The Clear Sunshine of the Gospel Upon the Indians of New England, Letter
The Letter of Mr. Eliot to T. S. concerning the late work of God among the Indians.
Deare Brother,
AT your deſire I have wrote a few things touching the Indians which at preſent came to my mind, as being ſome of thoſe paſſages which took principall impreſſion in my heart, wherein I thought I ſaw the Lord, and ſaid the finger of God is here.
That which I firſt aymed at was to declare & deliver unto them the Law of God, to civilize them, wch courſe the Lord took by Moſes, to give the Law to that rude company becauſe of tranſgreſſion, Gal. 3. 19. to convince, bridle, reſtrain, and civilize them, and alſo to humble them. But when I firſt attempted it, they gave no heed unto it, but were weary, and rather deſpiſed what I ſaid. A while after God ſtirred up in ſome of them a deſire to come into the Engliſh faſhions, and live after their manner, but knew not how to attain unto it, yea deſpaired that ever it ſhould come to paſſe in their dayes, but thought that in 40. yeers more, ſome Indians would be all one Engliſh, and in an hundred yeers, all Indians here about, would ſo bee: which when I heard, (for ſome of them told me they thought ſo, and that ſome wiſe Indians ſaid ſo) my heart moved within mee, abhorring that wee ſhould ſit ſtill and let that work alone, and hoping that this motion in them was of the Lord, and that this mind in them was a preparative to imbrace the Law and Word of God; and therefore I told them that they and wee were already all one ſave in two things, which make the only difference betwixt them and us: Firſt, we know, ſerve, and pray unto God, and they doe not: Secondly, we labour and work in building, planting, clothing our ſelves, &c. and they doe not: and would hey but doe as wee doe in theſe things, they would be all one with Engliſh men: they ſaid they did not know God, and therefore could not tell how to pray to him, nor ſerve him. I told them if they would learn to know God, I would teach them: unto which they being very willing, I then taught them (as I ſundry times had indeavored aſore) but never found them ſo forward, attentive and deſirous to learn till this time, and then I told them I would come to their Wigwams, and teach them, their wives and children, which they ſeemed very glad of; and from that day forward I have not failed to doe that poore little which you know I doe.
I firſt began with the Indians of Noonanetum, as you know, thoſe of Dorcheſter mill not regarding any ſuch thing: but the better ſort of them perceiving how acceptable this was to the Engliſh, both to Magiſtrates, and all the good people, it pleaſed God to ſtep in and bow their hearts to deſire to be taught to know God, and pray unto him likewiſe, and had not I gone unto them alſo, and taught them when I did, they had prevented me, and deſired me ſo to do, as I afterward heard.
The effect of the Word which appears among them, and the change that is among them is this: Firſt, they have utterly fortaken all their Powwaws, and given over that diabolicall exerciſe, being convicted that it is quite contrary to praying unto God; yea ſundry of their Powwaws have renounced their wicked imployment, have condemned it as evill, and reſolved never to uſe it anymore; others of them, ſeeing their imployment and gaines were utterly gone here, have fled to other places, where they are ſtill entertained, and have raiſed lies, ſlanders, and an evill report upon thoſe that heare the Word, and pray unto God, and alſo upon the Engliſh that indeavour to reclaime them and inſtruct them, that ſo they might diſcourage others from praying unto God, for that they account as a principall ſigne of a good man, and call all religion by that name, praying to God; and beſide they mock and ſcoffe at thoſe Indians which pray, and blaſpheme God when they pray; as this is one inſtance. A ſober Indian going up into the countrey with two of hisſons, did pray (as his manner was at home) and talked to them of God and Jeſus Chriſt: but they mocked, & called one of his ſons Jehovah, and the other Jeſus Chriſt: ſo that they are not without oppoſition raiſed by the Pawwaws, and other wicked Indians.
Againe as they have forſaken their former Religion, and manner of worſhip, ſo they doe pray unto God conſtantly in their families, morning and evening, and that with great affection, as hath been ſeen and heard by ſundry that have gone to their Wigwams at ſuch times; as alſo when they goe to meat they ſolemnly pray and give thanks to God, as they ſee the Engliſh to doe: ſo that that curſe which God threatens to poure out upon the families that call not on his name, is through his grace, and tender mercy ſtayed from breaking forth againſt them, and when they come to Engliſh houſes, they deſire to be taught; and if meat bee given them, they pray and give thanks to God: and uſually expreſſe their great joy, that they are taught to know God, and their great affection to them that teach them.
