The Light Appearing Towards the Perfect Day, Letter 1
The Letter written with his own hand followeth.
SIR,
YOu being by eſpecial providence of God, brought amongſt us, and while you were here looking into the preſent mercy of God that theſe Indians were bleſſed with, you found an occaſion farther to enquire what the former diſpenſations of God have beene to bring them hitherto. Now aſſuring my ſelf that it is from your deſire that the Lord may be glorified in the ſalvation of theſe poor Indian ſouls, I ſhall, by the aſſiſtance of God, declare the truth, and that which ſhall, by his grace, adminiſter alſo a ground of prayer to be put unto the God of all bleſſings in Jeſus Chriſt for us; and I hope, unto any, whom the Lord ſhall call to the like ſervice, a bleſſed experience of the Lords workings, turning all things, yea ſeeming hinderances, to the furtherance of the work of grace amongſt them.
Now for your ſatisfaction you may pleaſe to know that this work amongſt the Indians had its firſt riſe and beginning in the yeere 1643. When the Lord ſtirred up the heart of an Indian, who then lived neer to the Engliſh Plantation, whoſe name is Hiacoomes, a man of a ſad & a ſober ſpirit, unto whoſe Wi…wam or houſe ſome of the Engliſh repairing, & ſpeaking to him about the way of the Engliſh, he came to viſit our habitations and publike meetings, thinking that there might be better wayes and means amongſt the Engliſh, for the attaining of the bleſſings of health and life, then could be found amongſt themſelvs: Yet not without ſome thoughts and hopes of a higher good he might poſſibly gain thereby, at which time I took notice of him, and had oft diſcourſe with him, inviting him to my houſe every Lords day at night. About this time it ſo fell out, that this Indian went with ſome Engliſh men to a little Iland, where meeting a ſurly Sagamore whoſe name was Pake Poneſſo, By this name they call their Kings and Governors.who reproached him for his fellowſhip with the Engliſh, both in their civil and religious wayes, railing at him for his being obedient to them: Hiacoomes replyed that he was gladly obedient to the Engliſh, neither was it for the Indians hurt he did ſo; Upon which the Sagamore gave him a great blow on the face with his hand; but there being ſome Engliſh men preſent, they would not ſuffer the Sagamore to ſtrike him again. The poor Indian thus wronged, made this uſe of it, and ſaid, I had one hand for injures, and the other for God, while I did receive wrong with the one, the other laid the greater hold on God.
There was a very ſtrange diſeaſe this yeare amongſt the Indians, they did run up and down till they could run no longer, they made their faces as black as a coale, ſnatched up any weapon, ſpake great words, but did no hurt; I have ſeen many of them in this caſe. The Indians having many calamities fallen upon them, they laid the cauſe of all their wants, ſickneſſes, and death, upon their departing from their old heatheniſh ways, only this man held out, and continued his care about the things of God: and being deſirous to read, the Engliſh gave him a Primer, which he ſtil carries about with him.
year 1644 Now whilſt Hiacoomes was feeling after God, he met with another tryall; for going into an Indian houſe where there were many Indians, they ſcoffed at him with great laughter, ſaying, Here comes the Engliſh man, who by their noyſe awaked his old enemy Pakeponeſſo, who was aſleep, who joyning with the other Indians, told him, I wonder (ſaid he) that you that are a young man, having a wife and two children, ſhould love the Engliſh and their wayes, and forſake the Pawwawes; what would you do if any of you ſhould be ſick? whither would you go for help? I ſay, if I were in your caſe there ſhould nothing draw me from our gods and Pawwawes. At this time he replyed nothing, but told a friend of his that he then thought in his heart that the God in heaven did know and heare all the evill words that Pakeponeſſo ſpake. Thus the changing of his way cauſed much hatred to him, neither was there ſo much as the leaſt appearance of any outward argument amongſt us, that might weigh againſt it.
