Joseph Johnson, letter, to Eleazar Wheelock, 1767 December 29

Author Johnson, Joseph[pers0288.ocp]

29 December 1767[1767-12-29]

Call Number767679.2

[note (type: abstract): Johnson writes of his spiritual concerns, the progress of the school, and his differences with Kirkland.][note (type: handwriting): Handwriting is small, yet mostly clear and legible. Letter case is frequently difficult to discern, especially with regard to the letter S.][note (type: paper): Large sheet folded in half to make four pages is in good condition, with light staining, creasing and wear.][note (type: ink): Black-brown ink is faded in spots.]
Persistent Identifier
[Opener]

[Revd | Rev.]RevdRev. [& | and]&and ever [hond | honoured]hondhonoured [Doct.r | Doctor]Doct.rDoctor
I would once more attempt to
write to you my [Hond | honoured]Hondhonoured Benefactor; [Notwithſtanding | notwithstanding]Notwithſtandingnotwithstanding I find
my mind so [Diſcompoſ'd | discomposed]Diſcompoſ'ddiscomposed, it is as if [their | there]theirthere was no [Solidneſs | solidness]Solidneſssolidness in my
mind, sometimes Encouraged, [& | and]&and at other time [Diſhearted | disheartened]Diſhearteddisheartened; So [yt | that]ytthat
I cant be [Reſolute | resolute]Reſoluteresolute in what I do. at [preſent | present]preſentpresent things look dark—
They all wear a garment of [Diſcouragement | discouragement]Diſcouragementdiscouragement, but I hope that
Before long Some will change their [preſent | present]preſentpresent garment, [& | and]&and Look
Encouraging to your poor Labourers in the [Wilderneſs | wilderness]Wilderneſswilderness.
I Fear that God is about to give up [theſe | these]theſethese poor Ignorant heathen
to walk after their own hearts, and cut them [of | off]ofoff [Intirely | entirely]Intirelyentirely from his
Earth; I think at [preſent | present]preſentpresent [their | there]theirthere is Some concern [amongſt | amongst]amongſtamongst [theſe | these]theſethese
Indians I would hope a Real concern, I hope that God is about to
carry on his own work [amongſt | amongst]amongſtamongst us, and bring out Some of our Souls
from this [darkneſs | darkness]darkneſsdarkness into his Marvelous Light. I am yet in the Gall
of [Bitterneſ | bitterness]Bitterneſbitterness and in the bond of Iniquity. I hope that God will yet
Enable me to See the pride of my heart, [& | and]&and the great Sin of Unbelief
and the [Neceſsity | necessity]Neceſsitynecessity I Stand in of [X | Christ]XChrist [Jeſus | Jesus]JeſusJesus, I believe that [unleſs | unless]unleſsunless God be
[pleaſed | pleased]pleaſedpleased to open my Eyes that I may See the [wickedneſs | wickedness]wickedneſswickedness of my h[above] eeart
I greatly fear I shall never Obtain the One thing [needfull | needful]needfullneedful.
I [deſire | desire]deſiredesire the continuance of your prayers [dayly | daily]daylydaily that God would
make and keep me humble minded and willing to Submit to
his will and [pleaſure | pleasure]pleaſurepleasure [& | and]&and to [diſpoſe | dispose]diſpoſedispose of me as Seems good to him
and [moſt | most]moſtmost for his own Glory and the [furtherence | furtherance]furtherencefurtherance of the Glorious
