The Light Appearing Towards the Perfect Day, Conclusion
The Concluſion.
ANd now (loving Reader) having brought thee along through theſe Divine diſpenſations of Gods merciful dealing with the Indians,Vide Ainſw. … loc. I ſhall briefly acquaint thee with the workings of my own thoughts under the apprehenſion of theſe things.
Firſt, I ſee plainly the fulfilling of that Divine truth and promiſe spoken of by David, Pſal. 138. 2. Thou haſt magnified thy Word above all thy Name, i. e. The Word in the Goſpel brought and preached to men. The Lord hath made this Word the only outward inſtrumental means to bring home theſe wandring ſinners; to this Word they have attended from the firſt; from this they have received their light; unto this they have given up themſelves; without this they will not ſtirre; from this they will not depart; from hence they have their peace, and have ſeen good dayes under the Kingdome of our Lord Christ.
Secondly, the Lord hath now declared one great end he had of ſending many of his people to thoſe ends of the earth; for beſides that the Lord hath made that Land a place of reſt, and a little ſanctuary to them in theſe troubleous times,Ezek. 11. 16. and hath made it a place where mamany, very many have been brought home to Chriſt, even amongſt themſelves; ſo now apparently in the converſion of many of the Heathens, who ſing and rejoyce in the wayes of the Lord.
Thirdly, when I looked on my dear native Country (in the bulke and maſſe of them) there is one above doth know, that my heart melteth towards it, deſiring the Lord to give me grace to ſorrow in ſecret for millions of them, who were never yet acquainted with what many of theſe poore Indianns have felt and found of the things of Chriſt, and that multitudes of ſuch who hold forth a profeſſion of Chriſtian Religion, yet fall ſhort of them, in regard of their belief and practiſe. Here I helped my ſelf by comparing the one with the other, and that in divers particulars.
1. Theſe Indians are found (to ſpeak of ſuch whoſe hearts the Lord hath opened by his Word and Spirit) to prize Ordinances, and ſuch as bring the Light to them, even that poor Indian, whoſe beſt clothing is a ſimple skin about him, of whom you read in the firſt Letter, yet they honour him for his works ſake, and for thoſe gifts, piety, and modeſty they ſee in him; Here Miniſters of Christ are despiſed, though many of them are eminent for parts, wiſdome, and known integrity.
2. Theſe Indians are plain-hearted, ſeek for Chriſt to enjoy him for himſelf; they receive the Truth in the love of it, and obey it without ſhifting or gain-ſaying; Here men have their own ends to tend to in matter of Religion, take up the forme, and let the power lie, as not ſerving their turn, have evaſions to get from under the authority of the truth, and the Majeſty of the Rules of Chriſt; here is rending and tearing of wits, whilſt we wrangle one another out of the truth, till love and peace be loſt.
3. Theſe Indians are induſtrious and purſue the things of their ſalvation, reſt they cannot, have it they must, what ever it coſt them, bearing up ſtrongly againſt all oppoſition: We have weak and bed-rid diſpoſitions, ſunk down into a ſottiſh and ſenſuall way; in many the kingdome of Hell ſuffers violence, and none can withſtand them, but thither they will.
4. Theſe mourn and weep bitterly, and are pained under the ſight and ſenſe of their ſins, when convinced of them; that ſome of them have been known to have wet with their teares the places weere they have ſtood. We here for the moſt part, the Lord knowes, live with dry eyes, and hard hearts, and ſleight ſpirits.
5. They are careful and conſtant in duties of worſhip, both in private and family prayer, hearing the Word, obſervation of the Sabbath, meet often together, and will pray together as occaſion ſerves, converſe lovingly together, are teachable, patient, and contented. O that there were ſuch hearts in us! O that their example did not ſhame multitudes of us who are fearfully guilty of omitting what the very light of Nature cals for from us! For this my heart is ſad, fearing that if the Lord do not mightily ſtep in, the next generation will be betrayed to Ignorance of the Truth as it is in Jeſus, to Deluſions and Profaneneſſe, and be rendred odious to all our neighbour Nations; and that theſe Indians will riſe up in judgment againſt us and our children at the laſt day. Brethren, the Lord hath no need of us, but if it pleaſe him, can carry his Goſpel to the other ſide of the world, and make it there to ſhine forth in its glory, brightneſſe, power and purity, and leave us in Indian darkneſſe.
And concerning theſe Indians, who have taſted how gracious the Lord is, though it cannot be expected but that the Devil ſhould be like himſelf, by the counter-working of this bleſſed work, both by himſelf and his inſtruments, ſo as to cauſe many of them to totter, back ſlide, and fall away from what they have profeſſed; yet I have ground to conceive and hope, that there is ſuch a candle lighted amongſt the Indians in thoſe parts which ſhall not be put out till Chriſt comes to judgment, for the accompliſhment of which he ſhall not ceaſe to pray, who is
Your loving friend in all Chriſtian duties. HENRY WHITFELD.
FINIS.
End of the text · Henry Whitfield, The Light Appearing Towards the Perfect Day (1651)