After this there fell a great judgment of God on this Sagamore; for in the night when he and his company were in the*An Indian houſe or Wigwam is made with ſmal poles like an arbour covered with mats, and their fire is in the midst, over which they leave a place for the ſmoak to go out at. Wigwam, it beginning to raine, he and a young man ſtood up upon the floor of planks which lay about two foot from the ground, to put a Matt over the Chimnie, there came a great flaſh of lightning, and after it thunder not very loud, yet full of the vengeance of God, which killed the young man out-right, and ſtrook Pakeponeſſo down dead for a long time, and he fell off from the floore of planks along upon the ground with one legge in the fire, and being much burned, it was took out by ſome that lay in the other ſide of the Indian houſe. Now Hiacoomes as himſelf ſaith) did remember his former thoughts of God, and then thought God did anſwer him, and that he was brought more to rejoyce in God, and reſt more upon him.
year 1645 Now in theſe times, as I did endeavour the good of theſe Heathens by diſcourſe with diverſe of them, ſo in particular with Hiacoomes, who did communicate that knowledge he had amongſt thoſe he could; for ſome of them could not endure the light he brought; ſome were more attentive to hear, and more ready to follow the truth, yet they did not well behold the Majeſty of the Lord by theſe perſonal particular works; at laſt the Lord ſent an univerſal ſicknes, and it was obſerved by the Indians, that they that did but give the hearing of good counſel, did not taſte ſo deeply of it, but Hiacoomes and his family in a manner not at all. year 1646 This put the Indians who dwell about ſix miles from us, upon ſerious conſideration of the thing, being much affected, that he which had expoſed himſelf to ſuch reproaches and troubles, ſhould receive more bleſſings then themſelves; hereupon they ſent a meſſenger to Hiacoomes, who was with him about the break of day, and delivering his meſſage, told him that he was come to pray him to go preſently to Myoxeo the chief man of that place, and he ſhould have a reward for his labour; for the Indians were very deſirous to know from him all things that he knew, and did, in the wayes of God; ſo he being glad of the opportunity, went with the meſſenger, and when he came, there were many Indians gathered together, amongſt which was Towanquatick the Sagamore▪ then after many requeſts (the general whereof was this, that he would ſhew his heart unto them, how it ſtood towards God, and what they muſt do) he ſhewed unto them all things he knew concerning God the Father, Sonne and Holy Ghoſt; Myoxeo asking him how many Gods the Engliſh did worſhip, he anſwered one God, whereupon Myoxeo reckoned up about 37. principal gods he had, and ſhall I (ſaid he) throw away theſe 37. gods for one? Hiacoomes replyed, what do you think of your ſelf? I have throwne away all theſe, and a great many more ſome yeers ago, yet am preſerved as you ſee this day; you ſpeak true ſaid Myoxeo; therefore I will throw away all my gods too, and ſerve that one God with you. Hiacoomes told them all, he did fear this great God only, and alſo in a ſpeciall manner that the Son of God did ſuffer death to ſatisfie the wrath of God his Father, for all thoſe that did truſt in him, and forſake their ſinnes, and that the ſpirit of God did work theſe things in the hearts of men, and that himſelf did feare this great God only, was ſorry for his ſinnes, deſiring to be redeemed by Ieſus Chriſt, and to walk in Gods commandments; this, with many truths more he ſhewed unto them, As Adams tranſgreſſion, and the miſery of the world by it, and did conclude, that if they had ſuch hearts as he, they ſhould have the ſame mercies. He reckoned up to them many of their ſins, as having many gods, going to Pawwawes; and Hiacoomes told me himſelf, that this was the firſt time that ever he ſaw the Indians ſenſible of their ſins; formerly they did but hear it as a new thing, but not ſo nearly concerning them, for they were exceeding thankful, ſaying, alſo now we have ſeen our ſins. Thus it pleaſed the Lord to give both light and courage to this poore Indian; for although formerly he had been a harmleſſe man amongſt them, yet, as themſelves ſay, not at all accounted of, and therefore they often wondered that he which had nothing to ſay in all their meetings formerly, is now become the Teacher of them all; I muſt needs give him this teſtimony, after ſome yeers experience of him, that he is a man of a ſober ſpirit, and good converſation, and as he hath, as I hope, received the Lord Jeſus Chriſt in truth, ſo alſo I look upon him to be faithful, diligent, and conſtant in the work of the Lord, for the good of his own ſoul and his neighbours with him.