Redeemers Kingdom Here in this [Deſert | desert]Deſertdesert.
It seems as if I was in Some [meaſure | measure]meaſuremeasure willing to devote my [at | all]atall to [yt | that]ytthat
End. I have no Strange news to [Enform | inform]Enforminform you of at [preſent | present]preſentpresent I steadily
attend the School, Such Times Excepted as when [mr | Mr.]mrMr. kirtland[pers0315.ocp] wants
my [aſsiſtantce | assistance]aſsiſtantceassistance the illegibleScholars [ar | are]arare 5 in number at [preſent | present]preſentpresent they [larn | learn]larnlearn
very [faſt | fast]faſtfast, I have Some hopes of having my School [Enlargd | enlarged]Enlargdenlarged
in Number, but if not, I hope that it may [Increaſe | increase]Increaſeincrease in—
Knowledge. I will do all that [Lays | lies]Layslies in my power to teach
them in all thing I am capable of. I Live very comfortable
upon the Indian [fair | fare]fairfare, I Lack nothing but [thank full | thankful]thank fullthankful
Heart. (as I wrote before.) I have had my health as [Uſual | usual]Uſualusual
By the [Goodneſs | goodness]Goodneſsgoodness of God, and I hope [Revd | Rev.]RevdRev. Sir, that by the
Same [Gododneſs | goodness]Gododneſsgoodness that you have had your Valuable health
[aſ | as]aſas [Uſual | usual]Uſualusual [Likewiſe | likewise]Likewiſelikewise. I would once more [aſk | ask]aſkask the continuance
of your prayers, that god keep me from pride, from—
Ingratitude, from [diſhonouring | dishonouring]diſhonouringdishonouring his Great Name—
from all the Temptations of the [Divil | Devil]DivilDevil, and from all the
Temptations of my fellow Youth. that he would keep me from
the [Luſts | lusts]Luſtslusts of the Eye, and the [Luſts | lusts]Luſtslusts of the [fleſh | flesh]fleſhflesh. and in Short from
Everything that is [Diſpleaſing | displeasing]Diſpleaſingdispleasing to him.
I [muſt | must]muſtmust own and I think it my duty to [confeſs | confess]confeſsconfess now that
that I was wrong in my thoughts about that [Queſtion | question]Queſtionquestion
which [Mr | Mr.]MrMr. kirtland[pers0315.ocp] [aſked | asked]aſkedasked me "do you think there is So
"great a [Differrence | difference]Differrencedifference Between me and [Mr | Mr.]MrMr. Wheelock[pers0036.ocp],
I [Miſunderſtood | misunderstood]Miſunderſtoodmisunderstood him he Said that "do you think there is a
"greater Difference between you and me, then there is between
"[Mr | Mr.]MrMr. Wheelock[pers0036.ocp] and me. it was [Laſt | last]Laſtlast winter when I [Shewed | showed]Shewedshowed
my Reluctance in [aſsiting | assisting]aſsitingassisting him for his fire wood." He Said I
"would willingly take care of [Mr | Mr.]MrMr. Wheelock[pers0036.ocp] if he was up
"here.—I said So would I. Then his [Queſtion | question]Queſtionquestion came.
I have no more to write at this Time, Only [Revd | Rev.]RevdRev. Sir;
I [Deſire | desire]Deſiredesire Still to be under your kind Direction in all
things [thal | that]thalthat I undertake. [Revd | Rev.]RevdRev. Sir. I should be glad of
a favour of a illegible[Litter | letter]Litterletter from you as I always have a [deſire | desire]deſiredesire
to hear from my kind [& | and]&and [hond | honoured]hondhonoured Benefactor.

