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20. This day, being the Ascension Day of O. L. J. C., I preached from Ephesians
1.20, 137 and in the evening the Indian minister Mr. Samson Ockwon 138 from John
8.35. 139 His prayers were solemn and pathetic, his explanation very short and
simple, but in his application the use made of some pretty seasonable expressions
and exhortations. It gave me some pleasure also to see and hear the Indians
sing. 140 Afterwards another, who was sent by the Separates, 141 applied to me for
an English Bible, and I am glad they made a pretty good collection in our church,
which may help them on their way. May the Lord accept of our labor of love, and
bless these and other Indians with his mercy and grace through J. C. Oh, may my
own house also be visited with renewing grace, and my congregation be filled
with the fruits of the Holy Spirit, the Ascension gifts of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
June ’84
1. Blessed be the Lord for His aid and assistance the days past. Yesterday I
preached from John 16.8, 142 and had an agreeable company in Reverend Mr.
Warford 143 from Hundington, who, with Reverend Armstrong, 144 heard me preach
in English, and seemed well satisfied. I desire to thank the Lord for all His gifts
and graces, and may my present cold and hoarseness be speedily removed, and I
strengthened in and for the work of the Sanctuary. I received also a friendly letter
of Brother Philip Livingston. 145 May he, and we with our families, be blessed and
live in peace and Holiness, for Christ’s sake. Amen.
2. Last night Mr. Hun 146 returned with his son from New York and brought me a
line from Dr. Livingston. His son has entered there in the university, 147 which, I
am glad to hear, will be organized within a short time hence. Dr. Livingston also
informed me that our Synod intends to settle a professor of Divinity there for our
churches, on a plan I formerly wrote of to Dr. Livingston. May the Lord bless the
attempts, and may it also be subservient to the propagation of orthodox piety. We
had this noon a fine, fruitful rain, and ought to render thanks for all God’s
mercies. May the Lord further deliver me from my present cold, and prepare me
for all His will and work through J.C. Amen.
137
God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right
hand in the heavenly places,
138
The Reverend Samson Occom, 1723-1792, an Indian (Mohican) and ordained Presbyterian minister.
139
The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever.
140
Occom wrote about this day: “preachd in Mr. Westerlo’s church and the people made a collection
for our people – We got about 9 pounds.” [Brooks 2006:286].
141
Movement in the Presbyterian Church away from the so-called Old-Lights; dissatisfied after
Presbyterian reunification in 1758.
142
And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness.
143
The Reverend John Warford; licensed by the Presbytery of New Brunswick in 1776; installed at the
Presbyterian Church in Salem, New York, in 1789.
144
The Reverend James Francis Armstrong (1750-1816); licensed by the Presbytery of New Castle,
MD, 1777; until 1783 at Elizabethtown, NJ; starting 1787 at Trenton, NJ.
145
Philip Philip Livingston (1741-1787), brother of Catherine Livingston Westerlo.
146 rd
Thomas Hun, 1736-1802. Merchant, alderman, 3 Ward. Helped Westerlo during War. Future
father-in-law of John Bassett, Westerlo’s successor. Hun’s son was Dirk, born in 1766.
147
Must be King’s College (Columbia University), which had likely not yet reorganized after the War.
The son mentioned is Dirk Hun, with whom Thomas just returned from New York.
68