross, live daily upon the will of God and enjoy yourselves in nothing else praised be God there seems a
great revival in this Land in various parts while those that preserve the form
only are making great strides to cast that entirely off and Luxury and dissipation surely never were more prevalent
I am always Dear Sir Yours affectionately
John Thornton
From Esq. Thornton
February 28. 1772.