Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	day_n	great_a	see_v	4,001	5	3.3205	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96415	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 [sic] of Christ at Gilford in New-England, who came late thence.	Whitfield, Henry, 1597-1660?; Mayhew, Thomas, fl. 1651.; Eliot, John, 1604-1690.	1651 (1651)	Wing W1999; Thomason E624_3; ESTC R206427	44,315	54

light and courage to this poore Indian for although formerly he had been a harmlesse man amongst them yet as themselves say not at all accounted of and therefore they often wondered that he which had nothing to say in all their meetings formerly is now become the Teacher of them all I must needs give him this testimony after some yeers experience of him that he is a man of a sober spirit and good conversation and as he hath as I hope received the Lord Jesus Christ in truth so also I look upon him to be faithful diligent and constant in the work of the Lord for the good of his own soul and his neighbours with him Now after these things it pleased God to move the heart of Towanquatick encouraged by some others amongst them to desire me to preach unto them At my coming this man spake thus unto me That a long time agon they had wise men which in a grave manner taught the people knowledge but they are dead and their wisdome is buried with them and now men live a giddy life in ignorance till they are white headed and though ripe in yeeres yet then they go without wisdome to their graves He told me that he wondered the English should be almost thirty yeers in the Country and the Indians fools still but he hoped the time of knowledge was now come wherefore himself with others desired me to give them an Indian meeting to make known the word of God to them in their own tongue and when he came to me to accomplish his desire thereabout he told me That I should be to them as one that stands by a running river filling many vessels even so should I fill them with everlasting knowledge So I undertook to give them a meeting once a moneth but as soone as the first Exercise was ended they desired it oftner then I could well attend it but once in a fortnight in our setled course He hath also since told me the reason why he desired me to preach to them as that he was greatly desirous to have the Indians grow more in goodnesse to have their posterity inherit blessings when he was dead and himself was desirous to put the Word of God to his heart to repent and throw away his sins and to be better and after he was dead to inherit a life in heaven Now there be three things in this beginning that were greatly inquired into 1. Earthly riches what they should get 2. What approbation they should get from other Sagamores and Governors 3. How they should come off from the Pawwawes but in neither of these could they finde that which might give motion to a carnal minde for the first kept off many I have had much discourse with several of them about it wherein they have strongly stood for their own meetings wayes and customes being in their account more profitable then ours wherein they meet with nothing but talking and praying The second also remaines an obstacle the Sagamores generally are against the way The third is the strongest cord that binds them to their own way for the Pawwawes by their witchcraft keep them in feare many of the Indians got over the two first difficulties and in some measure the third now there were about twelve which came to the meeting as it were halting between two opinions others came to hear and see what was done for although they had heard and seen something of the one God of heaven yet such was their unspeakable darknesse their captivity in sin and bondage to the Pawwawes that they hardly durst for feare take the best way for though a few of them were better enlightned yet the Heathen round about stuck fast in their old brutishnesse year 1647 We had not long continued the meeting but the Sagamore Towanquatick met with a sad tryal for he being at a Weare where some Indians were a fishing where also was an English man as he lay along upon a matt on the ground asleep by a little light fire the night being very dark an Indian came down as being ready fitted for the purpose and being about six or eight paces from him let flie a broad headed arrow purposing by all probability to drench the deadly arrow in his heart blood but the Lord prevented it for notwithstanding all the advantages he had instead of the heart he hit the eye-brow which like a brow of steele turned the point of the arrow which glancing away slit the top of his nose to the bottome A great stirre there was presently the Sagamore sate up and bled much but was not much hurt through the mercy of God the darknesse of the night hid the murtherer and he is not discovered to this day The next morning I went to see the Sagamore and I found him praising God for his great deliverance both himself and all the Indians wondering that he was yet alive The cause of his being shot as the Indians said was for his walking with the English and it is also conceived both by them and us that his forwardnesse for the meeting was one thing which with the experience I have had of him since gives me matter of strong perswasion that he beares in his brow the markes of the Lord Jesus After this through the mercy of God we proceeded on with the meeting to the rejoycing of some Indians and the envie of the rest who derided and scoffed at those that did follow the Lecture and in their way of wickednesse blaspheming the Name of God which damped the spirits of some of them for a time in the wayes of God and hindering others from looking thitherward but the Lord gave courage and constancy to some of them especially to Hiacoomes and Towanquatick who was hurt with the arrow who were not ashamed of the way of God year 1648 And hereupon they made farther progresse in the way of God for without any knowledge thereof they appointed a meeting and there came some younger men and brought with them the ancient men of their kindred and acquaintance to speak for them whereof the very old man that your self saw and heard at the meeting was one who began the meeting with a relation of the old customes of the ancient Heathen preferring them before those wayes of their own they were now in yet acknowledging they were farre inferior to those wayes of God they had now begun Then twelve of the young men went and took Sacochanimo by the hand one by one and told him that they did love him and would go with him in Gods way and some of them made a long speech to him to this purpose and the old men encouraged them in their way desired them never to forget those promises they had now made then one of the young men told me the ground of their meeting viz. They were sorry to see that the meeting did go on no more strongly and that there were no more at it and