Further more they are carefull to inſtruct their children, that ſo when I come they might be ready to anſwer their Catechize, which by the often repeating of it to the children, the men and women can readily anſwer to.
Likewiſe they are carefull to ſanctifie the Sabbath, but at firſt they could not tell how to doe it, and they asked of mee how they ſhould doe it, propounding it as a queſtion whether they ſhould come to the Engliſh meetings or meet among themſelves; they ſaid, if they come to the Engliſh meetings they underſtand nothing, or to no purpoſe, and if they met together among themſelves, they had none that could teach them. I told them that it was not pleaſing to God, nor profitable to themſelves, to hear and underſtand nothing, nor having any that could interpret to them. Therefore I counſelled them to meet together, and deſire thoſe that were the wiſeſt and beſt men to pray, and then to teach the reſt ſuch things as I had taught them from Gods Word, as well as they could; and when one hath done, then let another do the like, and then a third, and when that was done aske me, &c. and to pray unto God to help them therein: and this is the manner how they ſpend their Sabbaths.
They are alſo ſtrict againſt any prophanation of the Sabbath, by working, fiſhing, hunting, &c. and have a Law to puniſh ſuch as are delinquents therein by a fine of 10 s. and ſundry caſes they have had, wherein they have very ſtrictly proſecuted ſuch as have any way prophaned the Sabbath. As for example, upon a Sabbath morning Cutchamaquin the Sachim his wife going to fetch water met with other women, and ſhe began to talk of wordly matters, and ſo held on their diſcourſe a while, which evill came to Nahantons eare, who was to teach that day (this Nabanton is a ſober good man, and a true friend to the Engliſh ever ſince our comming) ſo he bent his diſcourſe to ſhew the ſanctification of the Sabbath, & reproved ſuch evils as did violate the ſame; & among other things wordly talk, and thereupon reproved that which he heard of that morning. After hee had done, they fell to diſcourſe about it, and ſpent much time therein, hee ſtanding to prove that it was a ſinne, and ſhe doubting of it, ſeeing it was early in the morning, and in private; and alledging that he was more to blame then ſhe, becauſe he had occaſioned ſo much diſcourſe in the publick meeting: but in concluſion they determined to refer the caſe to me, and accordingly they did come to my houſe on the ſecond day morning and opened all the matter, and I gave them ſuch direction as the Lord directed me unto, according to his holy Word.
Another caſe was this, upon a Lords day towards night two ſtrangers came to Wabans Wigwam (it being uſuall with them to travaile on that day, as on any other; (and when they came in, they told him that at a place about a mile off they had chaſed a Rackoone, and he betook himſelf into an hollow tree, and if they would goe with them, they might fell the tree and take him: at which tidings, Waban being willing to be ſo well provide to entertain thoſe ſtrangers (a common practiſe among them, freely to entertain travailers and ſtrangers) he ſent his two ſervants with them, who felled the tree, and took the beaſt. But this act of his was an offence to the reſt, who judged it a violation of the Sabbath, and moved agitation among them: but the concluſion was, it was to bee moved as a queſtion upon the next Lecture day; which was accordingly done, and received ſuch anſwer as the Lord guided unto by his Word.
Another caſe was this, upon a Lords day their publick meetting holding long, and ſomewhat what late, when they came at home, in one Wigwam the fire was almoſt out, and therefore the man of the houſe, as he ſate by the fire ſide took his Hatchet and ſplit a little dry peece of wood, which they reſerve on purpoſ… for ſuch uſe, and ſo kindled his fire, which being taken notice of, it was thought to bee ſuch a worke as might not lawfully be done upon the Sabbath day, and therefore the caſe was propounded the Lecture following for their better information.
Theſe inſtances may ſerve to ſhew their care of the externall obſervation of the Sabbath day.
In my exerciſe among them (as you know) wee attend foure things, beſides prayer unto God, for his preſence and bleſſing upon all we doe.
Firſt, I catechize the children and youth; wherein ſome are very ready & expert, they can readily ſay all the Commandements, ſo far as I have communicated them, and all other principles about the creation, the fall, the redemption by Chriſt, &c. wherein alſo the aged people are pretty expert, by the frequent repetition thereof to the children, and are able to teach it to their children at home, and do ſo.
Secondly, I Preach unto them out of ſome texts of Scripture, wherein I ſtudy all plainneſſe, and brevity, unto which many are very attentive.
