his blessing be at least the beginning of a Cordial to your heart and a Cure to your stain and wound Sin is a shame to any Nation or person but repentance is an honour Your griefs have the right savour of repentance It is said 1 Cor. 3.18 Let a man become a fool that he â—ay be wise you chide your self for your â—olâ—y you do well â—o to do it is an act of wisdome so to do go on in this frame of heart and be constant and you shall finde rest Christ calleth troubled souls to come unto him Mat. 11.28 and he promisâ—â—h to give them rest and he is able to perform his promise In his hand I leave this matter and your tossed soul with inward griefs that in him you may finde rest Will. My Brother haâ—h presented you with a Cordial for your heartâ—gâ—ief I will present you with some Balm to heal your soul wounds It is said Ier. 8.22 Is there no Balm in Gâ—lead is there no Physician there Why â—hen is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered Behold in Gods Word we finde a Balm for woundâ—d souls and that is the death and blood of Jesus Christ believed by faith for Christ hath died for our sins and rose again from the dead for our justification he offereth a pardon for all your sins and he will heal your soul and quiet your heart from all those turmoiling troubles and griefs Believe therefore in Jesus Christ and he will pardon and save you Keit. I thank you for these comfortable words I feel them in my heart and I desire to lay them up among other things which I ponder in my heart And now I will proceed to open such other doubts which lie in my minde as impediments which hinder me and delay me from accepting of this way of praying to God I perceive in all your discourses that you have a Book which you call The Word of God and you reade it to me I perceive also that in your worshipping of God morning and night you reade in that Book I pray tell me what Book that is what is written in it and how do you know that it is the Word of God Many say that some wise English-men have dâ—vised and framed it and tell us that it is Gods Word when as it is no other then the words of wise men Hoh we shall be interrupted in our discourse for here cometh in Sâ—chem that hateth praying to God and hath been a means of delaying my entrance into this way but if he come up unto us we will go on and let him be partaker of our discourse if he like of it aâ—d be willing so to do Eâ—â—h my friend I pray come and sit down here and hearken to our discourse Here be some of the Massachuset praying Indians who are soliciting me to pray unto God and we are now discoursing about a Book which they have which they say is the Word of God and I am now enquiring of them what is contained in that Book and how it may be made appear that it is the Word of Godâ— If you think good to joyn with us in this discourse it will be acceptable unto us to have your company and to hear what you have to say about it Sachem I am willing to be present and hear your discourse but as for this new way of praying to God I like it not We and our Forefathers have through all generations lived in our Religion which I desire not to change Are we wiser then our Forefathers And I like not to suffer our people to reade that Book which they call the Word of God If it be Gods Word it is too deep for ignorant people to meddle withall and it will â—ill them with new light and notions which withdraws them from our obedience and leadeth them to make trouble and disturbance unto us in those old wayes in which we and our Forefathers have walked and my Counsel is to suppress the reading of that Book Ant. With due respect unto you Sachem I shall thus answer unto what you sâ—y If a great Sachem in a far Country should send unto you a writing wherein he giveth you wise Counsel would you not reade it would you not hear what he saith and would you not suffer your people to learn wisdome but continue in their ignorance and blindness Sure you would shew so much respect to a man a Sachem that should do so kindly to you Now so it is that the great God who made these high heavens and the great Lights that be therein who made this Earth and all this great World and all things in it who is King of kings and Lord of lords I say this Great God pittying to see the ignorance that all men are darkned withall he hath sent us his VVord which will make wise the ignorant and will you not suffer your people to learn that wisdome do you love darkness better then light Besides all Mankinde live in the wayes of sin which lead them to hell torments where they shall be punished with eternal fire but God pittying this miserable condition of man hath sent us this VVord of his which sheweth us the way to escape hell torments and leadeth us into the way that leadeth us to eternal life happiness and glory And will not you suffer your people to learn this good way when God offereth it unto us Consider how your people will curse you when they feel these torments because you would not suffer them to learn the true way to heaven and happiness And what though we are not wiser then our Forefathers yet God can teach us such wisdome as our Forefathers did not know I think that we are bound to think that our fathers were so wise that if Gods VVord â—ad been brought and offered to them they would have received it and would have learned by it to be wiser then they were and why therefore should not we be so wise as to do that which our wise fathers would have done if this light had shined unto them as it now doth unto us Let not the deepness of that wisdome in Gods VVord hinder us that are ignorant from searching into it for by reading of Gods word the ignorant may be made wise Psal. 197. it maketh wise the simple and Prov. 1. â— The Word gives wisdome to the simple and to the young man knowledge and discretion David learned to be wise by reading the word of God Wiser then his Enemies wiser then his Teachers wiser then the Ancients Psal. 119.98 99 100. and so may we It is a vain word to say They are ignorant and therefore they may not reade the Word the contrary to this is true Because they are ignorant therefore let them search and reade the word of God because that will make them wise But you give the reason that lieth in the bottom of your heart when you say By reading of the word they will learn new light
