The Light Appearing Towards the Perfect Day, Letter 2
Much honoured Sir,
YOur very loving acceptance of my Letters doth engage me very much unto you, but eſpecially your cordial rejoycing in the progreſſe of this work of the Lord among theſe poor Indians. Sir, I ſhall firſt anſwer ſome material things in your Letter. Firſt, for that opinion of Rabbi-ben-Iſrael which you mention, I would intreat you to requeſt the ſame godly Miniſter (nay I hope he hath already done it) to ſend to him to know his grounds, and how he came to that Intelligence, when was it done, which way were they tranſported into America, by whom, and what occaſion, how many, and to what Parts firſt, or what ſteps of intimation of ſuch a thing may there be. I had ſome thoughts in my heart to ſearch the Original of this People, that I might finde under what Covenant and Promiſe their fore-fathers have been, for the help of my faith; for Jehovah remembers and giveth being to ancient Promiſes. What had become of us ſonnes of Japhet, if the Lord had not remembred that (and ſuch like ancient Promiſes) God ſhall perſwade Japhet to dwell in the Tents of Shem. If theſe people be under a Covenant and Promiſe as ancient as Shem and Eber, it is a ground of faith to expect mercy for them.
Now this I have thought, that it ſeemeth to me as clear in the Scripture,Gen. 10. that theſe are the children of Shem as we of Japhet, and Shem was a great man in the Church, and to whom Abraham paid Tythes; for I beleeve he was Melchiſedceck; yea it ſeemeth to me probable that theſe people are Hebrews, of Eber, whoſe ſonnes the Scripture ſends fartheſt Eaſt (as it ſeemeth to me) and learned Broughton put ſome of them over into America, and certainly this Country was peopled Eaſtward from the place of the Arks reſting, ſeeing the finding of them by the Weſt is but of yeſterday: Now Eber was alſo a great man in the Church; Abraham the Hebrew, ſaith the text; and how often in the Scriptures doth the Lord uſe that bleſſed word of Grace and Covenant, I am the God of the Hebrewes? beſides there be ſundry Propheſies in Scripture, unto the goings down of the Sunne; and let it be conſidered whether America be not to be accounted among the places that are the goings down of the Sunne unto thoſe places where thoſe Promiſes were promulgated; And when the Lord inlarged the Promiſe to Jacob (as the light and extent of grace hath ever been encreaſing and enlarging) he promiſed to make him a Nation and a multitude of Nations, which ſo farre as we regard a litteral accompliſhment, is in part accompliſht in the Nation of the Jewes, and the other part remaineth (as it may ſeem) to be accompliſht in the loſt Iſraelites ſcattered in the world, principally, if not wholly, amongſt the ſons of Japhet and Shem; and our God who can and will gather the ſcattered and loſt duſt of our bodies at the Reſurrection, can and will finde out theſe loſt and ſcattered Iſraelites, and in finding up them, bring in with them the Nations among whom they were ſcattered, and ſo ſhall Jacobs Promiſe extend to a multitude of Nations indeed; and this is a great ground of faith for the converſion of the Eaſterne Nations, and may be of help to our faith for theſe Indians; eſpecially if Rabbi Ben-Iſrael can make it appeare that ſome of the Iſraelites were brought into America, and ſcattered here, or if the Lord ſhall by any meanes give us to underſtand the ſame.
Theſe meditations upon Scripture grounds do miniſter comfort & encouragement to my heart with others alſo, as, That all Languages ſhall ſee his Glory, and that all Nations and Kingdoms ſhall become the Kingdoms of the Lord Ieſus; and this I deſire to do, to look unto Scripture grounds only; Oh this precious this perfect Word of God! You intimate alſo how zealouſly worthy Mr. Owen did proſecute this work; the Lord reward him, and the Lord accept him in all his holy labours. Likewiſe you intimate how acceptable this work is to the Parliament, that bleſſed Aſſembly, whom the Lord Chriſt hath delighted to make inſtrumental to begin to ſet up the longed for, prayed for, and deſired Kingdome of the Lord Jeſus; for we may ſee in ſome meaſure the accompliſhment of that Propheſie of Chriſt, Luke 21. 25. The peaceable ſummer beginning to ariſe out of theſe diſtreſſed times of perplexity, all thoſe ſignes preceding the glorious coming of Chriſt are accompliſhing, and a thick black cloud is gathered, a cloud of blood, confuſion, Hereſies and Errors, and the thickeſt and moſt portentous black part of that cloud is the Toleration of the moſt groſſe and convicted impieties under the pretence of conſcience, which miſapplication of the Sword of Authority (if it ſhould awhile prevaile) cannot be innocent, and will undoubtedly prolong the ſtorme and delay of the reigne of Chriſt; But notwithſtanding all this black cloud, who ſeeth not the glorious coming of the Lord Jeſus breaking through this cloud, and coming with power and great glory? He is King of Kings and reigneth over Kings; for where Juſtice reignes, Chriſt doth reigne; and that Antichriſtian principle for man to be above God, whether the Pope in the Church, or Monarches in the Common-wealth, is thrown to the ground. He that is above the Law, is above the Word; and he that is above the Word, is above Chriſt; Chriſt reigneth not over ſuch as be above his Law: But behold, now Chriſt reigneth, and gloriouſly breaks forth in the brightneſſe of his coming, and will in his time ſcatter all this thick black cloud, yea the thickeſt of it. Now this glorious work of bringing in and ſetting up the glorious kingdome of Chriſt, hath the Lord of his free grace and mercy put into the hands of this renowned Parliament and Army; Lord put it into all their hearts to make this deſigne of Chriſt their main firſt and chiefeſt endeavour, according to the Word, Seek firſt the Kingdom of heaven and the righteouſneſſe thereof, and all other things ſhall be added. And when the Lord Jeſus is about to ſet up his bleſſed Kingdome among theſe poore Indians alſo, how well doth it become the ſpirit of ſuch inſtruments in the hand of Chriſt to promote that work alſo, being the ſame buſineſſe in ſome reſpect which themſelves are about by the good hand of the Lord.
