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for more health and strength, but be silent, oh, my soul, and wait on the Lord, who
is able to save to the uttermost, and to direct all things to His glory and the good
of His Church! The Lord bless the Synod, and the convention of the three
Synods 472 with light and love in the Holy Spirit. Amen.
13. This day 28 years ago I first came to this city. Blessed be the Lord, who
helped and brought me hitherto. May my many sins and shortcomings in every
duty be graciously forgiven in the precious blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, and new strength be given to go on in His work and for His glory. I thank
the Father of mercies for His assistance yesterday, and pray my poor labors may
have been accepted in Jesus Christ. Oh, for more and spiritual sacrifices
473 (precious souls) [in margin: “ Pet. 2.5”] to bring to God, and for perseverance
unto the end, to obtain eternal life. I would most humbly devote myself, a living
sacrifice, to be spent in Thy service. O, Lord, accept of me and spare and
strengthen, support, and sanctify me for the ministry unto which I am called and
hitherto engaged, pity my body, and remove pains and other afflictions, as far as
may be most conducive to Thy glory, and my usefulness in Thy Church. Restore
also my dear colleague, and may our families and our people abound in every
good Word and work through Thy Holy Spirit. Amen.
16. Yesterday I was strengthened through mercy to preach at Niskayuna from
John 16.8, 474 taking my exordium 475 from Isaiah 59 ultimo, 476 which I explained
when that church was dedicated by Dominee Vroman and myself to the service of
the Lord, and, though the audience was but thin, on account of the stormy
weather, I desire to bless the Lord for His peculiar assistance, and to pray for a
blessing upon what is done there for the establishment of His public service in that
delightful settlement. May the blessed Spirit of all grace follow His own Word
and ordinances, with His powerful operations upon many precious souls, and God
in Christ Jesus be glorified through the Holy Spirit for His mercy and truth.
Father of mercies, pity and pardon what Thou seest amiss in one and my poor
labors, and restore ease to my bowels, and strength to me and my dear colleague
for the service of Thy Sanctuary. May he return in Thy strength, and we both live
to praise Thee, for Christ’s sake. Amen.
17. This morning I received letters from Dominee Livingston and Dominee
Bassett, both full of the bounties of Divine mercy towards them and the Church.
Though I am myself indisposed of a relapse of the colic in my stomach, yet I
desire to render thanks to the Lord for every new instance of His loving kindness
to others, as well as to poor, unworthy me. I rejoice in the prosperity of our
Churches, and also of the College at Brunswick, which I consider as a perpetual
472
Last correspondence on the subject is a letter sent by the Synod of New York and New Jersey, “per
Rev. E Westerlo” [ER 4345] of October 5, 1787, a year earlier, stating that the correspondence with
the Synods of the Presbyterians on the one hand, and the Scotch Seceded Bethren on the other, has
been fraternal, but it has not resulted in any union into one Ecclesiastical Body or Synod.
473
1 Peter 2:5: like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood,
to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
474
And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong aboutr sin and righteousness and judgment.
475
Also exordium remotum, Latin for [unrelated] introduction.
476
my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouths of
your children, or out of the mouths of your children’s children, says the Lord, from now on and
forever.
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