Now,Though I have written this paſſage to Mr. Winſlow in my Letter to him, which is printed, yet it is not ſo full a story as here, and therfore I have added it. after theſe things it pleaſed God to move the heart of Towanquatick, encouraged by ſome others amongſt them, to deſire me to preach unto them. At my coming, this man ſpake thus unto me; That a long time agon they had wiſe men, which in a grave manner taught the people knowledge; but they are dead, and their wiſdome is buried with them, and now men live a giddy life, in ignorance, till they are white headed, and though ripe in yeeres, yet then they go without wiſdome to their graves. He told me that he wondered the Engliſh ſhould be almoſt thirty yeers in the Country and the Indians fools ſtill; but he hoped the time of knowledge was now come; wherefore himſelf with others deſired me to give them an Indian meeting, to make known the word of God to them in their own tongue; and when he came to me to accompliſh his deſire thereabout, he told me That I ſhould be to them as one that ſtands by a running river filling many veſſels, even ſo ſhould I fill them with everlaſting knowledge; So I undertook to give them a meeting once a monethmonth; but as ſoone as the firſt Exerciſe was ended, they deſired it oftner then I could well attend it, but once in a fortnight in our ſetled courſe. He hath alſo ſince told me the reaſon why he deſired me to preach to them, as that he was greatly deſirous to have the Indians grow more in goodneſſe, to have their poſterity inherit bleſſings when he was dead; and himſelf was deſirous to put the Word of God to his heart, to repent, and throw away his ſins, and to be better, and after he was dead, to inherit a life in heaven.
Now there be three things in this beginning that were greatly inquired into. 1. Earthly riches, what they ſhould get. 2. What approbation they ſhould get from other Sagamores and Governors. 3. How they ſhould come off from the Pawwawes; but in neither of theſe could they finde that which might give motion to a carnal minde; for the firſt kept off many, I have had much diſcourſe with ſeveral of them about it, wherein they have ſtrongly ſtood for their own meetings, wayes and cuſtomes, being in their account more profitable then ours, wherein they meet with nothing but talking and praying. The ſecond alſo remaines an obſtacle, the Sagamores generally are againſt the way. The third is the ſtrongeſt cord that binds them to their own way, for the Pawwawes by their witchcraft keep them in feare, many of the Indians got over the two firſt difficulties, and in ſome meaſure the third; now there were about twelve which came to the meeting as it were halting between two opinions, others came to hear and ſee what was done, for although they had heard and ſeen ſomething of the one God of heaven, yet ſuch was their unſpeakable darkneſſe, their captivity in ſin, and bondage to the Pawwawes, that they hardly durſt for feare take the beſt way, for though a few of them were better enlightned, yet the Heathen round about ſtuck faſt in their old brutiſhneſſe.
year 1647 We had not long continued the meeting, but the Sagamore Towanquatick met with a ſad tryal, for he being at a Weare where ſome Indians were a fiſhing, where alſo was an Engliſh man, as he lay along upon a matt on the ground aſleep, by a little light fire, the night being very dark, an Indian came down, as being ready fitted for the purpoſe, and being about ſix or eight paces from him, let flie a broad headed arrow, purpoſing by all probability to drench the deadly arrow in his heart blood, but the Lord prevented it;This man when I was in the Iland I often ſaw and spake with, ſeeing alſo the skar upon his eye-brow and noſe. for notwithſtanding all the advantages he had, inſtead of the heart he hit the eye-brow, which like a brow of ſteele turned the point of the arrow, which▪ glancing away, ſlit the top of his noſe to the bottome. A great ſtirre there was preſently, the Sagamore ſate up, and bled much, but was not much hurt through the mercy of God; the darkneſſe of the night hid the murtherer, and he is not diſcovered to this day. The next morning I went to ſee the Sagamore, and I found him praiſing God for his great deliverance, both himſelf and all the Indians, wondering that he was yet alive. The cauſe of his being ſhot, as the Indians ſaid, was for his walking with the Engliſh; and it is alſo conceived, both by them and us, that his forwardneſſe for the meeting was one thing, which (with the experience I have had of him ſince) gives me matter of ſtrong perſwaſion that he beares in his brow the markes of the Lord Jeſus.
