37                        1672                               103

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pleased to disrest me from anything in myself as to my own performances

yea as to my own repentings & to fly under y^e blood of Jesus X^st which Cleanseth

from all iniquity, w^thout w^ch y^r is no remission of sins: These & many other

                                                       both

Scriptures the lord hath bin pleased to acquaint me with for awakening & Comfort

                                                       ^

which would be too tedious to relate; under the sence of which both of my horrid

sin that I am not onely guilty of my self, but the instrumental cause of drawing her

that is now my wife to alsoe; likewise the heart sorrow it brought to my wife de

ceas’d w^ch Covenant I ought alsoe to have kept pure: The solemn Covenant

broaken w^th yo^r selves, & above all the great dishonour therby brought to the holy

name of God, to the great reproach of his glorious gospell: All which I doe ear

-nestly beg of the lord y^t if it be his will to grant me unfeined Repentance and

 godly sorrow for while I have a day to live, which in an eye of Reason cannot be

very long: I doe alsoe Earnestly beg your prayers continually at the throne of

grace for me together w^th these my broaken yet I trust through grace unfeined Ex

=pression; That if it be the good will of the lord that you may receive soe farr

incorragement from what you hear from me, or may hear from others, that

you may se cause to reinstate me into those libertyes of the house of God which I

have though unworthy sometime injoyed, that I may partake of the good things

therof which I doe in some poor measure pant & breath after. ^________

 

      Wee whose names are underwritten doe testify that the within written

Goodman Thomas Miller hath owned before us to be his own words as to ye

substance of it.

                Thomas Warner   William Harrison

                Thomas Calimi    Daniel Harrison

                Robert Warner

     Reverend & dear Sr. Affectionate respects premise^d

 These are onely to give covert to the inclosed from Tho: Miller taken frō

his mouth to the substance of it by a neighbour of his to whom I directed him

owned before & attended by the Brethren of o^r Church whose names are therin

Subscribed. Several passages therin he Expressed to me in my study: he must be

allowed his grains for an illeterate weak man, the substance of what y^e brethren

say, & I dare not therin contradict y^m but joyne my hopes w^th them) is that he

is on the coming hand, this is their own Expression from the matter & man

            contents

ner of the Expressions in the inclosed as owned before them: I Joyne my

thankfullness for your compassions towards him as Expresst in your foremer &

last to him: My thoughts are (w^ch I make bold to present & leave to your dis

cretion) that the most Expedient way for ample satisfaction would be to draw

out the substance of what he sayth w^th what additions by way of expression

are meet, & if it please god to give him w^th sutable understanding & penitance,

to owne the same upon the perusal therof when sent to him that he doe it in

the congregation in our Towne, & y^t it be returned attested by some of us in

order to his acceptance: The circumstances of the case distance of place &

glory of the name of the most high seemeth to me to call for it: We are very

willing to incorrage his return, & afrayd to heal him slightly: I could be glad

he might have a return from your church before winter, w^ch if you please to

direct to be left at my fathers will within a fortnight I hope find conveiance

Commending your self & your great betrustmts unto y^r infinite wisdom ^____ &

rich blessing of our gratious God in X^st Jesus I Rest In great hope

    Charlestoun 21 Octob.   S^r yours in the fellowship of the Gospel

                1672                   Nathaniel Collins[105]