The Light Appearing Towards the Perfect Day, Prefatory letter – Dedication
THe Lord, who is wonderful in Councel, and excellent in working, hath ſo wrought, that the ſcorching of ſome of his people with the Sun of perſecution, hath been the enlightning of thoſe who were not his people, with the Sun of righteouſneſſe. This preſent Narrative gives teſtimony, That our dear Brethren who with-draw from the heat of trouble in Old England, have been uſed as Inſtruments in the Lords hand to draw ſom (I might ſay many) of the poor Heathens to behold and rejoyce in the light of the everlaſting Goſpel in New-England. Surely 'tis cauſe of greater glorying that any of thoſe Heathens have found the way of life and ſalvation among our brethren, then that our brethren have found place and ſafety (yea, then though they ſhould finde the richeſt merchandize of gold and ſilver) among thoſe Heathens. And how much doth it become Chriſtians to let Heathens ſee that they ſeek them more then theirs; That the gaining of them to Chriſt is more in their eye, then any worldly gain.
Joſeph Caryl.
The Light appearing more and more towards the perfect Day. OR, A farther Diſcovery of the preſent ſtate of the INDIANS IN New-England, Concerning the Progreſſe of the Goſpel amongſt them. Manifeſted by Letters from ſuch as preacht to them there.
Publiſhed by Henry Whitfeld, late Paſtor to the Chuch of Chriſt at Gilford in New-England, who came late thence.
Zeph. 2. 11.
The Lord will famiſh all the gods of the earth, and men ſhall worſhip him, every one from his place, even all the Iles of the Heathen.
London, Printed by T. R. & E. M. for John Bartlet, and are to be ſold at the Gilt Cup, neer St. Auſtins gate in Pauls Church-yard. 1651.
To the Right Honorable THE PARLIAMENT OF England And the COUNCEL of STATE.
Right Honorable,
HOw abundantly the Lord hath enlarged the hearts, and raiſed the reſolutions of this preſent Parliament to ſerve him, the many good things, and great things done by you, ſufficiently witneſſe, and will be acknowledged, at leaſt in another generation. It is not the ſmalleſt in the eyes of thoſe that look up to God for you, both in Old England and New, that you have ſo readily contributed your power, upon the firſt notice of the manifeſtation of Gods gracious work upon the Indians, by an Act publiſhed by you, for promoving the ſame.
In order whereunto I crave leave in all humility to repreſent (having lived ſome yeers in the Countrey, and lately came thence) how happily the Lord carrieth on his work there, which I have done in this ſmall Treatiſe following.
And for your more full ſatisfaction, give leave to remove ſuch falſe ſurmiſes and aſperſions, ſuggeſted on purpoſe to retaed the work. Some are heard to queſtion the affections of New-England towards the Parliaament, and preſent ſtate; To which I muſt anſwer, that the Magiſtrates, Miniſters, and generally the people of New-England, ſo farre as I know or have obſerved, or can learn, have been faithful and cordial to the Parliament from the firſt, and do own this preſent Government, and Common-wealth, giving in this as a reall argument, in being your Honours Remembrancers at the throne of grace, both praying to God for you in your ſtraits, and praiſing God for the enlargment of his good hand upon you. Others endeavour more directly to prejudice the work, by ſuggeſting that the charity of the wel-affected hath been abuſed, in that there is no ſuch work, or that there is a greater noiſe made of it in the world then there is cauſe; To this I can ſafely anſwer, that there hath been, I beleeve in no mans obſervation, greater faithfulneſſe found in any buſineſſe, both for truth of relation in what hath paſſed, or diſpoſing what hath been contributed; the perſons that are concerned in it, whether they be the Corporation eſtabliſhed by you, or that have the managing of it in New-England, being perſons of known integrity, and much honoured of all that know them, in this very reſpect; Moſt of theſe accounts I have ſeen, both what monies have been received and disburſed, both what, how, and to whom. Theſe alſo are ready to give your Honours ſatisfaction about this, if need require, and it will be an eaſe, and an honour to them to be called to ſuch an account.
And now the way being thus cleared, I proceed to make it my humble requeſt to your Honours, that you would be pleaſed to accept of this my humble acknowledgment, and thankful remembrance of what you have already done; and that it would not be troubleſome to you to be intreated, and ſtirred up by my meanneſſe, to proceed in the continuance of your favour, as to the whole Country, ſo eſpecially towards this work, that your hands may be ſtill held up to the farther advance, and perfecting theſe happy beginnings. And as you have given it feet, ſo you would give it wings, that it may get above al difficulties, which may be caſt in the way. Truly the work is honorable, and worthy your care, and inmost affections, and to be laid in your boſomes, that it may feel the warmth and influence of your favour, and beſt reſpects, it tending ſo much to the good of the ſouls of theſe poor wild creatures, multitudes of them being under the power of Satan, and going up and downe with the chains of darkneſſe ratling at their heels. This I may alſo ſay for your Honours encouragement, there is farre greater cauſe of promoting this work then formerly, there being more perſons, and places which have received the Goſpel amonſt them. Our Lord Chriſt and his truth gets ground, and the Devil Ioſeth, they daily break from him, and renounce him, and all his curſed works of darkneſſe, as you will find in this following Narrative. And laſtly, let me adde but this, The Lord hath given the uttermoſt ends of the earth to Jeſus Chriſt for his inheritance, let therefore your hands go on (Noble Worthies) to help him in taking the poſſeſſion of his own, who hath kept you in yours with an out-ſtretched arme. But I ſhall be no farther troubleſome to your Honours; The moſt wiſe and ſtrong God, for Chriſts ſake, ſtrengthen your hearts and hands, ſit amongſt you in your daily aſſemblings, and help you to guide the Ship of this Common-wealth, under your care, in theſe toſſing and troubleſome times, that there may be peace and ſafety found for ſuch as are quiet in the Land▪ and let me have the favour to be looked upon by you, as
Your Honours to ſerve you in the things of Jeſus Chriſt, Henry Whitfeld.
