with humility, Love and
Gratitude I sit my ſelf down to write few lines to you my
Hon
dd Patron. (and with much hast. —) I recieved your kind
Letter, dated
January 23,d last evening by the hand of
M.r
R.
Pomery. for which I give you my hearty thanks, I had
thought that
your worthy Perſon had not deſigned to write to me.
or that you had heard ſomething, and did not ſee it in your
way to help me. and I was greatly dejected, and almoſt
diſ
couraged. but the Lord in whom I trust, whom I fear, Love,
and purpoſe to Serve all my days, hath been pleaſed to mani
feſt his approbation, (towards the Noble Undertaking, in
which cauſe, I have given up my all, to bring
^it^ about,) in his
provoiding for my relief in a wonderfull manner, even when
I was in the greatest straits and almoſt in Deſpair. — and
Bleſsed be the Name of the God of Iſrael, who hath never
been found Unfaithfull, or unkind. who will provide for
thoſe that doth really depend upon his Divine
Beneficence.
Rev
d, & kind Sir; I have been to
New York,
and the Lord
hath raiſed up, for me good Christian friends. — I was
in
the City 15, Days. and I preached there three diffi
rent
DTimes. and a Collection was propoſed for my relief
and Encouragement two Diffirent times. and there was a
very honorable Collection made, worthy of the
Generous, and
Noble Spirit, of the Wealthy Inhabitants of
that renowned City. for which kindneſs I bleſs the Lord daily. —
I had Sufficient Collected for me, to discharge all
my
debts, and alſo to purchaſe
^things^
neceſsary for my preſent
Sub
ſiſtance. namely little proviſion. — I did not go to
Newyork
untill I was quite discouraged waiting for the
anſwer
s to the Letter I ſent to your worthy perſon. —
I believe that I ſhall have encouragement, the enſuing year
or Seaſon, from the
Board of New York, or
Philadelphia, I am
not certain howe
[illegible]ver, the
Revd
M.r Rodgers. D.D.
[illegible][guess: in]A Pracher
in the Preſbeterian
^old South^ Meeting houſe is a Member of that
Honorable Board, who is remarkably friendly. to
whom
I humbly, and earneſtly, deſire you would write ſoon
as poſsible, if your worthy Perſon can recommend me. to
him, and make him believe that you think that I am
worthy
^of notice^
[illegible][guess: or]and deſerving of Encouragement, I ſhould be
[illegible]Exceeding
glad. he believes Me
to be
worthy^Deſerving^ of Encouragement. I
preached for him three times. and he was very deſireous
of helping me. but he thought proper, that ſomething
Should be had from thee: a
Recommendation.
— he ſeems
to think if proper Steps be taken. he can obtain for my
help,
[illegible][guess: ob] Encouragement — fifty Pound Sterling
Per Annum.
befriend me, if you ſee it in your way. —
My loving Patron, I want all help that a poor well
diſpoſed Creature can deſire. I am empty handed. I have
no purſe neither have I any thing to put in one, if I
had a purſe. — nevertheleſs I will step forward. — and
Stagger not. — I am Satisfyed it is beſt for me to know
and ever bear upon my mind that my dependance is
upon the Lord a lone. — O that I may ever live like a
poor Dependant Creature. — having my Eyes, and heart
fixed on the Lord. —
I Shall write to my friends in
New York
directly.
and I deſire again that you would not fail to write for
the
Honorable Board of which I made Mention will
ſet, or meet together by the
first of April. when the
Revd
Doctr Ro[illegible]dgers will
peti
[illegible]tion for me. — and he will
do
it with double Courage if he has few lines from you.
I know not the Gentlemans
Christian Name. but he
promiſed to write to you, and deſired me to write alſo.
but if he has not wrote the sureſt way would be
to Send a Letter to
M.r James Lazly, my old Maſter,
who lives in the
City of New
York. keeping a School there.
and incloſe
Doctr Rodgers's Letter therin. be ſo good as
to write full, and get as much help for me as ever
you can
from that quarter.
or from
that
Board of
which
Mr Rodgers is a Member.. &c: —
I am pleaſed to ſee the Indians in theſe parts ſo
engaged. I believe that there will be upwards of
Sixty young
Indian
[illegible]men from the Seven Tribes
that will Sit of from hence by the
13th of March next. to be deſtinguished as noble Spirited Indians, who
will do their uttermoſt to get good, and do good, —
who will diſtinguish
themſelves from the
[illegible][guess: lazzy]
Lazzy crew that refuſes the good offers made to
them in these Latter Days. — Pray for us.
that
we may obtain bleſsings from on high. and that we
might be bleſsings on Earth. bleſsings to one another
and bleſsings to many of our Poor Weſtern Brethren
who are periſhing for lack of knowledge. O pray for
me in a more particular Manner. that the
Lord would
bleſs me by implanting his divine fear in my heart
and in giving me true humility
and Stedfaſtneſs in
the ways of Religion, that he would give me grace
Sufficient for
me. &c: — I purpoſe by divine leave
to be at your Reſidence by next Commencement.
with my friend
Joſeph
Briant.