A Description of the New Heaven, Title page – Author to William Ashurst
Phaenomena quaedam APOCALYPTICA Ad Aſpectum NOVI ORBIS configurata.
Or, ſome few Lines towards a deſcription of the New HEAVEN As It makes to thoſe who ſtand upon the NEW EARTH
By Samuel Sewall ſometime Fellow of Harvard Colledge at Cambridge in New-England.
Pſalm, 45.10, Forget alſo thy own people, and thy fathers houſe.
Iſai 11 14. But they ſhall fly upon the ſhoulders of the Philiſtins toward the weſt.
Act. 1.6 — 8 Lord, wilt thou at this time reſtore again the kingdom to Iſrael? — ye ſhall be witneſses unto me unto the uttermoſt parts of the earth;
haſta lo ultimo de la tierra. Spaniſh Bible.
Luke, 15 24 For this My Son was dead, and is alive again; he was loſt, and is found.
V 32. For this thy Brother &c.
Ille non deerit Promiſſis; reſtituet Regnum Iſraeli; ſed ſuo modo, loco, ac tempore. Bullinger.
Nequis iſta a me dicta, aut adducta accipiat, quaſi contendendi, aut adverſandi ſtudio; ac non diſcendi potius, ac conferendi gratia. Fox Med. Apoc. p. 371. ad Phialam Sextam.
MASSACHƲSET; BOSTON, Printed by Bartholomew Green, and John Allen, And are to be ſold by Richard Wilkins, 1697.
TO THE HONORABLE, Sir WILLIAM ASHƲRST Knight, GOVERNOUR, and the COMPANY For the Propagation of the GOSPEL to the Indians in New-England, and places adjacent, in AMERICA.
THE Commendation of Eraſmus, in his Book entituled Eccleſiaſtes, doth very juſtly belong to the Engliſh Nation, upon account of their effectual Deſires that the Americans might be goſpelliz'd; Pulcherrimum, Deoque gratiſſimum erat dare potius quam accipere ijs quos ſtude mus Christo lucrifacere: It was a moſt beautifull Thing, Richard Ed in his Epiſt to P Marty… Decads of … Ocean.and most acceptable unto God, rather to give to them, than to receive from them whom we endeavour to gain for Christ. And yet their Praiſes are to be ſung in a higher Note: For I can't but think that either England, or New-England, or both (Together is beſt) is the only Bride Maid mentioned by Name in David's prophetical Epithalamium, to aſſiſt at the Great Wedding now ſhortly to be made. And for ought I know, this Noble Gift, Adminiſtred by your Hands, may be partly intended. Angels Incognito have ſometimes made themſelves gueſts to Men; deſigning thereby to ſurpriſe them with a Requital of their Love to Strangers. In like manner the Engliſh Nation, in ſhewing Kindneſs to the Aboriginal Natives of America, may poſſibly, ſhew Kindneſs to Iſraelites unawares. In the Year 1649. Mr. Downam gave his Conjecture to that purpoſe, in his Appendix to New-Engliſh Letters then printed. And Mr. Thorowgood was ſo far ſatisfied in his Opinion about it, that he publiſhed a Treatiſe in the Year 1650. entituled Jews in America. And it ſhould ſeem, many judicious Divines have been much of the ſame mind. Mr. Eliot in his firſt Attempts to make them Chriſtian, was much concernd to find out ſome Promiſe in the Scriptures relating to them, upon which he might ground his Faith and Hope in his inceſſant Labours for them: But afterward he concluded that the Thirty ſeventh chapter of Ezekiel was written principally for their ſake; as alſo many other Scriptures. In this Perſwaſion that worthy Perſon, both liv'd, and dy'd. On the other hand, if America be laid out as a Rendezvous for Gog and Magog, this muſt needs tend to ſuperſede all Deſire and Endeavour for their Recovery. But better Things are hoped concerning them, even ſuch as will iſſue in their Salvation, when the fullneſs of Time is come. In ſtead of being branded for Slaves with hot Irons in the Face,nzo p. 11, …. and arms; and driven by ſcores in mortal Chains: they ſhall wear the Name of God in their foreheads, and they ſhall be delivered into the glorious Liberty of the Children of God. The Indians, upon various Occaſions, do much affect to be called by a new Name: which is given them by the Approbation of their Elders. Perſons of note among them, that they may waſh off their Mourning, and be clean; and that they may have a convenient Opportunity for publiſhing their New Name; ſometimes call for a ſolemn Dance. Now tho their Miſeries be very inveterate, yet GOD can ſpeedily, and eaſily give them a New Name, and in a moment, change the Scene. Aſia, Africa, and Europe have, each of them, had a glorious Goſpel Day: None therefore will be grieved at any ones pleading that America may be made a Coparcener with her Sisters in the Free, and Soveraign Grace of God. God many times ſets one thing againſt another: and we may hope that Ʋnparallel'd Severity will be ſucceeded by Super abundant BENIGNITY. And when the Meſſiah ſhall have gathered his Sheep belonging to this his American Fold: His Churches Muſick being them compleat in the Harmony of Four Parts: The whole Univerſe ſhall ring again with ſeraphick Acclamations, ONE FLOCK! ONE SHEPHERD!
That your Honour, and the Honourable Company, and all concerned with you, may be proſpered by God in bringing forward this happy Match, is the constant Deſire, and Prayer of
Boſton, N. E. April 16th. 1697. YOƲR HONOƲRS moſt humble Servant, S. SEWALL.