Thirdly, if there be any occaſion, we in the next place go to admonition and cenſure; unto which they ſubmit themſelves reverently, and obediently, and ſome of them penitently confeſſing their ſins with much plainneſſe, and without ſhiftings, and excuſes: I will inſtance in two or three particulars; this was one caſe, a man named Wampoowas, being in a paſſion upon ſome light occaſion did beat his wife, which was a very great offence among them now (though in former times it was very uſuall) and they had made a Law againſt it, and ſet a fine upon it; whereupon he was publikly brought forth before the Aſſembly, which was great that day, for our Governor and many other Engliſh were then preſent: the man wholly condemned himſelf without any excuſe: and when he was asked what provocation his wife gave him? he did not in the leaſt meaſure blame her but himſelf, and when the quality of the ſinne was opened, that it was cruelty to his own body, and againſt Gods Commandement, and that paſſion was a ſinne, and much aggravated by ſuch effects, yet God was ready to pardon it in Chriſt, &c. he turned his face to the wall and wept, though with modeſt indeavor to hide it; and ſuch was the modeſt, penitent, and melting behaviour of the man, that it much affected all to ſee it in a Barbarian, and all did forgive him, onelyonly this remained, that they executed their Law notwithſtanding his repentance, and required his fine, to which he willingly ſubmitted, and paid it.
Another caſe of admonition was this, Cutſhamaquin the Sachim having aſon of about 14 or 15 yeers old, he had bin drunk, & had behaved himſelf diſobediently, and rebelliouſly againſt his father and mother, for which ſinne they did blame him, but he deſpiſed their admonition. And before I knew of it, I did obſerve when I catechized him, when he ſhould ſay the …iſt Commandement, he did not freely ſay, Honor thy father, but wholly left out mother, and ſo he did the Lecture day before, but when this ſinne of his was produced, he was called forth before the Aſſembly, and hee confeſſed that what was ſaid againſt him was true, but hee …h to accuſe his father of ſundry evils, as that hee would have killed him in his anger, and that he forced him to drink Sack, and I know not what elſe: which behavior wee greatly diſliked, ſhewed him the evill of it, and Mr. Wilſon being preſent laboured much with him, for hee underſtood the Engliſh, but all in vaine, his l…art was hard and hopeleſſe for that time, therefore uſing due loving perſwaſions, wee did ſharply admoniſh him of his ſinne, and required him to anſwer further the next Lecture day, and ſo left him; and ſo ſtout he was, that when his father offered to pay his fine of 10 s. for his drunkenneſſe according to their Law, he would not except it at his hand. When the next day was come, and other exerciſes finiſhed, I called him forth, and he willingly came, but ſtill in the ſame mind as before. Then wee turned to his father, and exhorted him to remove that ſtumbling block out of his ſonnes way, by confeſſing his own ſinnes whereby hee had given occaſion of hardneſſe of heart to his ſonne; which thing was not ſuddain to him, for I had formerly in private prepared him thereunto, and hee was very willing to hearken to that counſell, becauſe his conſcience told him he was blameworthy; and accordingly he did, he confeſſed his maine and principall evils of his own accord: and upon this advantage I took occaſion to put him upon confeſſion of ſundry other vices which I knew hee had in former times been guilty of, and all the Indians knew it likewiſe; and put it after this manner, Are you now ſorry for your drunkeneſſe, filthines, falſe dealing, lying, &c. which ſinnes you committed before you knew God? unto all which caſes, he expreſſed himſelf ſorrowfull, and condemned himſelf for them: which example of the Sachim was profitable for all the Indians. And when he had thus confeſſed his ſinnes, we turned againe to his ſonne and laboured with him, requiring him to confeſſe his ſinne, and intreat God to forgive him for Chriſt his ſake, and to confeſſe his offence againſt his father and mother, and intreat them to forgive him, but he ſtill refuſed; and now the other Indians ſpake unto him ſoberly, and affectionatly, to put him on, and divers ſpake one after another, and ſome ſeverall times. Mr. Wilſon againe did much labour with him, and at laſt he did humble himſelf, confeſſed all, and intreated his father to forgive him, and took him by the hand, at which his father burſt forth into great weeping: hee did the ſame alſo to his mother, who wept alſo, and ſo did divers others; and many Engliſh being preſent, they fell a weeping, ſo that the houſe was filled with weeping on every ſide; and then we went to prayer, in all which time Cutſhamaquin wept, in ſo much that when wee had done the board he ſtood upon was all dropped with his teares.
