FL14365972

[Page 171]

[address on outside of letter]

To Mr Rowland Hassal
Parramatta

[Note on side of page]

Mr Nott's
Received 24th Feby 1810

[Letter]

My dear Bro

I understand that a ship is about to leave this port
for N. Holland. I therefore take this opportunity of addressing
to you a few lines, especially because I desire that the most
perfect cordiality and affection may subsist between all the
Brethern belonging to the London Missionary Society and our
selves. We are all Brethren and have the same object in view.
It therefore becomes us to strengthen each others hands in the
work of the Lord, and I trust it will, to the end of my days,
to the object of my life to labour for that purpose.

You, my same Brother, are placed in a very important station
and it is probable that you and your Colleagues may ultimate-
ly be the instruments of making known the word of life to
the native inhabitants of the vast country where you reside.
Our Countrymen farm our labour, and we ought to labour to our
utmost to bring them to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus, but
the heathen are in a still more deplorable situation having no
one to come for their souls, and therefore have the first claims
to our labour.

Were I to say that the Lord has done nothing for India, I must
contradict the plainest facts. I have, myself, seen the goings forth
of the Lord in a very encouraging manner; and notwithstand-
ing there are many millions who are in the depths of heathen dark
ness, it could be indecent not to give God the Glory of what he has
done. When I first arrived in Bengal in 1793 there was not
more two or three the persons who could be called Christians. In
deed, I [indecipherable]
them. There are now within the [indecipherable] of the Bangory
[indecipherable] no life then twenty three ministers of the Gospel. Viz
5 Evangelical Church clergmen, two Padobaptists [Paedobaptists] , and sixteen of our