41                     1672                           107   41

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willing after his reception heer & dismssion hence to admitt him in due

time into Church fellowship with your Church, that he may have the benefitt of Ch

fellowship & watch w^ch by reason of distance he cannot partake in w^th us; if you be

pleased to signify soe much to us under your hand we shall w^th y^e more incorragem^t

                                further

take off the censures & shall have cause of thankfulln to your selves, Especially humbly to

bless y^e lord who gathers y^e outcasts of Israel that he has bin pleased heer prayers

in gathering home our poor outcast thus beseeching y^e lord to bless & keep you

to strengthen accept succeed you in X^st Jesus in all yo^r indevores for y^e furtherance

of his kingdom w^th desiers of y^e continuance of y^or prayers for me I Rest

 

 Remember my love to my brethren the Harrisons & yr^s yo^r indeered brother in X^t

M^r Stow & his wife your B^r M^r Whiting when you         Jesus  S. P.

see him The lord support him in his tryalls & supply all his need.

 

  M^r Shepards Answer to the Churches call page 35

     Cambridg novemb 4 1672

   Revern^d S^r

After my best respects to yo^r kind self & M^rs Phillips p^rmised

these may inform you that I did fully intend to have given you

a visit this day but am unhappily prevented S^r I am as yet In

capacitated to send an affirmative answer to your loving invita

tion of me to settle amongst you, were my internall call as Clear

as the External I should be more ready to serve your selves then

any pp in N E, but I know my self to be insufficient for these things

which alone might be argumt sufficient to Apologize for me: My

freinds are very free & desirous of my settlement amongst you

but my great fear is that I shall not be able to dispense the word

of grace with that power & purity which perhaps may be Expec

ted from me, & soe by my settlem^t amongst you I shall but be in

strumental to deprive you of more sutable help & of such an one

who may be better fitted & qualified to manage such a great charg

                   request

S^r my great & earnest both to your self & to your people is for yo^r

prayers to god for me, that he would honour me soe farr that I

might honour him & that he would guide me & direct me to that

which may conduce most to his glory: And if it should please him

to incline my heart to come amongst you that he would make me

          un

serviceable to hims & a blessing unto you not Els at p^rsent onely

 I Rest y^or ffriend &c.

Jer: Shepard

 S^r If god should incline my heart              

to settle amongst you it will be Six weeks or two months

before I can possibly come: pray S^r let me receive in a few lines

from you by the bearer heer of M^r Michelson: The Answer

 ffollowes