Another caſe of admonition was this, a hopefull young man who is my ſervant, being upon a journey, and drinking Sack at their ſetting forth, he drank too much, and was diſguiſed; which when I heard I reproved him, and he humbled himſelf, with confeſſion of his ſinne, and teares. And the next Lecture day I called him forth before the Aſſembly, where he did confeſſe his ſinne with many teares.
Before I leave this point of admonition, if I thought it would not bee two tedious to you, I would mention one particular more, where we ſaw the power of God awing a wicked wretch by this ordinance of admonition. It was George that wicked Indian, who as you know, at our firſt beginnings ſought to caſt aſperſions upon Religion, by laying ſlanderous accuſations againſt godly men, and who asked that captious queſtion, who made Sack? and this fellow having kild a young Cow at your Towne, and ſold it at the Colledge inſtead of Mooſe, covered it with many lies, inſomuch as Mr. Dunſter was loath he ſhould be directly charged with it when we called him forth, but that wee ſhould rather inquire. But when he was called b…fore the Aſſembly, and charged with it, he had not power to deny it, but preſently confeſſed, onelyonly hee added one thing which wee think was an excuſe; thus God hath honored this ordinance among them.
Fourthly the laſt exerciſe, you know, we have among them, is their asking us queſtions, and very many they have asked, which I have forgotten but ſome few that come to my preſent remembrance I will briefly touch.
One was Wabb…ko…ets queſtion, who is reputed an old P…ww…, it was to this purpoſe, ſeeing the Engliſh had been 27. yeers (ſome of them) in this land, why did wee never teach them to know God till now? had you done it ſooner, ſaid hee, wee might have known much of God by this time, and much ſin might have been prevented, but now ſome of us are grown old in fin, &c. To whom we anſwered, that we doe repent that wee did not long agoe, as now we doe, yet withall wee told them, that they were never willing to hear till now, and that ſeeing God hath bowed their hearts to be willing to hear, we are deſirous to take all the paines we can now to teach them.
Another queſtion was, that of Cutſhamaquin, to this purpoſe, Before I knew God, ſaid he, I thought I was well, but ſince I have known God and ſin, I find my heartfull of ſin, and more ſinfull then ever it was before, and this hath been a great trouble to mee; and at this day my heart is but very little better then it was, and I am afraid it will be as bad againe as it was before, and therefore I ſometime wiſh I might die before I be ſo bad again as I have been. Now my queſtion is, whether is this a ſin or not? This queſtion could not be learned from the Engliſh, nor did it ſeem a coyned ſeigned thing, but a reall matter gathered from the experience of his own heart, and from an inward obſervation of himſelf.
Another queſtion was about their children, Whither their little children goe when they dye, ſeeing they have not ſinned?
Which queſtion gave occaſion more fully to teach them originall ſin, and the damned ſtate of all men: And alſo, and eſpecially it gave occaſion to teach them the Covenant of God, which he hath made with all his people, and with their children, ſo that when God chooſes a man or a woman to be his ſervant, he chooſes all their children to be ſo alſo: which doctrin was exceeding gratefull unto them.
Another great queſtion was this, when I preached out of 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10, 11. old Mr. Brown, being preſent, obſerved them to be much affected, and one eſpecially did weep very much, though covered it what hee could; and after that there was a generall queſtion, which they ſent unto mee about, by my man, as the queſtion of them all, Whether any of them ſhould goe to Heaven, ſeeing they found their hearts full of ſinne, and eſpecially full of the ſinne of luſt, which they call nanwunwudſquas, that is, mad after women; and the next meeting, being at Dorcheſter mill, Mr. Mather and Mr. Wareham, with divers others being preſent, they did there propound it, expreſſing their feares, that none of them ſhould bee ſaved; which queſtion did draw forth my heart to preach and preſſe the promiſe of pardon to all that were weary and ſick of ſinne, if they did beleeve in Chriſt who had died for us, and ſatisfied the juſtice of God for all our ſinnes, and through whom God is well pleaſed with all ſuch repenting ſinners that come to Chriſt, and beleeve in him; and the next day I took that Text, Matih. 11. 28, 29. and this doctrin ſome of them in a ſpeciall manner did receive in a very reverent manner.
