.300012.4000177

whole time of my estrange<emotion></emotion>ment from
them had viewed me <emotion>with love & pity,</emotion>
now did all they could to comfort & en-
courage me. Every meeting to which
I was permitted to go, had proved a
strengthening cordial to me, & <emotion>my
heart's longing increased to be again
united to that people</emotion> of whom I was
thoroughly convinced that they were
my people. In this view I wrote a
letter to the Cong<hi rend="underline"><hi rend="superscript">n</hi></hi> bemoaning my
past misconduct, & earnestly beseech-
ing each member thereof to pardon
& forgive me, & to receive me again.
<date>Jan</date><hi rend="underline"><hi rend="superscript"><date>y</date></hi></hi><date> 7</date><hi rend="underline"><hi rend="superscript"><date>th</date></hi></hi><hi rend="superscript"></hi><date> 1775</date> was the joyful day when
my petition was granted, & I partook
again with the Cong<hi rend="underline"><hi rend="superscript">n</hi></hi> of the Holy
Communion. <emotion>What I felt I will
not attempt to describe</emotion> for I was
more inclined to fall prostrate than
to sit on the bench. The situation of
my heart during the course of this
year, I cannot describe better than
in the following lines: from Olney
Hymns by the <persname>Rev</persname><hi rend="underline"><hi rend="superscript"><persname>d</persname></hi></hi><persname> John Newton</persname> A<hi rend="underline"><hi rend="superscript">o</hi></hi><hi rend="superscript"></hi> <date>81</date>.