The Triumphs of the Reformed Religion in America, Preliminary 1
PRAELIMINARY I. The Birth, Age, and Family of Mr. ELIOT.
Tis the Life of the Renowned John Eliot, which is to be now put into our Pages; a Life which Commenced about the Year 1604. And Expired, in the Year 1690.
THe Inſpired Moſes relating the Lives of thoſe Ante-diluvian Patriarchs, in whom the Church of God and Li…e of Chriſt was continued, through the firſt ſixteen hundred years of Time recites little but their Birth, and …heir Age, and their Death, and their Sons and Daughters. …f thoſe Articles would ſatisfie the Appetites and Enquiries of ſuch as come to B…ead the Life of our Eliot, we ſhall ſoon have diſpatc 'd the work now upon our Hands. The Age with the Death of this worthy man, has …een already terminated, in the Ninetieth year …f the preſent Century, and the Eighty ſixth Year of his own Pilgrimage. And for his Birth it was at a Town, in England; the Nam… whereof I cannot preſently Recover; nor is … neceſſary for me to look back ſo far as the pla… of his Nativity; any more than 'tis for me t… recite the Vertues of his Parentage, of which h… ſaid, vix ea noſtra voco. The Atlantick Ocea… like a River of Lethe, may eaſily cauſe us t… forget many of the things that happened o… the other ſide. Indeed the Nativity of ſuch a man, were an Honour worthy the Contentio… of as many places as laid their Claims unto th… famous Homer's; but whatever places may challenge a ſhare in the Reputation of having Enioy'd the firſt Breath of our Eliot, it is New-England that with moſt Right can call him Hers; his beſt Breath, and afterwards, his laſt Breath was here; and here 'twas, that God beſtow'd upon him Sons and Daughters.
He came to New-England, in the Month of November. A. D. 1631. among thoſe Bleſſed old Planters, which laid the Foundations of a remarkable Country, devoted unto the Exerciſe of the Proteſtant Religion, in its pureſt and higheſt Reformation: He left behind him in England; a vertuous young Gentlewoman, whom he had purſued and purpoſed a Marriage unto … and ſhe coming hi…her the year following, that Marriage was Conſummated, in the Month of October, A. D. 1632.
This Wiſe of his youth lived with him until ſhe became to him alſo the ſtaff of his Age; and … left him not until about three or four years …efore his own Departure to thoſe Heavenly …egions, where they now together ſee Light. …he was a Woman very Eminent, both for Ho…neſs and Ʋſefulneſs, and ſhe excelled moſt of …he Daughters that have done vertuouſly. Her Name was Ann, and Gracious was her Nature. …od made her a Rich Bleſſing, not only to her …amily, but alſo to her Neighbourhood; and when …t laſt ſhe dyed, I heard and ſaw her aged Huſ…and, who elſe very rarely wept, yet now with …ears over the Coffin, before the good people, … vaſt confluence of which were come to her …uneral, ſay, Here l…es my dear, faithful, pious, …rudent, prayerful Wife; I ſhall go to her, and ſhe …ot return to me! My Reader will of his own ac…ord excuſe me, from beſtowing any further E…taphs upon that gracious Woman.
By her, did God give him ſix worthy Chil…ren; Children of a character which may for…ver ſtop the mouths of thoſe Antichriſtian Blaſ…hemers, who have ſet a falſe brand of Diſaſter and Infamy, on the Offſpring of a Married Clergy. His Firſt-born, was a Daughter; born S…p. 17. A. C. 1633 This Gentlewoman is yet alive, and one well-approved for her Piety and Gravity. His next was a Son; born Aug. … A. C. 1636 He bore his Fathers Name, …d had his Fathers Gr…c…. He was a perſon of …otable Accompl…ſhments, and a lively, zealous, acute Preacher, not only to the Engliſh, … New-Camb…idge, b…t alſo to the Indians thereabout. He grew ſo faſt, that he was found …p… for Heaven, many years ago; and upon hi… Death-bed uttered ſuch penetrating things a… co…ld proceed from none, but One upon the Borders and Confines of E…ernal Glory. 'Tis pity that ſo many of them are forgotten; but one of them, I think, we have cauſe to Remember; Well, (ſaid he) my dear Friends; …here is a dark day coming upon p…or New-England; and in ſo dark a day, I p…ay how will you p…ovide for your own ſecurity! My Counſel to you is, get an Intereſt in the Bleſſ…d Lord Jeſus Chriſt; and that will carry you to the worlds end. His Third was alſo a Son, born D…cemb 20 A. C. 1038. H… he call'd Joſeph, and made a Joſeph of him. This perſon is at this time a Pa…tor to the Church at G…ford, and One of great Note, as well thro' the whole Countrey, as in the particular Colony of Connecticus, which God has made h…m conſiderable to. His Fourth was a Samuel, born, June 22 A. C. 164 who dy'd, a moſt lovely young man eminent for Learning and Goodneſs, a Fellow of the Colledge, and a Candid…te of the Miniſtry. His Fif…h was an Aaron, born Feb. 15. A. C. 1643 who tho he dy'd very young yet firſt manifeſted many good things towa…ds th… Lord God of Iſrael. His Laſt, was a Benjamin born Jan. 29. A. C. 1646. Of all theſe three it may be ſaid, as it was of Haran, They dyd before their Father; but it may alſo be written over their Graves, All theſe dy'd in Faith. By the pious Deſign of their Father, they were all Conſecrated unto the Service of God, in the Miniſtry of the Goſpel; but God ſaw meet rather to fetch them away, by a Death, w…ich (therefore) I dare not call, Praemature; to glorify him in another and a better world. They, all gave ſuch Demonſtrations of their Converſion to God, that the good old man would ſomtimes comfortably ſay, I h…ve had ſix Child en, and I bleſs God, for His Fre…-grace, they are all either with Chriſt, or in Chriſt; and my mind is now at reſt concerning them. And when ſome asked him, how he could bear the Death of ſuch excellent Children, his humble Reply thereto wa… …his, My deſire was that they ſhould have ſerv…d God on Earth; but if God will chooſe to have the… …ather ſerve Him in Heaven, I have nothing to ob…ect againſt it, but His Will be done! His Benjamin was made the Son of his Righ…-hand; for the in…itation of the good people at R…xbury, placed …im in the ſame Pulpit with his Father, where …e was his Aſſi…tent for many years; there they …ad a Proof of him, that as a Son wi…h his Father, …e ſerved with him in the Goſpel. But his Fate …as like that which the great Gregory Nazian…n deſcribes in his Diſcourſe upon the Death …f his honourable Brother, his aged Father be…g now alive and preſent; My Father, having …id up in a better worl…, a rich Inheritance for his Children, ſent a Son of his before, to take poſſeſſio… of it.