Page:Records of the Life of the Rev. John Murray.djvu/208

198 attendance of the Promulgator, as chaplain to their detachment of the Revolutionary Army. We transcribe a verbatim copy of this letter.

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" that concurrence of events which the great Creator in infinite wisdom directs, for the accomplishment of his own purposes, a British armament hath set hostile foot upon American ground. What the design of the Almighty may be, we cannot at present absolutely determine. One thing we know, our cause is just, and also that the Parent of the universe can do no wrong. An army hath been raised in this Colony, which is now stationed upon Jamaica Plains, in Roxbury, and that this army may do honour to themselves, and the cause in which they are embarked, it is requisite, propriety of manners, regularity of conduct, and a due reliance upon the Almighty controller of events, should be cultivated and enforced. The most probable human means we can devise to effect an object so ardently to be desired, consist in a decent, sincere, and devout attendance, at opportune seasons, upon divine worhip [sic]. We have, therefore, selected you, as a Chaplain to our Brigade, well convinced that your extensive benevolence, and abilities, will justify our choice. We cannot, without doing violence to the opinion we have formed of your character, doubt of your ready compliance with our united request. The support you will receive shall exactly correspond with your feelings, and your wishes. We are, dear sir, &c. &c. &c.

J. N. VARNUM.

May 24, 1775.

A persuasion that he could be of more use in the army, than elsewhere, would not allow the Preacher to balance, and, accordingly resigning the calm recess of friendship, he presented himself in the American camp, and, "armed with the sword of Jesse's youthful son," he was indeed most ardently engaged. The scene, however, was not calculated to give pleasure to a philanthropist. In a memorandum of this date, he thus expresses himself:—"My troubles have recommenced; I am now indeed in the world, and shall doubtless encounter tribulation; I am associated with an ungovernable set of people. It is true, the officers are gentlemen, and call into action every effort to strengthen my hands; but the soldiers—alas! the fact is, I am not in my own company." Upon the 3d of July, the chaplain accompanied a detachment of the Brigade, to compliment General Washington, upon his arrival to take the supreme command of the army at Cambridge;