After this, through the mercy of God, we proceeded on with the meeting, to the rejoycing of ſome Indians, and the envie of the reſt, who derided and ſcoffed at thoſe that did follow the Lecture, and in their way of wickedneſſe blaſpheming the Name of God, which damped the ſpirits of ſome of them for a time in the wayes of God, and hindering others from looking thitherward, but the Lord gave courage and conſtancy to ſome of them, eſpecially to Hiacoomes and Towanquatick who was hurt with the arrow, who were not aſhamed of the way of God.
year 1648 And hereupon they made farther progreſſe in the way of God, for without any knowledge thereof,Although I was preſent at this meeting from the beginning to the end, yet it was done without my privity or putting them on upon it, but it came meerly from themſelves. they appointed a meeting, and there came ſome younger men, and brought with them the ancient men of their kindred and acquaintance to ſpeak for them, whereof the very old man that your ſelf ſaw and heard at the meeting, was one, who began the meeting with a relation of the old cuſtomes of the ancient Heathen, preferring them before thoſe wayes of their own they were now in, yet acknowledging they were farre inferior to thoſe wayes of God they had now begun: Then twelve of the young men went and took Sacochanimo by the hand one by one and told him that they did love him, and would go with him in Gods way, and ſome of them made a long ſpeech to him to this purpoſe;This was Towanqueticks eldest ſonne. and the old men encouraged them in their way, & deſired them never to forget thoſe promiſes they had now made; then one of the young men told me the ground of their meeting, viz. They were ſorry to ſee that the meeting did go on no more ſtrongly, and that there were no more at it, and that they were deſirous to ſtrengthen themſelves in the way of God, to have good hearts, and one heart, and to walk together in love in the wayes of God. So after they had eaten together the victuals of their own providing, and we had ſung part of a Pſalme in their own language, and I had prayed with them, they returned with the manifeſtation of much joy and thankfulneſſe; and this I can ſay, they are generally conſtant in the way of God, and I have great hopes of ſome of them, bleſſed be his name.
year 1649 After this it pleaſed the Lord to ſtirre up the hearts of the Indians to appoint another meeting, and many Indians being met, they fell to a great diſcourſe about the Pawwawes power to kill men, and there were many ſtories told of the great hurt they had done by their witchcraft many wayes (here you muſt know, that though the Indians many of them were brought by the knowledge they had of God, to renounce the Pawwawes help in time of ſickneſſe or otherwiſe, yet they found it hard to get from under the yoake of cruelty that they and their forefathers had ſo long groaned under; for I know ſome, that then groaned under it, acknowledged they did ſee that in God which would free them from it, if they had but confidence to truſt in him. Then the queſtion was asked, Who is there that doth not fear the Pawwawes? anſwer was made by ſome who favoured them, there is not any man which is not afraid of the Pawwawes; then looking upon Hiacoomes, who was one that proteſted moſt againſt them, told him that the Pawwawes could kill him; he anſwered they could not; they asked him againe, why? he told them, becauſe he did beleeve in God and truſt in him, and that therfore all the Pawwaws could not do him any hurt; Then they all wondered exceedingly when he ſpake thus ſo openly. Then divers of them ſaid one by one, though before I was afraid of the Pawwawes, yet now, becauſe I hear Hiacoomes his words, I do not fear them, but beleeve in God too. Then the meeting at this time was carried on, and Hiacoomes is deſired by the Indians to reckon up their ſins unto them; he preſently found 45. or 50. and as many good duties; his work was very well liked, and in the concluſion twenty two Indians were found to reſolve againſt thoſe evils, and to walk with God, and attend the word of God. year 1650 But I may not here forget an Indian called Hummanequem, who exceeded all the reſt, to the wonderment of the Indians; he with much ſorrow, hatred, and courage, related about twenty of his own ſins, and profeſſed to follow the one God againſt all oppoſition; He told them he was brought into this condition by Hiacoomes his counſel from the Word of God, which at firſt he ſaid he liked not, afterwayes laid it by him as a thing to be conſidered, not knowing well what to do; at laſt, looking over things again, he came to this reſolution which you have now heard; I confeſſe this action makes me think he ſpake more then from a natural principle, conſidering that the man hath been ſince an earneſt ſeeker of more light both publike and private; as alſo for refuſing the help of a Pawwaw which lives within a bow ſhoot of his doore, when his wife was three dayes in travel, and waited patiently upon God, till they obtained a merciful deliverance by prayer.
