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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	great_a	lord_n	5,077	5	3.6205	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

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 't is 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

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

power and praise may be given to his great name Our work in civilizing them will go on the more slowly for want of tools for though I have bought a few for them we can do but little for alas a few will set but a few on work and they be very dear too had I store of horses this Autumne either to lend them or sell them at moderate prizes we should prepare by Gods blessing good store of ground for corne against next yeere and had I wherewith to buy corne to carry up to the place and have it in a readinesse to supply them that so they might tarry at their work and not be shut off through necessity to go get food that also would be a great furtherance and had we but means to maintaine a discreet diligent man to work with them and guide them in work that also would much further the work and many such things I could propound as very requisite unto the work but I lay my hand upon my mouth I will say no more I have left it with the Lord who hath hitherto appeared and he will appear for his own eternal praise in shining upon the day of our smal things in his due season The blessing of God upon this work doth comfortably hopefuly successefuly appear in the labours of my brother Mahu at Martins Vineyard insomuch that I hope they also will be after awhile ripe for this work of Civility and Cohabitation if once they see a successeful pattern of it and I doubt not but they will as these do ere long desire Church-fellowship and the Ordinances of Gods worship the cloud increaseth and the Lord seemeth to be coming in among them they are very desirous to have their children taught which is one argument that they truly love the knowledge of God as on the contrary it is a great ground of doubt of the truth of grace in that mans heart when he hath not an heart to take care to traine up his children in the truth and in the practise of all godlinesse but this care is in them and it is pity it should not be furthered by all meanes I have intreated a woman living neer where they dwell to do that office for their children and I pay her for it but when they go to their plantation we shall be in a streight for help that way the Indians so well like the parties who performeth that service that they intreat them to go with them which I look at as a finger of God they are I hope a godly couple and might be a blessing to them had we meanes to encourage them unto so difficult an enterprize for it is a great matter to go and live among such a people but in that case also I look up to the Lord and leave it with his holy care and wisdome and if the Lord move any hearts to help in this work I desire that the care of their schooling may be among the chiefest cares If the Lord please to prosper our poor beginnings my purpose is so for as the Lord shal enable me to give attendance unto the work to have schoole exercises for all the men by daily instructing of them to read and write c. Yea if the Lord affords us fit instruments my desire is that all the women may be taught to read I know the matter will be difficult every way for English people can only teach them to read English and for their own Language we have no book my desire therefore is to teach them all to write and read written hand and thereby with pains taking they may have some of the Scriptures in their own Language I have one already who can write so that I can read his writing well and he with some paines and teaching can read mine I hope the Lord will both inlarge his understanding and others also to do as he doth and if once I had some of themselves able to spell aright write and read it might further the work exceedingly and will be the speediest way Sir When I had gone thus farre in my Letters by a Ship that came in you wrote unto our Governour touching the two Libraries my brother Welds and Mr. Jenners and of the willingnesse of the Corporation to discharge for them for which cause I do humbly thank the Worshipful Corporation all the Christian and much respected Gentlemen my loving friends And Sir I thank you for all your faithful pains in this work and the more I am obliged thereunto because herein I am like to partake of the fruit of your labours the Lord Jesus give you a full reward Whereas you require the Catalogue of both Libraries it shall be done if God will but I am to go into the Countrey to the Indians now and have much businesse therefore know not whether I can do it by this Ship if I can I will This last Court of Commissioners sate at Hartford Conecticot so that I could not speak with them but this course I took by our Governours advice our General Court gave him with some other power to give instructions to our Commissioners therefore all my requests I did write unto him and he gave them in his Instructions to our Commissioners so they went strong Sir I have done at present Mr. Whitfeld will informe you farther in any particulars if need be The Lord of heaven blesse and assist you in all your wayes and I beg your prayers for me still and so rest Roxbury this 21 of the 8th 50 Yours in our Lord Jesus JOHN ELIOT The Conclusion ANd now loving Reader having brought thee along through these Divine dispensations of Gods merciful dealing with the Indians 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 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