The Light Appearing Towards the Perfect Day, Letter 3
Worthy and much eſteemed in the Lord.
IT is no ſmall encouragement unto my ſpirit, not only to go on unweariably in this enterprize which the Lord hath ſet my heart upon, but alſo to expect a great bleſſing therein; only I muſt intimate two Redundances, one is page 8. where there is a great (I) redundant which maketh the ſence untrue; but if left out, the ſence is both good and true; for (I) was not the Nominative caſe or efficient of that Verb, or Act of intreating Mr. Mahu to teach them, but it was the Indians Act, and ſo I ſaid, and ſo is the ſence if that (great I) be left out. A ſecond Redundancie is page 17. (though miſfigured and no matter) where you put the title of Evangeliſt upon me, which all men take, and you ſeeme ſo to put it for that extraordinary office mentioned in the New Teſtament; I do beſeech you to ſuppreſſe all ſuch things, if ever you ſhould have occaſion of doing the like; let us ſpeak and do, and carry all things with all humility; it is the Lord who hath done what is done, and it is moſt becoming the ſpirit of Jeſus Chriſt to lift up Chriſt, and our ſelves lie low; I wiſh that that word could be obliterated if any of the books remain.
Now ſeeing it is ſo great a comfort to you to hear how the Lord is pleaſed to carry on this work, I ſhall relate unto you ſome paſſages, whereby you may ſee in what frame they be; I had, and ſtill have, a great deſire to go to a great fiſhing place, Namaske upon Merimak; and becauſe the Indians way lyeth beyond the great River which we cannot paſſe with our horſes, nor can we well go to it on this ſide the river, unleſſe we go by Naſhaway, which is about, and bad way, unbeaten, the Indians not uſing that way; I therefore hired a hardy man of Naſhaway to beat out a way and to mark trees, ſo that he may Pilot me thither in the ſpring, and he hired Indians with him and did it; and in the way paſſed through a great people called Sowahagen Indians, ſome of which had heard me at Pautuket and at Naſhaway, and had carried home ſuch tydings, that they were generally ſtirred with a deſire that I would come and teach them; and when they ſaw a man come to cut out a way for me that way, they were very glad; and when he told them I intended to come that way the next ſpring, they ſeemed to him full of joy, and made him very welcome. But in the Spring, when I ſhould have gone, I was not well, it being a very ſickly time, ſo that I ſaw the Lord prevented me of that journey; yet when I went to Pautuket another fiiſhing place, where from all parts about they met together, thither came divers of theſe Sowahegen Indians, and heard me teach, and I had conference with them; and among other things, I asked whether Sowahegen Indians were deſirous to pray to God; they anſwered; yea, I asked how many deſired it; they anſwered wamu, that is, All, and with ſuch affection as did much affect thoſe Chriſtian men that I had with me in company.