And whilſt we were making progreſſe in the work of the Lord on a Lecture day, an Indian ſtood up, and ſaid he had been a ſinner, and committed many evill things, but now was ſorry for them, and did repent, deſired to forſake his ſins, and to walk in Gods way. Then he went to the Sagamore Towanquetick, and took him by the hand, ſaying, I do love you, and do greatly deſire to go along with you for Gods ſake; the like alſo he ſaid to ſome others, and then came to me in like manner, ſaying, I pray love me, and I do love you, and am deſirous to go with you for Gods ſake; ſo he was received with many thanks, and ſince I know him to be diligent and laborious. I confeſſe I marvelled to ſee them act with ſuch a ſpirit, but I conſidered, it was ſutable to their own meeting in 48.
Now the Indian accompanied his friend that ſuddenly loſt his two ſons; he I ſay remaining ſtill in his obſtinacy, is alſo found out, and feeles the wrath of God, being ſtricken with a dead Palſie, all one ſide of him, but his eye and eare; The dead Palſie is a ſtrange and unwonted diſeaſe amongſt the Indians; I have beene ſometimes with him; when I ſpake to him, he fetched many ſighs; he is at this day a living and a dead monument of the Lords diſpleaſure, having hurt himſelf moſt, and done them moſt good he hated.
Another thing is a remarkable combate between two Indians and a Pawwaw, who, on the Lords day after meeting, came in very angry, ſaying, I know the meeting Indians are lyars; you ſay you care not for the Pawwawes; then calling two or three of them by name, and railing at them, told them that they were deceived, for the Pawwawes could kill all the meeting Indians if they did ſet about it; with that one of the young men replyed with much courage, ſaying, it is true, I do not fear the Pawwawes, neither do I deſire any favour at their hands, pray kill me if you can. And Hiacoomes told him alſo that he would be in the midſt of all the Pawwawes of the Iland that they could procure, and they ſhould do their utmoſt they could againſt him, and when they did their worſt by their witchcrafts to kill him, he would without feare ſet himſelf againſt them, by remembring Jehovah; he told him alſo that he did put all the Pawwawes under his heel, pointing unto it; which anſwers did preſently ſilence the Pawwawes devilliſh ſpirit, and had he nothing to ſay, but that none but Hi…oomes was able ſo to do.
I have obſerved the wiſe diſpoſing hand of God in another Providence of his; there have not as I know, any man, woman or child died of the meeting Indians ſince the meeting began, untill now of late the Lord took away Hiacoomes his child which was about five dayes old; he was beſt able to make a good uſe of it, and to carry himſelf well in it, and ſo was his wife alſo; and truly they gave an excellent example in this alſo, as they have in other things; here were no black faces for it as the manner of the Indians is, nor goods buried with it, nor helliſh howlings over the dead, but a patient reſigning of it to him that gave it; There were ſome Engliſh at the burial, and many Indians to whom I ſpake ſomething of the Reſurrection, and as we were going away, one of the Indians told me he was much refreſhed in being freed from their old cuſtomes, as alſo to hear of the Reſurrection of good men and their children to be with God.