Surely Sir, your chief work of this nature now is to follow this Indian work which ſticks in the birth for want of means. You would marvel if I ſhould tell you how they long to come into a way of civility by co-habitation, and by forming government among themſelves, that ſo they being in ſuch order might have a Church and the Ordinances of Chriſt among them; but want of a Magazine of all ſorts of tools and materials for ſuch a work, is the preſent impediment.
The Lord is wiſer then man, and his time is beſt; I will not ſay any thing now for farther direction about what is requiſite for the work which the Lord is preparing their hearts unto; my former Letters have ſaid enough that way, partly to you, and partly to Mr. Pelham, whoſe Letters I hope you have ſeen as containing ſundry things neceſſary for your view; and I doubt not but your wiſdome will readily adde what is lacking in what I have projected; only let me ſay this, that I dayly ſtill ſee more evidence that that is the very way which the Lord would have us take at preſent.
Let me, I beſeech you, trouble you a little farther with ſome conſiderations about this great Indian work which lyeth upon me, as my continual care, prayer, deſire and endeavour to carry on, namely for their ſchooling and education of youth in learing, which is a principal means for promoting of it for future times; If the Lord bring us to live in a Towne and Society, we muſt have ſpeiial care to have Schools for the inſtruction of the youth in reading, that they may be able to read the Scriptures at leaſt. And therefore there muſt be ſome Annual revenew for the maintaining of ſuch Schoolmaſters and Dames; Beſides, I do very much deſire to tranſlate ſome parts of the Scriptures into their language, and to print ſome Primer in their language wherein to initiate and teach them to read, which ſome of the men do much alſo deſire, and printing ſuch a thing will be troubleſome and chargable, and I having yet but little skill in their language (having little leaſure to attend it by reaſon of my continual attendance on my Miniſtry in our own Church) I muſt have ſome Indians, and it may be other help continually about me to try and examine Tranſlations, which I look at as a ſacred and holy work, and to be regarded with much fear, care, and reverence; and all this is chargable; therefore I look at that as a ſpecial matter on which coſt is to be beſtowed, if the Lord provide means, for I have not means of my own for it. I have a family of many children to educate, and therefore I cannot give over my Miniſtry in our Church whereby my family is ſuſtained to attend the Indians to whom I give, and of whom I receive nothing, nor have they any thing to give: ſo that want of money is the only thing in view that doth retard a more full proſecution of this work unto which the Lord doth ripen them apace.
Moreover, there be ſundry prompt, pregnant witted youths, not vitiouſly inclined, but well diſpoſed, which I deſire may be wholly ſequeſtred to learning, and put to Schoole for that purpoſe, had we means; and I ſuppoſe ten pounds per Annum to be paid in England, will maintaine one Indian youth at Schoole, and halfe aſcore ſuch Gifts or Annuities would by the bleſſing of God greatly further this work ſo farre as concerns that particular.
I had thought to have ſet down ſome of their Queſtions, wherby you might perceive how theſe dry bones begin to gather fleſh and ſinnews; but partly I have them not ready, for I have not leaſure to ſet them down at preſent, and they ſoone ſlip my memory, and I did it in all my laſt Letters, and may do it again, if the Lord will, hereafter. And therefore thus much at preſent, being cald off to haſten to ſeale up my Letters, the Lord Jeſus bleſſe you, ſanctifie and keep you in all your labours and travels, and accept you, and all your works, and return you again unto us in due ſeaſon here to ſee Gods bleſſing with your eyes upon thoſe poore ſouls, for whoſe ſakes you have laboured, and the Lord ſupply your abſence to all yours; and ſo commending you to the Lord and to the word of his grace which is able to ſanctifie and ſave you, I reſt
Boxburg, this 8. of the 5. 49. Your … Brother and fellow labourer for the good of the poor Indians: JOHN ELIOT.