1682         1683                     194                129

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 In prayer for thy ministry & for y^s thy servant in particular, soe we beseech thee powre out a

spirit of grace & supplication upon thy people in his & our labours y^t soe we obtayning & finding help from

God as thy Paul did we may testify to all thou sendest us unto Repentance towards God & fayth towards o^r

Lord Jesus X^st; And thy pp may find strong benifitt by our labours, & all as an answer of prayer.

thy pore messengers desire to say w^th thy servant Samuel, God forbid we should sin against God in ceasing

to pray for thy pp, & leave not thy pp to sin against thee, nor y^r own soules in ceasing to pray for us: And

the rather in y^t thou dost now send forth thy servants in times not soe fair & calm as sometimes, but when

black cloudes are gathering over o^r heads, yet we pray thee let us not soe mind the cloudes, as to be hindered

in striving & sowing, before y^e night comes & such stormes fall upon us, as may hinder us from doing thy

work, oh let us not be driven out of thy harvest before thy corn be more gott in

Yet let us be ready as good souldiers of Jesus X^st to endure hardness, & to bear wittness to thy love, as becomes

those y^t remember y^t for y^s end we were born, & came into y^e world

Sathan & his instruments are full of enmity against y^e whole army y^t followes Jesus X^st, but especially against

the officers y^rof, oh let us be strengthen^d with all might in y^e inward man, look on us as thou didst on Gideon

and say to us as thou didst to him goe in this thy might, y^t we may be ready to be offered up in the service

of thy pps fayth: oh let not anything in y^s world, nor our lives be dear to our selves, soe y^t we may finish

our course with ioy, & y^e ministry w^ch we have received of y^e lord Jesus, to testify y^e gospell of y^e grace of God

 And all this we humbly crave for Jesus sake, who in his last prayer on Earth did interceed Especially

for his poor messengers, as well as for all y^t shall beleeve through their word, & forever lives to make Inter

cession for us: ffor whome we desire for ever to bless thee, & to doe whatever we doe in word or deed, in his

name, And to him with thy blessed majesty, & Eternal spirit of grace be forever given by us & by y^e whole

family in heaven & earth, Everlasting service & prayer Amen. ––

   Nov:

   Decemb, 14 1683 . This Church of Christ at Rowly sent to for y^e Elders & messengers to y^e ordination

   Deacon Tenney B^r Tod B^r Platts

   the letter as followes

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