There are now by the grace of God thirty nine Indian men of this meeting, beſides women that are looking this way, which we ſuppoſe to exceed the number of the men, though not known by open entrance into Covenant as the men, but are now near it. Theſe in general have the knowledge of the fundamental points of Religion; your ſelf when you were with us, had ſome tryal of it; it was a great while my maine work to adminiſter light in general to them; and there now, through mercy, appears ſome life, hoping that ſome of them have received this great mercy of God in Chriſt. This is a great incouragement to me, as alſo that their hearts are engaged in the way of the Lord for the ſalvation of their own ſouls upon Gods ends. One of theſe meeting Indians ſaid (and I hope feelingly) that if all the world, the riches, plenty, and pleaſures of it were preſented without God, or God without all theſe, I would take God. And another ſaid, that if the greateſt Sagamore in the Land ſhould take him in his armes, and proffer him his love, and riches and gifts to turn from his way, he would not go with him from this way of God. I heard one of them of his own accord (and to the ſame purpoſe) in complaining againſt head knowledge and lip prayers, without heart holineſſe, loathing the condition of ſuch a man, ſaying, I deſire my heart may taſte the word of God, repent of my ſinnes, and leane upon the Redemption of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Some of them having a diſcourſe with Vzzamequin a great Sachem or Governour on the maine Land (coming amongſt them) about the wayes of God, he enquired what earthly good things came along with them, and demanding of them what they had gotten by all they had done this way? one of them replyed, we ſerve not God for cloathing, nor for any outward thing. I have obſerved many ſuch like paſſages; but my occaſions at preſent will not permit me to ſet them down, I only bring you thoſe things which are moſt ready in my minde.
The laſt thing that I took ſpecial notice of, is, the receiving of the five men when your ſelf was preſent, into the meeting Indian number, one of them (the young man you ſaw) was ſent at firſt about two or three months before by one of the greateſt Pawwawes upon the Iland to learn and ſpy what was done at the meeting, and carry him word, but at the laſt he learned ſo much as he then openly profeſt to hate the Pawwawes and their witchcrafts, and that he did repent of his ſinnes, and deſired to go with the meeting Indians in Gods ways; another ſaid he deſired to joyn with the meeting Indians that he might have a renewed good heart, the other were much like affected, only one of them reckoned up the commandments, and as he proceeded he proteſted againſt the ſins forbidden, and profeſſed obedience to the duties commanded; the laſt anſwered the queſtion put to him by your ſelf, viz. by what power they did think to do this? who anſwered, Firſt, by his good deſire; and ſecondly, by the help and bleſſing of Jeſus Chriſt.
Juſt now whilſt I am a writing, there comes an Indian unto me, and tels me his minde in theſe words, I ſhall long for your returne back again out of the Bay, that we may hear the good word of God; the former ſins of my heart in the time of my youth I now remember; when I hear the word of God, and when I walk in the woods alone, I have much talk with God, and great repentance for my ſins, and now I throw behind me all my ſtrange gods, and my heart goes right to God in prayer.
The way that I am now in (through the grace of God) for the carrying on of this great work, is by a Lecture every fortnight, whereunto both men women and children do come; and firſt I pray with them, teach them, chatechiſe their children, ſing a Pſalm, and all in their own language. I conferre every laſt day of the week with Hiacoomes about his ſubject matter of preaching to the Indians the next day, where I furniſh him with what ſpiritual food the Lord is pleaſed to afford me for them, wherein God hath much aſſiſted him for his own and their ſpiritual good and advantage, who is diligent and conſcionable to hold forth the grace of Chriſt to the Indians. For this purpoſe your ſervent and frequent prayers together with all thoſe who rejoyce in advancing the Scepter of Chriſt, are by me earneſtly deſired, and for me that I may preach him amongſt the Heathen, to the praiſe of the excellency of his own power, and not mine; and that the Indians in this ſmall beginning, being Gods husbandry, and Gods building, may be a fruitful glorious ſpreading Vine, and builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit, unto whom I commend you in Jeſus, and in him reſt
From Great Harbor in Martins Vineyard Sept. 7. 1650 Yours in the Lord to be commanded, THOMAS MAYHOW.
NOw to ſpeak ſomewhat farther of the proceeding of the things of Chriſt amongſt the Indians of Mattacuſets and thereabouts ſince the laſt books came forth; Somewhat I ſaw and underſtood concerning thoſe Indians which are under the care of Mr. Eliot, unto whom I repaired at my coming from Martins Vineyard, who acquainted me with the ſtate of things amongſt the Indians as they were at preſent; at which time I rode with him to the Water-town Indians, and heard him preach to them, and catechize their children in the Indian tongue; who wrote alſo by me to Mr. Winſlow, the Agent of the Countrey; which Letter, together with ſome other ſent ſince the laſt publication by the Preſſe, the Corporation of New England deſired me that they might be joyned and printed with this written by Maſter Mahu; which letters here follow.