The chief Sachim of this place Pautuket, and of all Mermak in Papaſſaconnoway, whom I mentioned unto you the laſt yeere, who gave up himſelf and his ſonnes to pray unto God, this man did this yeer ſhew very great affection to me, and to the Word of God; he did exceeding earneſtly, importunately invite me to come and live there and teach them; he uſed many arguments, many whereof I have forgotten: but this was one, that my coming thither but once in a yeere, did them but little good, becauſe they ſoone had forgotten what I taught, it being ſo ſeldome, and ſo long betwixt the times; further he ſaid, That he had many men, and of them many nought, and would not beleeve him that praying to God was ſo good, but if I would come and teach them, he hoped they would beleeve me; He farther added, that I did, as if one ſhould come and throw a fine thing among them, and they earneſtly catch at it, and like it well, becauſe it looks finely, but they cannot look into it to see what is within it, and what it is within, they cannot tell whether ſomething or nothing, it may be a stock or a ſtone is within it, or it may be a precious thing; but if it be opened, and they ſee what is within it, and ſee it precious, then they ſhould beleeve it (ſo ſaid he) you tell us of praying to God, (for ſo they call all Religion) and we like it well at the firſt ſight, and we know not what it is within, it may be excellent, or it may be nothing, we cannot tell, but if you would come unto us, and open it unto us, and ſhew us what it is within, then we ſhould beleeve that it is ſo▪ excellent as you ſay, when we ſee it opened; Such elegant arguments as theſe did he uſe, with much gravity, wiſdome and affection; and truly my heart much yearneth towards them, and I have a great deſire to make our Indian Towne that way; yet the Lord by the Eye of Providence ſeemeth not to look thither, partly becauſe there is not a competent place of due encouragement for ſubſiſtence; which would ſpoyle the work; and partly becauſe our Indians which are our firſt and chief materials in preſent view, are loth to go Northward, though they ſay they will go with me any whether; but it concerneth me much not to lead them into temptation of ſcarity, cold and want, which may damp the progreſſe of the Goſpel; but I rather think where ever I begin the firſt Towne, (if I live) I muſt begin more townes then one, or oh that the Lord would raiſe up more and more fit labourers into this harveſt:
Another Indian, who lived remote another way, asked me if I had any children? I anſwered yea; he asked how many? I ſaid ſixe; he asked how many of them were ſonnes? I told him five; then he asked whether my ſonnes ſhould teach the Indians to know God as I do? at which queſtion I was much moved in my heart, for I have often in my prayers dedicated all my ſonnes unto the Lord to ſerve him in this ſervice, if he will pleaſe to accept them therein; and my purpoſe is to do my uttermoſt to traine them up in learning, whereby they may be fitted in the beſt manner I can to ſerve the Lord herein, and better preferment I deſire not for them then to ſerve the Lord in this travel; and to that purpoſe I anſwered him, and my anſwer ſeemed to be well pleaſing to them, which ſeemed to miniſter to my heart ſome encouragement, that the Lords meaning was to improve them that way, and he would prepare their hearts to accept the ſame.
There is another aged Sachem at Quabagud threeſcore miles Weſtward, and he doth greatly deſire that I would come thither and teach them, and live there; and I made a journey▪ thither this ſummer, and I went by Naſhaway; but it ſo fell out that there were ſome ſtirres betwixt the Nazaganſet and Monahegen Indians, ſome murder committed, &c. which made our Church doubtful at firſt of my going, which when the Naſhaway Sachem heard, he commanded twenty armed men (after their manner) to be ready, and himſelf with theſe twenty men; beſides ſendry of our neer Indians went along with me to guard me, but I took ſome Engliſh along with me alſo, ſo that hereby their good affection is manifeſted to me, and to the work I have in hand; here alſo I found ſundry hungry after inſtruction, but it pleaſed God to exerciſe us with ſuch tedious raine, and bad weather, that we were extreme wet, inſomuch that I was not dry night nor day from the third day of the week unto the ſixth, but ſo travelled, and at night pull off my boots, wring my ſtockins, and on with them again, and ſo continued; the rivers alſo were raiſed, ſo as that we were wet in riding through; but that which added to my affliction was, my horſe tyred, ſo that I was forced to let my horſe go empty, and ride on one of the mens horſes which I took along with me, yet God ſtept in and helped; I conſidered that word of God, 2 Tim 2, 3. Endure hardſhip as a good Souldier of Chriſt; with many other ſuch like meditations, which I think not meet to mention now. And I thank the Lord, neither I nor my company took any hurt, but the Lord brought us in ſafety and health home again.
Becauſe▪ both Mr. Pelham and your ſelf do ſo heartily, and with ſuch good affection ſend commendations and greetings unto our Indians which pray unto God, I will tell you what a good occaſion was miniſtred unto me, through the goodneſſe of God, by a queſtion which one of them propounded the next meeting as I remember) after I had received my Letters, and I muſt firſt tell you the occaſion of the queſtion.
