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