The Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion, Observations – Title page 3
The following obſervations were added by Mr. T. Prince, to the third edition, for the information of our younger people.
THE reverend author of the preceding hiſtory and ſermon, was a ſon of Mr. Samuel Williams of Roxbury where he was born Dec. 10, 1664; took his firſt degree at Harvard College in 1683, was ordained the firſt paſtor of the church in Deerfield, in May 1686.
And his firſt wife Eunice, murdered by the barbarous Indians, as before related, was the only daughter of the Rev. Mr. Eleazer Mather, firſt paſtor of the church in Northampton, by his only wife Mrs. Eunice, the daughter of the reverend and famous Mr. John Warham, formerly a miniſter in Exeter, in England, who came to New-England in 1630, was the firſt teacher with the Rev. Mr. Maverick, paſtor of the firſt church in Dorcheſter, near Boſton, and in 1635, removed with the greater part of his church, to Windſor, on Connecticut River, where he continued their paſtor till he died: After the Rev. Mr. Eleazer Mather's death, his widow married the Rev. Mr. Solomon Stoddard, who ſucceeded him in the paſtoral office, at Northampton.
When Deerfield was deſtroyed in February 1703-4, it was in the firſt year of my living at Harvard College; and I well remember how generally and greatly affected were the good people of this province, with that terrible diſaſter.
His eldeſt ſon Eleazer, being then in another town, eſcaped that calamity: The next commencement, by the encouragement and help of divers charitable people, eſpecially in Boſton, he entered Harvard College, and living in the chamber over me, I fell into an intimate acquaintance with him; and found him a perſon of eminent piety, humility, ſincerity, and ſweetneſs of temper, like his father: He took his firſt degree in 1708, and became the faithful paſtor of the church in Mansfield, in Connecticut, until he died.
His reverend father returning from captivity, and arriving at Boſton, November 21, 1706, to the great joy of the people; and being informed that he was to preach the public lecture there on December 6th; I, with many others, went down, and in an auditory exceedingly crouded and affected, I heard the ſermon herewith reprinted. And in thoſe times, there was ſuch a tender union, affection, and chriſtian ſimplicity, among the good people here; that as the apoſtle livelily deſcribes it; When one member of the ſociety ſuffered, the whole body ſeemed to ſuffer with it; and when one rejoiced, the whole rejoiced.
By the like kind encouragement the Rev. Mr. Williams had his ſon Stephen Williams educated at Harvard College, who took his firſt degree in 1713; was ordained paſtor of a church in Springfield; and is ſo extenſively known and valued, that his name only need to be mentioned; as that of his ſon Warham, who took his firſt degree in 1719, and became the worthy paſtor of the church in Waltham, formerly a part of Watertown; not long ſince deceaſed.
The Rev. Mr. Williams, of Deerfield, uſed every May, yearly to come down to the general convention of miniſters of the province, at Boſton; where he was always very affectionately entertained.
At the convention in May, 1728, (being choſen the year before) he preached a very moving ſermon to the miniſters: When I remember, he expreſſed his joy in the great advantage we at that time had above the preceding miniſters, in the general awakenings through the land, by the great earthquake in October. And on June 12, 1729, he died greatly beloved and lamented.
And by the accounts above, we may learn, from the inſtance of this one town only in our weſtern frontiers of the province of the Maſſachuſetts Bay, in New-England—what horrible murders and deſolations this province has ſuffered from the French and Indians in all our wars with them ever ſince the year 1675, when the Indians firſt broke out upon us—and what numbers of the preſent people in Canada are the children of this province, or deſcendants from them—which, in caſe the ſovereign GOD ſhould ever lead a victorious army of ours into Canada, will clearly juſtify us to all the world, if we ſhould bring every child and deſcendant of New-England, yea of all the Britiſh colonies, away.—Eſpecially conſidering we ſhould bring them into a much pleaſanter and more plenteous land and agreeable climate; out of a wretched land of darkneſs and ſlavery, both religious and civil, into a land of glorious light and liberty. And may the ALMIGHTY haſten it in his time!
T. PRINCE. BOSTON, December 20th, 1757.
PAST DISPENSATIONS OF PROVIDENCE CALLED TO MIND. IN A SERMON, DELIVERED IN THE FIRST PARISH IN SPRINGFIELD, ON THE 16TH OF OCTOBER 1775. JUST ONE HUNDRED YEARS FROM THE BURNING OF THE TOWN BY THE INDIANS.
BY ROBERT BRECK, A. M. PASTOR OF THE CHURCH THERE.
WE HAVE HEARD WITH OUR EARS, O GOD, OUR FATHERS HAVE TOLD US WHAT WORKS THOU DIDST IN THEIR DAYS, IN THE TIMES OF OLD.