and engaged but if you let them alone till they be grown up it may be they will flie off and neither care for God nor for Baptisme I approved of this answer also and asked what else they spake of He said farther they spake of Ministers and said they teach you that you must have Ministers but that is a needlesse thing I asked what reason they gave He said they gave these reasons First Ministers know nothing but what they learn out of Gods book and we have Gods book as well as they and can tell wha● God saith Again Ministers cannot change mens hearts God must do that and therefore there is no need of Ministers I asked him what he said to that He said that he told them that we must do as God commands us and if he commands to have Ministers we must have them And farther I told them I thought it was true that Ministers cannot change mens hearts but when we do as God bids us and hear Ministers preach then God will change our hearts I approved this answer also I asked what else they spake of He said They teach you that you must have Magistrates but that is needlesse nor ought to be I asked what reason they gave He said That they gave this reason because Magistrates cannot give life therefore they may not take away life besides when a man sinneth he doth not sinne against Magistrates and therefore why should they punish them but they sinne against God and therefore we must leave them to God to punish them I asked him what he said to that he answered I said to that as to the former we must do as God commands us If God command us to have Magistrates and commands them to punish sinners them we must obey I approved this also I asked farther what they said then both of them considered a while and said they could remember no more only they said somewhat of the Parliament of England which they did not understand And by such time as we had done this conference the company was gathered together and we went to Prayer and I did solemnly blesse God who had given them so much understanding in his truth and some ability to discerne between Truth and Error and an heart to stand for the Truth and against Error and I cannot but take it as a Divine Testimony of Gods blessing upon my poor labours I afterwards gave him an answer to his first question viz. Why they having the same Bible with us yet spake not the same things And I answered him by that Text 2 Thes. 2. 10 11. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lye This text I opened unto them I will adde no more at present to manifest their proficiency in knowledge The present work of the Lord that is to be done among them is to gather them together from their scattered kinde of life First unto Civil Society then to Ecclesiastical and both by the Divine direction of the Word of the Lord they are still earnestly desirous of it and this Spring that is past they were very importunately desirous to have been upon that work and to have planted corne in the place intended but I did disswade and was forced to use this reason of delay because I hoped for tools and meanes from England whereby to prosecute the work this Summer But when ships came and no supply you may easily think what a damping it was and truly my heart smote me that I had looked too much at man and meanes in stoping their earnest affections with that barre which proved a Blank I began without any such respect and I thought that the Lord would have me so to go on and only look to him for help whose work it is and when I had thus looked up to the Lord I advised with our Elders and some other of our Church whose hearts consented with me then I advised with divers of the Elders at Boston Lecture and Mr. Cottons answer was my heart sayeth go on and look to the Lord onely for help the rest also concuring So I commended it to our Church and we sought God in a day of fasting and prayer about it together with other causes and have been ever since a doing according to our abilities and this I account a favour of God that that very night before we came from our place of meeting we had notice of a Ship from England whereby I received Letters and some encouragement in the work from private friends a mercy which God had in store but unknown to some and so contrived by the Lord that I should receive it as a fruit of prayer The place also is of Gods providing as a fruit of prayer for when I with some that went with me had rode to a place of some hopefull expectation when we came to it it was in no wise sutable ● went behind a Rock and looked to the Lord and committed the matter to him and while J was travelling in Woods Christian friends were in prayer at home and so it was that though one of our company fell sick in the Woods so that we were forced home with speed yet in the way home the Jndians in our company upon enquiry describing a place to me and guiding us over some part of it the Lord did both by his providence then and by after more diligent search of the place discover that there it was his pleasure we should begin this work When grasse was fit to cut J sent some Jndians to mow and others to make some hay at the place because we must oft ride thither in the Autumn when grasse is withered and dead and especially in the Spring before any grasse is come and there is provision for our horses this work was performd well as I found when I went up to them with my man to order it We must also of necessity have an house to lodge in meet in and lay up our provisions and clothes which cannot be in Wigwams I set them therefore to fell and square timber for an house and when it was ready I went and many of them with me and on their shoulders carried all the timber together c. These things they chearfully do but this also I do I pay them wages carefully for all such works I set them about which is a good encouragement to labour I purpose God willing to call them together this Autumne to break and prepare their own ground against the Spring and for other necessary works which are not a few in such an enterprize There is a great river which divideth between their planting grounds and dwelling place through which though they easily wade in Summer yet in the Spring its deep and unfit for daily passing over especially of women and children therefore I thought it necessary that this Autumne we should make a foot Bridge over