There had been at that time ſome ſtrange Indians among them which came to ſee them who prayed to God, as one from Martins Vineyard, who is helpful to Mr. Mahu to tell him words, &c. and I think ſome others, when thoſe ſtrangers came, and they perceived them to affect Religion, and had mutual conference about the ſame, there was very great gladneſſe of heart among them, and they made theſe ſtrangers exceeding welcome; Hereupon did the Queſtion ariſe, namely what is the reaſon, that when a ſtrange▪ Indian comes among us whom we never ſaw before, yet if he pray unto God, we do exceedingly love him: But if my own Brother, dwelling a great way off, come unto us, he not praying to God, though we love him, yet nothing ſo as we love that other ſtranger who doth pray unto God.
This queſtion did ſo clearly demonſtrate that which the Scripture calleth love of the Brethren, that I thought it was uſeful; firſt, to try others of them, whether they found the ſame in their hearts; I therefore asked them, how they found it in theis hearts? And they anſwered, that they all found it ſo in their hearts, and that it had been a matter of diſcourſe among themſelves, wondring at it, what the reaſon of it ſhould be, which was no ſmall comfort and encouragement unto my ſpirit; Then in my anſwer I asked them what ſhould be the reaſon that the godly people in England, 3000. miles off, who never ſaw them, yet hearing that they pray to God, do exceedingly rejoyce at it, and love them, and ſend them tokens of their love, and then I reckoned up what had been ſent them, and mentioned ſome names to them, and farther told them that their love was ſo great unto them, that they would ſend them over a great deale more; and in ſpecial, I hoped they would ſend us ſuch materials as be requiſite to make a Towne, and mentioned ſome ſuch things as I have named in the Catalogue I ſent to you▪ and asked them if they could tell the reaſon of it; they anſwered no; this being the ſame with their queſtion; and then I ſhewed the unity of ſpirit, &c. And thus you ſee the occaſion and way of communicating the good will and love of the Saints in England unto them, ſo as that they might taſte a ſpiritual bleſſing, and finde ſome edification of their ſouls by thoſe outward bleſſings which they received. And whereas ſome, (as I am informed) who came from us to England, are no better friends to this work then they ſhould, and may ſpeak ſlightly of it: I do intreat that ſuch may be asked but this queſtion; Did they ſo much regard to look after it here, as to go three or four miles to ſome of our meetings, and to obſerve what was ſaid and done there? if not, how can they tell how things be? if they ſay they were, I deſire to know what they except againſt? If they ſay the Indians be all nought becauſe ſuch as come loytering and filtching about in our Townes are ſo; Wiſh them to conſider how unequal that judgment is, if all the Engliſh ſhould be judged by the worſt of them; and any ſhould ſay they be all ſuch, this were to condemne the righteous with the wicked. Had I leaſure, I would inſert a few more of their queſtions, that you might perceive how fleſh and ſinewes begin to gather upon theſe dry bones; but I cannot at this time attend it; the preſent work of God among them is to gather them togegether to bring them to Political life, both in Eccleſiaſtical ſociety and in Civil, for which they earneſtly long and enquire, and ſome aged ones ſay, Oh that God would let me live to ſee that day; I allude to that in Ezekiel, not becauſe I have any light to perſwade me theſe are that people there mentioned, only they be dry and ſcattered bones, if any be in the world; and the work of God upon all ſuch dry bones I beleeve will be in many things Symmetricall; But the work of the day is to civilize them, and it will be very chargeable, and becauſe in your Letters to Mr. Cotton, you deſired that he and I ſhould ſpeak with the Commiſſioners what was fitting to ſend over for this work, we could not ſpeak with the Commiſſioners of other Colonies, nor write to have any ſeaſonable return, nor could we communicate the ſtate of the buſineſſe unto them, but what was feaſible we have done.