There is another great queſtion that hath been ſeverall times propounded, and much ſticks w… ſuch as begin to pray, namely, If they leave off Powwawing, and pray to God, what ſhall they do when they are ſick? for they have no skill in phyſick, though ſome of them underſtand the vertues of ſundry things, yet the ſtate of mans body, and skill to apply them they have not: but all the refuge they have and relie upon in time of ſickneſſe is their Powwaws, who by antick, fooliſh and irrationall conceits delude the poore people; ſo that it is a very needfull thing to informe them in the uſe of Phyſick, and a moſt effectuall meanes to take them off from their Powwawing. Some of the wiſer ſort I have ſtirred up to get this skill; I have ſhewed them the anatomy of mans body, and ſome generall principles of Phyſick, which is very acceptable to them, but they are ſo extreamely ignorant, that theſe things muſt rather be taught by ſight, ſenſe, and experiance then by precepts, and rules of art; and therefore I have had many thoughts in my heart, that it were a ſingular good work, if the Lord would ſtirre up the hearts of ſome or other of his people in England to give ſome maintenance toward ſome Schoole or Collegiate exerciſe this way, wherein there ſhould be Anatomies and other inſtructions that way, and where there might be ſome recompence given to any that ſhould bring in any vegetable or other thing that is vertuous in the way of Phyſick; by this means we ſhould ſoon have all theſe things which they know, and others of our Countreymen that are skilfull that way, and now their skill lies buried for want of incouragement, would be a ſearching and trying to find out the vertues of things in this countrey, which doubtleſſe are many, and would not a little conduce to the benefit of the people of this Countrey, and it may bee of our native Countrey alſo; by this meanes wee ſhould traine up theſe poore Indians in that skill which would confound and root out their Pawwaws, and then would they be fa…re more eaſily inclined to leave thoſe wayes, and pray unto God, whoſe gift Phyſick is, and whoſe bleſſing muſt make it effectuall.
There is alſo another reaſon which moves my thought and deſires this way, namely that our young Students in Phyſick may be trained up better then yet they bee, who have onelyonly theoreticall knowledge, and … forced to fall to practiſe before ever they ſaw an Anatomy made, or duely trained up in making experiments, for we never had but one Anatomy in the Countrey, which Mr. Giles Firman (now in England) did make and read upon very well, but no more of that now.
This very day that I wrote theſe things unto you, I have been with the Indians to teach them, as I was wont to doe, and one of their queſtions among many other was to know what to ſay to ſuch Indians as oppoſe their praying to God, and beleeving in Jeſus Chriſt, and for their own information alſo, What get you, ſay they, by praying to God, and beleeving in Jeſus Chriſt? you goe naked ſtill, and you are as poore as wee, and our Corne is as good as yours, and wee take more pleaſure then you; did we ſee that you got any thing by it, wee would pray to God and beleeve in Jeſus Chriſt alſo as you doe? Unto which queſtion I then anſwered them. Firſt, God giveth unto us two ſorts of good things, one ſort are little ones, which I ſhewed by my little finger; the other ſort are great ones, which I ſhewed by my thumbe, (for you know they uſe and delight in demonſtrations:) the little mercies are riches, as cloths, food, ſack, houſes, cattle, and pleaſures, theſe are little things which ſerve but for our bodies a little while in this life; the great mercies are wiſdome, the knowledge of God, Chriſt, eternall life, repentance, faith, theſe are mercies for the ſoule, and for eternall life: now though God do not yet give you the little mercies, he giveth you that which is a great deale better, which the wicked Indians cannot ſee. And this I proved to them by this example; when Foxun the Mohegan Counſeller, who is counted the wiſeſt Indian in the Country, was in the Bay, I did on purpoſe bring him unto you; and when he was here, you ſaw he was a foole in compariſon of you, for you could ſpeak of God and Chriſt, and heaven and repentance and faith, but he ſate and had not one word to ſay, unleſſe you talked of ſuch poor things as hunting, wars, &c. Secondly, you have ſome more cloths then they, and the reaſon why you have no more is becauſe you have but a little wiſdome, if you were more wiſe to know God, and obey his Commands, you would work more then you do, for to God commandeth, Six dayes thou ſhale work, &c. and thus the Engliſh do: and if you would bee ſo wiſe as to worke as they do, you ſhould have cloths, houſes, cattle, riches as they have, God would give you them.
This day they told me this news, that ſome of them having been abroad in the Country at Titacut, divers of thoſe Indians would be glad to know God, and to pray unto God, and would be glad if I would come and teach them, but ſome of them oppoſed and would not. They askt me this day, why God made the Rainbow. Theſe things are now freſh in my mind, that makes me ſo large in them, but I'le forbeare any more of their queſtions of this nature.