Chriſtian Reader.
I Have adventured to put this ſmal Treatiſe in thy hand, and to give ſome account of the publiſhing of it, conceiving it a means to advance that common comfort, which all good Chriſtians do ſhare in with the Angels of heaven, about the converſion of ſinners to God. This will appear by ſhewing there is a doore of hope opened for the poore Indians, of whom it may be thou haſt not yet heard; I thought alſo by relating the truth of things, as they ſtand at preſent, concerning the Indians you have heard of, and Gods dealing with them, I might undeceive ſuch as are either apt, or do beleeve, that things reported of them are but a fable, and a device or engine uſed by ſome to cheat good people of their money, and ſo diſcourage them from yeelding any help towards this great work. The Lord forgive them this great ſinne, that have raiſed theſe evill reports.
Vnderſtand therefore (good Reader) that my ſelfe intending (by Gods help) my returne into my native Countrey; It pleaſed the Lord by his providence, before we could come to the place where we were to take ſhip for England, that, by reaſon of contrary winds, we were faine to put in at an Iland called Martins Vineyard,Some call it Marthaes Vineyard. which is the most Southerly Iland that lies in that tract of Land called New England, where there is a ſmall Plantation, and a Church gathered, where we stayed about ten dayes, in which time I had the more leaſure and opportunity to informe my ſelfe of the ſtate of the Indians there; having heard formerly that divers of them began to taſte the knowledge of Christ: For this end I had recourſe to Mr. Mahu, who is the Pastor of the Church, and having attained a good underſtanding in the Indian tongue, and can ſpeak it well, hath laid the firſt foundation of the knowledge of Chriſt amongſt the Indians there by preaching unto them; who gave me full information of what I deſired▪ I had alſo ſpeech with ſome of the Indians (Mr. Mahu being my Interpreter.) Above the reſt my deſire was to ſpeak with the Indian who now preacheth unto them every Lords day twice, whoſe name is Hiacoomes, who ſeemed to me to be a man of a prompt underſtanding, of a ſober and moderate ſpirit, and a man well reported of for his converſation both by the Engliſh and Indians. I thought him to be about 30 yeers of age; with this man I had often ſpeech, and I asked him divers queſtions about Christian Religion, and about his own eſtate before God. I remember once I asked him theſe queſtions. 1. Whether he had found ſorrow for ſin, as ſin. 2. Whether he had ſorrowed for his ſins as they had pierced Chriſt. 3. Whether he had found the Spirit of God as an inward comforter to him; VntoUnto all which he gave me a very good ſatisfactory and Chriſtian anſwer. After this I had the opportunity to go to a private meeting of the Indians (of which you ſhall understand more in the Letter following) with Mr. Mahu, where having ſpent three or foure houres in Queſtions and Anſwers, which paſſed too and fro between the Indians and my ſelf; at our parting I deſired that one of them would deſire a bleſſing upon what they had heard for their edification, which was accordingly done; for they choſe out a young man who prayed a quarter of an houre, and ſomewhat more, with great reverence and affection, as farre as I could judge by his voyce and outward deportment: Maſter Mahu alſo told me that he had many pertinent and ſignificant expreſſions in his prayer; ſo that God hath poured on ſome of them the gift, and I hope the ſpirit of prayer.
The next day we rode to the Indian Lecture, where Mr. Mahu preached and catechiſed their children, who anſwered readily and modeſtly in the Principles of Religion; ſome of them anſwered in the Engliſh ſome in the Indian tongue. Thus having ſeen a ſhort model of his way, and of the paines he took, I made ſome enquiry about Mr. Mahu himſelf, and about his ſubſiſtance, becauſe I ſaw but ſmall and ſlender appearance of outward conveniences of life, in any comfortable way; the man himſelf was modeſt, and I could get but little from him; but after, I underſtood from others how ſhort things went with him, and how he was many times forced to labour with his own hands, having a wife and three ſmall children which depended upon him, to provide neceſſaries for them; having not halfe ſo much yeerly coming in, in a ſetled way, as an ordinary labourer gets there amongſt them. Yet he is chearfull amidſt theſe ſtraits, and none hear him to complain. The truth is, he will not leave the work, in which his heart is engaged; for upon my knowledge, if he would have left the work, and imployed himſelf otherwhere, he might have had a more competent and comfortable maintenance. I mention this the rather, becauſe I have ſome hope, that ſome pious minde, that reads this, might be inwardly moved to conſider his condition, and come to his ſuccor for his encouragement in this great work.
At my parting from this Iland I deſired Mr. Mahu that he would take the pains to write me the Story of Gods dealing with the Indians, from the first time of their coming thither, to this preſent time; which he accordingly did, and I received before my going out of the Countrey; which Letter of his to me, finding many remarkable paſſages in it, I thought fit to publiſh it, that the Lord might have the glory of his free grace, in regard of theſe poor Heathens who ſeeme to be the dregs and refuſe of Adams loſt poſterity; and to put an edge upon the prayers and prayſes of Gods people, the fruit of which will returne into their owne boſomes. And if there be a right ſet of ſpirit in you, you will bleſſe God for ſuch as preſent ſuch kinde of matter to you, and do put an opportunity into your hands, whereby you may any way be inſtrumental to promote the Kingdome of our Lord Chriſt.