The Light Appearing Towards the Perfect Day, Letter 5
Much honoured and beloved in Chriſt, &c.
I Heard of the health and welfare of your family not long ſince, though the ſharpneſſe and depth of ſnowes this later part of winter did more ſhut up and hinder intercourſe then ever I knew in New-England
I ſhall principally attend to give you intelligence about the Indians, touching whom, I know not that you are like to have intelligence by others; The Lord hath ſhewed them a very great teſtimony of his mercy this winter, in that when formerly the Engliſh had the Pox much, they alſo had the ſame; but now though it was ſcattered in all or moſt of the Townes about them, yet the Lord hath preſerved them from it; And that which maketh this favour of God the more evident and conſpicuous, is this; That there is a company of profane Indians that▪ lately are come to a place near Wamouth, not farre from our Indians, who do not onelyonly refuſe to pray unto God, but oppoſe and apprehend that they were ſent thither, if not by the policie of ſome Pawwaws, yet by the inſtigation of Sathan, on purpoſe to ſeduce the younger ſort from their profeſſion, and diſcourage others; and indeed they being ſo neer, had that effect evidently in ſome of the younger ſort. Now it pleaſed God that this company of wicked Indians, were ſmitten with the Pox, and ſundry cut off, and thoſe which were cut off, were of the worſt and miſchievous of them all; which Providences, all the good Indians do take a great notice of, and doth ſay that the Lord hath wrought a wonder for them; and it ſeemeth to me that the Lord hath bleſt this good Providence of his to be a ſtrong ingagement of their hearts to the Lord.
The work of the Lord through his grace doth ſtill go on as formerly, and they are ſtill full of queſtions, and moſtly they now be, to know the meaning of ſuch Scriptures as I have tranſlated and read, and in a poor meaſure expounded to them, they long for to proceed in that work which I have in former Letters mentioned; namely to cohabit in a Towne, to be under the government of the Lord, and to have a Church and the Ordinances of Chriſt among them; this Spring the Lord ſeemed to put ſome of them upon ſuch ſtreights, about a convenient place of planting, as if his Providence had meant to call us to a preſent ſetting upon the work, but partly by reaſon of the undetermination about the place where, but principally for want of means, wherewith it is yet deferred, though I ſee a neceſſity to ſpeed it forward, for they have been now long in the expectation, and if I ſhould ſtill fail them, it would both diſcourage them, and embolden their adverſaries to deſpiſe the work (for all the Country of Indians are in an expectation of it) yea by this delay that hath been, Sathan hath taken this advantage to my great grief; That whereas at my firſt preaching at Naſhawog ſundry did imbrace the word, and called upon God, and Pau wauing was wholly ſilenced among them all; yet now, partly being forty miles of; and principally by the ſlow progreſſe of this work, Sathan hath ſo embolned the Pawwawes, that this winter, (as I hear to my grief) there hath been Paw-wauing again with ſome of them.
The reaſon why there is ſtill a delay of laying the foundation of the work is this, becauſe we muſt ſee firſt whether any ſupply is like to be had from England (for our ſins and bad times may diſappoint our greateſt hopes) and if any, what meaſure, that we may by that be guided what foundation and beginning to make; their condition and the neceſſary frame of this work requireth a liberall ſtock to begin withall, and liberall ſupply to carry it on; And therefore to begin the work before the Lord hath diſcovered his providing providence this way, by the rule of prudence may not be; nor can I manifeſt unto the Church that God doth call me to that work, untill I may lay before them, (at leaſt ſome) preſent means to begin the work, and ſome probable hopes of ſupply; and untill that be done, the Church hath no rule to give me up to that work; nor I a rule to require it; only I do (through the Lords help) continually go on to teach them, as for theſe three yeers and a half I have done, inſtructing them, and preparing them as well as I can againſt ſuch time as the Lord, who hath promiſed to guide us by his eye and voyce, ſhall manifeſtly call us to go forward with that work which we wait to ſee accompliſhed.
I forbear to mention any thing about the materials requiſite, and manner of proceedings, having done that in my former Letters, by the firſt ſhip eſpecially, and alſo by the ſecond; both which Ve…ls I truſt the Lord hath brought in ſafe to you long ere this time I was in great hopes to have heard ſome encouragement by fiſhing ſhips, but not one being this yeere come, nor tydings any other way, we are put to ſad thoughts how it may fare with England, but we ceaſe not to pray continually in that behalf, and this expectation of mine is one ingagement of my heart to be the more earneſt both for England and for your ſelf alſo.
Roxbury this 18. of the 2d 1650. Your loving friend and brother in our Lord Jeſus JOHN ELIOT.