Now dear Sir, it may be you will deſire to know what kinde of Civil Government they ſhall be inſtructed in; I acknowledge it to be a very weighty conſideration; and I have adviſed with Mr. Cotton and others about it, and this I propound as my general rule through the help of the Lord; they ſhall be wholly governed by the Scriptures in all things both in Church and State; they ſhall have no other Law-giver; the Lord ſhall be their Law-giver, the Lord ſhall be their Judge, the Lord ſhall be their King, and he will ſave them; and when it is ſo the Lord reigneth, and unto that frame the Lord will bring all the world ere he hath done, but it will be more difficult in other Nations who have been adulterate with their Antichriſtian or humane wiſdome; they will be loth to lay downe their imperfect own Star-light of excellent Lawes, in their conceits, for the perfect Sun-light of the Scripture, which through blindneſſe they cannot ſee.
England long ſince had happy experience of it, and it is often in my heart to deſire they would pitch there in this preſent great change they are about; this is certaine, that all formes and Lawes of mans invention will ſhake, be unſetled; and many will doubt of ſubjecting to any way man can deviſe; and they will never reſt till they come up to the Scriptures, and when they produce Scripture grounds for all they do, it will anſwer and ſatisfie all godly conſciences, and awe the reſt, and ſtop their mouths unleſſe they will cavill againſt divine wiſdome. It is the very reaſon why the Lord in this houre of temptation will bring Nations into diſtreſſe and perplexity, that ſo they may be forced to the Scriptures; the light whereof hath ſole authority to extricate them out of their deep perplexities; and therefore all Governments are and will be ſhaken, that men may be forced to pitch upon the firme and unſhaken foundation, the Word of God▪ this is doubtleſſe the great deſigne of Chriſt in theſe later dayes; Oh that mens eyes were open to ſee it, and when the world is brought into this frame, then Chriſt reigneth; and when this is, Government ſhall be in the hands of the Saints of the moſt high.
But I forget my ſelf; this is not my preſent work, it is my deſire and prayer; my work is to endeavour the ſetting up Chriſt Kingdome among the Indians.
Sir, you tell me of one that will publiſh reaſons to prove (at leaſt) ſome of the ten Tribes are in America, it would be glad tydings to my heart; and when Mr. Dudley heard of it, he ſaid that Captaine Cromwell, who lately dyed at Boſton, told him that he ſaw many Indians to the Southward Circumciſed; and that he was oft converſant among them, and ſaw it with his eyes, and was undoubtedly certaine of it; this is Captaine Cromwels teſtimony, and it ſeemeth to be one of the moſt probable arguments that ever I yet heard of; unleſſe the Lord ſhall pleaſe to clear it up that they are ſome of thoſe dry bones which Ezekiel ſpeaketh of.
Mr. Mahew, who putteth his hand unto this Plough at Martins Vineyard, being young, and a beginner here, hath extreme want of books; he needeth Commentaries and Common Places for the body of Divinity, that ſo he might be well grounded and principled; if therefore the Lord bring any meanes into your hand, I deſire you would (by the help of ſome godly Divine) ſend him over ſuch books as may be neceaſſry for a young Scholer; I will name no books, he needs all; I beſeech you put ſome weight upon it, for I deſire he might be furniſhed in that kinde, and other ſupplies will be needful for him.
And for my ſelf I have this requeſt (who alſo am ſhort enough in books) that I might be helped to purchaſe my brother Weld his books, the ſumme of the purchaſe is (34. li.) I am loth they ſhould come back to England when we have ſo much need of them here, and without ready money there I cannot have them; if therefore ſo much money might be disburſed for me, it would be a bleſſing to me, but it is on condition that all his books here be comprehended, elſe I will not give ſo much for them.
One thing more I ſhall mention, viz. if the work go on, and you ſend us means, then this may be conſiderable, which ſome have adviſed me, whether it might not be good to ſend me over a Carpenter or two young men-ſervants; but if you ſhould approve it, I deſire they may be godly, and well conditioned, of a good ſpirit, for they muſt be imployed among the Indians, and if they ſhould be naught, and of an ill diſpoſition they might do a great deal of hurt, but if they be honeſt & meek and well ſpirited, it may be a great furtherance of the work, I wholly leave it to your wiſdom.