[Closer]
So [hond | honoured]hondhonoured Sir
I [deſire | desire]deſiredesire to [Subſcribe | subscribe]Subſcribesubscribe [myſelf | myself]myſelfmyself your Humble [& | and]&and Obedient—
—Pupil.

[Joſeph | Joseph]JoſephJoseph [Johnſon | Johnson]JohnſonJohnson.[pers0288.ocp]
[Postscript]
PS. my humble Duty to madam[pers0577.ocp],
[& | and]&and [Reſpects | respects]Reſpectsrespects to all your worthy
Family. I have been in great
Hurry in this Letter I dont know
as you can Read it.
To The [Revd | Rev.]RevdRev. [Doctr | Dr.]DoctrDr. Wheeloc[above] kk[pers0036.ocp]
[note (type: editorial): Blank page.]
[Trailer]
From Joseph Johnson[pers0288.ocp]
 [Dec.r | December]Dec.rDecember [29.th | 29th]29.th29th 1767[1767-12-29]

To
 The [Rev.d | Rev.]Rev.dRev. [Dr | Dr.]DrDr. Wheelock[pers0036.ocp]
 In
 New England[place0158.ocp]
Document Summary

People identified in this document:

id Text in document Role in header Authorized Name
pers0315.ocp m r Mr. kirtland mentioned Kirkland, Samuel
pers0315.ocp M r Mr. kirtland mentioned Kirkland, Samuel
pers0036.ocp M r Mr. Wheelock recipient Wheelock, Eleazar
pers0288.ocp Joſeph Joseph Johnſon Johnson . writer Johnson, Joseph
pers0577.ocp madam mentioned Wheelock, Mary (née Brinsmead)
pers0036.ocp Rev d Rev. Doct r Dr. Wheeloc k recipient Wheelock, Eleazar
pers0288.ocp Joseph Johnson writer Johnson, Joseph
pers0036.ocp Rev. d Rev. D r Dr. Wheelock recipient Wheelock, Eleazar

Places identified in this document:

id Text in document Authorized Name
place0179.ocp Onoida Oneida . Oneida
place0158.ocp New England New England

This document does not contain any tagged organizations.

Dates identified in this document:

Standard Form Text
1767-12-29 December 29..th29th AD. 1767.
1767-12-29 Dec.rDecember 29.th29th 1767

Regularized text:

Type Original Regularized
variation Onoida Oneida
modernization 29..th 29th
modernization Revd Rev.
modernization Notwithſtanding notwithstanding
variation their there
modernization Solidneſs solidness
modernization Diſhearted disheartened
modernization yt that
modernization Reſolute resolute
modernization preſent present
modernization Diſcouragement discouragement
modernization Wilderneſs wilderness
modernization theſe these
variation of off
variation Intirely entirely
modernization amongſt amongst
modernization darkneſs darkness
modernization Bitterneſ bitterness
modernization Neceſsity necessity
modernization Jeſus Jesus
modernization unleſs unless
modernization pleaſed pleased
modernization wickedneſs wickedness
variation needfull needful
modernization deſire desire
variation dayly daily
modernization pleaſure pleasure
modernization diſpoſe dispose
modernization moſt most
variation furtherence furtherance
modernization Deſert desert
modernization meaſure measure
variation Enform inform
modernization mr Mr.
modernization aſsiſtantce assistance
variation ar are
variation larn learn
modernization faſt fast
variation Enlargd enlarged
modernization Increaſe increase
variation Lays lies
variation fair fare
variation thank full thankful
modernization Uſual usual
modernization Goodneſs goodness
modernization Gododneſs goodness
modernization aſ as
modernization Likewiſe likewise
modernization aſk ask
modernization diſhonouring dishonouring
variation Divil Devil
modernization Luſts lusts
modernization fleſh flesh
modernization Diſpleaſing displeasing
modernization muſt must
modernization confeſs confess
modernization Queſtion question
modernization Mr Mr.
modernization aſked asked
variation Differrence difference
modernization Miſunderſtood misunderstood
modernization Laſt last
variation Shewed showed
variation aſsiting assisting
modernization Deſire desire
variation thal that
variation Litter letter
modernization Subſcribe subscribe
modernization myſelf myself
modernization Joſeph Joseph
modernization Johnſon Johnson
modernization Reſpects respects
modernization Doctr Dr.
modernization 29.th 29th
modernization Rev.d Rev.
modernization Dr Dr.

Expanded abbreviations:

Abbreviation Expansion
& and
hond honoured
Doct.r Doctor
Hond honoured
Diſcompoſ'd discomposed
X Christ
Dec.r December

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Summary of errors found in this document:

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Number of nested "hi" tags: (consider merging the @rend attributes, or using other tags) 0
Number of tags with invalid 'rend' attributes: 0 (out of 34)
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