There do ſundry times fall out differences among them, and they uſually bring their caſes to me, and ſometime ſuch, as it's needfull for me to decline; where I may, I adviſe them to ſome iſſue. One great caſe that hath come ſeverall times to mee, is about ſuch debts as they owe by gaming, for they have been great gameſters, but have moved queſtions about it, and are informed of the unlawfulneſſe of it, and have thereupon wholly given over gaming for any wagers, and all games wherein is a lot, onelyonly uſe lawfull recreations, and have a Law againſt unlawfull gaming; but other Indians that are of another mind, come and challenge their old debts, and now they refuſe to pay, becauſe is was a ſinne ſo to game, and they now pray to God, and therefore muſt not pay ſuch ſinfull debts. Now the caſe being ſerious, and ſuch as I ſaw a ſnare underneath, the firſt counſaile they had was, who ever would challenge ſuch a debt ſhould come to our Governor, and he would take order to rectifie the matter. But the Creditors liked not that way, and therefore ſoon after there came another caſe of the ſame kinde, and an iſſue was very neceſſary; therefore I firſt dealt with the creditor, and ſhewed him the ſinfulneſſe of ſuch games, and how angry God was at them; and therefore perſwaded him to be content to take half his debt, unto which he very willingly condeſcended; then I dealt with the debtor, and askt him if he did not promiſe to pay him all that debt? and he anſwered yea, he did ſo; then I ſhewed him that God commands us to performe our promiſes, and though be ſinned in gaming, he muſt repent of that, but ſeeing he hath promiſed payment, he ſhould ſin to break his promiſe: at which he was utterly ſilenced; but then I asked him, if hee would willingly pay half, if I ſhould perſwade the other to accept it; yea ſaid hee very willingly, and ſo the matter ended: and in this way they uſually end ſuch caſes ſince that time. Their young men, who of all the reſt, live moſt idlely and diſſolutely, now begin to goe to ſervice, ſome to Indians, ſome to Fngliſh; and ſome of them growing weary, broak out of their ſervices, and they had no help among them for it; ſo that ſome propounded what they ſhould doe to remedy that evill; they were anſwered, that the Engliſh bring ſuch ſervants to the Court, and our Magiſtrates rectifie thoſe evills; then they deſired that they might have a Court among them for government, at which motion wee rejoyced, ſeeing it came from themſelves, and tended ſo much to civilize them, ſince which time I moved the Generall Court in it, and they have pleaſed to order a way for exerciſing government among them: the good Lord proſper and bleſſe it.
They moved alſo as you know for a School, and through Gods mercy a courſe is now taken that there be Schooles at both places where their children are taught.
You know likewiſe that wee exhorted them to ſence their ground with ditches, ſtone walls, upon the banks, and promiſed to helpe them with Shovels, Spades, Mattocks, Crows of Iron; and they are very deſirous to follow that counſell, and call upon me to help them with tooles faſter them I can get them, though I have now bought pretty ſtore, and they (I hope) are at work. The women are deſirous to learn to ſpin, and I have procured Wheels for ſundry of them, and they can ſpin pretty well. They begin to grow induſtrious, and find ſomething to ſell at Market all the yeer long: all winter they ſell Brooms, Staves, Elepots, Baskets, Turkies. In the Spring, Cranebe…ies, Fiſh, Stawberies, in the Summer Hurtleberries, Grapes, Fiſh: in the Autumn they ſell Craneberries, Fiſh, Veniſon, &c. and they find a good benefit by the Market, and grow more and more to make uſe thereof; beſides ſundry of them work with the Engliſh in Hay time, and Harveſt, but yet it's not comparable to what they might do, if they were induſtrious, and old boughs muſt be bent a little at once; if we can ſet the young twiggs in a better bent, it will bee Gods mercy. Deare brother I can go no further, a weary body, and ſleepy eyes command me to conclude, if I have not ſatisfied your deſire in this little I have wrote, let me underſtand it from you, and I ſhall be willing to do my indeavour: and thus with my deare love remembred to your ſelf and your beloved yoakfellow, and deſiring your prayers for Gods grace and bleſſing upon my ſpirit and poor indeavours, I take leave at this time and reſt
Roxbury this 24. of Septemb. 1647. Tour loving brother in our Saviour Chriſt, JOHN ELIOT.