Having ſome leaſure by the Ships delay I will inſert a few queſtions which they have propounded. viz.
If a man know Gods Word, but beleeve it not; and he teach others, is that good teaching? and if others beleeve that which he teacheth, is that good beleeving, or faith? upon this queſtion I asked them, how they could tell when a man knoweth Gods Word that he doth not beleeve it? They anſwered me, When he doth not do in his practice anſwerable to that which he knoweth.
If I teach on the Sabbath which you have taught us, and forget ſome, Is that a fin? and ſome I miſtake and teach wrong, Is that a ſin?
Do all evill thoughts come from the Devill, and all good ones from God?
What is watchfulneſſe?
How ſhall I finde happineſſe?
What ſhould I pray for at night, and what at morning, and what on the Sabbath day?
What is true Repentance, or how ſhall I know when this is true?
How muſt I wait on God?
Shall we ſee Chriſt at the day of Judgment?
Can we ſee God?
When I pray for a ſoft heart, why is it still hard?
Can one be ſaved by reading the book of the creature? This queſtion was made when I taught them, That God gave us two books, and that in the book of the creature, every creature was a word or ſentence, &c.
You ſaid God promiſed Moſes to go with him, how doth he go with us?
When ſuch die as never heard of Chriſt, whether do they go?
When the wicked die, do they firſt go to heaven to the judgment ſeate of Chriſt to be judged, and then go away to hell?
What is the meaning of the word Hebrews?
Why doth God ſay, I am the God of the Hebrews?
When Chriſt aroſe, whence came his ſoul? When I anſwered from heaven; It was replyed, How then was Chriſt puniſhed in our ſtead? Or when did he ſuffer in our ſtead, afore death, or after?
When I pray every day, why is my heart ſo hard ſtill, even as a ſtone?
How doth God ariſe, and we worſhip at his feet, what meaneth it? This was when I preached out of Pſal. 132.
Why did they eate the Paſſeover, with loynes girt, and ſhooes on their feet?
What meaneth, ariſe O Lord into thy reſting place?
What meaneth, hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſſe, and they bleſſed?
What meaneth, thou ſhalt not covet any thing that is thy neighbours?
If one purpoſeth to pray, and yet dieth before that time, whether goeth his ſoul?
If I teach on the Sabbath ſomething that ſome other Engliſhman taught me, the Indians do not like it, if it be not that which you have taught, is this well?
Why muſt we be like Salt?
If I do not love wicked men, nor good men, am I good?
What meaneth that, love enemies and wicked men?
Doth God know who ſhall repent, and beleeve, and who not? When I anſwered in the affirmative, then it was replyed, Why then did God uſe ſo much meanes with Pharaoh?
What meaneth that his wife ſhall be like a Vine, and his children like young plants?
What meaneth, that bleſſed are they that mourn?
When I ſee a good example, and know that it is right, why do I not do the ſame?
What meaneth lifting up hands to God?
Whot anger is good, and what is bad?
Do they dwell in ſeverall houſes in heaven, or altogether, and what do they?
How do you know what is done in heaven?
If a child die before he ſinne, whether goeth his ſoul? By this queſtion, it did pleaſe the Lord, clearly to convince them of original ſin, bleſſed be his name.
If one that prayes to God ſins like him that prayes not, is not he worſe? And while they diſcourſed of this point, and about hating of wicked perſons, one of them ſhut it up with this, They must love the man and do him good, but hate his ſin.
Why do Engliſh men ſo edgerly kill all ſhakes?
May a man have good words and deeds and a bad heart, and another have bad words and deeds, and yet a good heart?
What is it to eate Chriſt his fleſh and drink his blood, what meaneth it?
What meaneth a new heaven and a new earth?