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my Father, which was granted me, &amp; I<br />
arrived in <placename>London</placename> in <date><abbr>Nov</abbr></date><hi rend="underline"><hi rend="superscript"><date><abbr>r</abbr></date></hi></hi><date> 1770</date>. I had<br />
not been long at home before I got a<br />
lucrative &amp; creditable employment.<br />
But alas! by degrees <emotion>I fell into a<br />
lukewarm state,</emotion> &amp; my own heart<br />
tempting me, I gave place to the lust<br />
of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, &amp;<br />
the pride of life. The enemy of my<br />
soul taking advantage of this, threw<br />
one bait after another in my way,<br />
which I eagerly swallowed, not aware<br />
of the treacherous hook. Having known<br />
what a person should be who stands<br />
in close <sic>connexion</sic>&nbsp; <corr>connection</corr> with a people of<br />
God &amp; professes to walk in his ways,<br />
&amp; finding in myself no inclination<br />
to do this, I thought it would be but<br />
acting an honest part to withdraw<br />
from the <abbr>B</abbr><hi rend="underline"><hi rend="superscript"><abbr>rn</abbr></hi></hi><hi rend="superscript"><abbr>&#39;s</abbr></hi><abbr> Cong</abbr><hi rend="underline"><hi rend="superscript"><abbr>n</abbr></hi></hi> &amp; tell them I<br />
chose no longer to walk with them.<br />
I could not bear to act the hypocrite,<br />
much less to bring disgrace upon a<br />
people whom I knew to be right,