Here be two sorts of wayes wherein men walk 2. Here be two sorts of men that walk in these two wayes The first way is described by four things 1. There is a strait little narrow gate to enter in at 2. It is a narrow way very rough â—ard and difficult to walk in 3. Here is the end of this way whether it leadeth viz. to heaven happiness glory and eternal life 4. Here be the Numbers that get into and walk in this way tâ— get to heaven Very few The second way is described by four things 1. The gate of entrance is broad and wide 2. The way it self is pleasant easie full of delights of the flesh and of worldly pleasures 3. Here is the end of this way it leads to Hell to torments and to eternal damnation 4. Here be the Numbers that walk in this way Very many most men in the world will choose to walk in this way and at last go to Hell torments 2. The first sort of persons are good men and women who 1. With much difficulty get into this way 2. They patiently endure all difficulties in it 3. They go to heaven and glory at last 4. The number of them they are but a few The second sort of persons are wicked people and these 1. Easily get into this way 2. They take pleasure in it and will not be perswaded to leave it and get into the hard way 3. The end of them all is they go to hell torments 4. The number of them A great many most men are found in this way All these particulars he openeth and insisteth upon and concludeth with an Exhortation 1. To come out of this broad easie way by considering the end of it whither it leadeth 2. To get into the hard way of praying to God and patiently continue in it considering the end it leads unto even Heaven and Glory Sont What Book is that you reade in and why do you call it The Word of God Pium. This is the Book of Gods Law which he hath taught holy men his Prophets and Apostles to write and give unto us to call us out of the broad way of sin and death and to call us into the narrow way of Repentance Faith in Christ Jesus and eternal life Sont It may be the English-men made it and tell you that they are the words of God Pium. This Book was written long before the English-men prayed to God and English-men have learned all their wisdome out of this Book and now they have Translated it for us and if we attend unto it it will teach us wisdome as it hath taught them Kinsm You speak much of Jesus Christ and his pardoning our sins and saving our Souls who is this Jesus Christ Pium. God is One in Three the Father Son and Holy Ghost Jesus Christ is God the Son who became a Man and when we deserved to die for our sins he came and died for us and God hath promised that all that believe in Christ shall be pardoned of all their sins and be glorified in heaven Touching this Point I will teach in the Afternoon The Afternnon Exercise Pium. GOD requires we should give him a whole day therefore it is not enough to worship God half a day We are again come together to worship God and we shall do the same this Afternoon as we did in the Forenoon Let us pray After Prayer he taketh this Text Mat. 1.21 22 23. This Text teacheth three things touching Jesus Christ 1. His wonderful Birth A Virgin conceived Of which see Luke 1.26 to 39. 2. Two Names Iesus Emmanuel 3. What Christ did for us and doth signified by his Name Iesus He taketh away our sins And this he doth two wayes 1. He taketh away our sins out of Gods sight by dying in our stead and so meriting a pardon for all our sins 2. He taketh away our sins out of our own hearts by working Repentance in us and Faith in his Name giving us his Spirit and sanctifying of us by his Grace and leading us in all holiness of life and conversation The third part of this Text is how Jesus Christ is enabled to do these great things for us This signified by his second Name God with us Christ was God and Man in one Person and that maketh his death of infinite value with God to obtain a pardon for all our sins And this maketh him of infinite power to overcome our hearts and turn them unto God These things are deep wisdome therefore pray unto God and he will give you wisdome to understand them Iam. 1.5 Kinsm I am amazed to hear these deep things I am now more discouraged about praying to God Alas we cannot Pray nor Reade how shall we keep a Sabbath and whall sâ—all we do Pium. I will speak unto the Church at Natik and we will send a wise man to teach you to keep Sabbaths among you and all that I shall perswade you unto is to come together on the Sabbaths as you have done this day and hear the Word of God and then God will teach you Kinsm Oh that it might be so I should gladly attend unto the Word Sont I say the same All. We like it well Kinsm I pray let it not be delayed Pium. Lo here is a manifest token of Gods presence according to his promise for who but God could bow all your hearts to hear the Word of God especially considering how averse you were at first Now let us pray and praise and give thanks to the God of Heaven for his mercy endureth for ever DIALOG II. About calling home poor INDIANS Waban was sent forth upon the Service of Christ unto sundry places where passed such like discourses and acts Waban Penoowot Waban HO well met friend how far travel you this way Pen. I am going to Napmuk a Town where Nishohkou is Sachem with him I have some business which occasioneth my going thither Wab. Ha! you and I are both alike in sundry things I wish we might be both alike in one thing more The things wherein we are alike are these We are bâ—th tall men We are mâ—t in the same way We are going to the same place Our business is unto the same person the Sachem of the place Pen. Ha ha he I acknowledge whâ—t you say but I pray what is that wherein you desire we might agree for I do not understand that you have yet named that and I the more desire to know that bâ—cause you do seem to put more weight upon that then upon all the rest which you have named Wab. You judge riâ—ht touching my opinion of that thing which I have not mentioned but I doubt that you will not be of my minde if I should speak it and for that reason I did conceal it Wise men will cover aâ—d hide their Jewels and not expose them to every bodies sight for they know some will lightly esteem them because they know not their worth but if
forth weeds but a watchful and diligent husbandman will be often weeding over his Corn fields and so will ouâ— hearts be sending forth new weeds of sin but we must be daily diligent to watch and weed them out our hearts have a natural propensity to sin and therefore must be kept with all diligence Anâ— therefore that is the first counsel that I give you out of the experience of my own naughty heart Pen. Your words do put a fear into my heart I know that old customes of sin are very hardly left and I have been so long accustomed to sin that I am afraid of my self Wab. Fear is a good watchman Happy is the man that feareâ—â— alwayes and let this put you on to a second Counsel that I givâ— you Be much and often in prayer and that not onely among otheâ— in Family-worship and Publick-worship but also and most frequently in secret prayer for so Christ hath commanded Mat. 6â—â— and Christ himself hath set us an example who spent whole nights in prayer Pen. The night spent in prayer hath let me finde a sweet taste in it though I do already finde that it is a weariness to my flesh I thank you for this Counsel I desire I may remember and do it What further Counsel will you give me Wab. You must be much conversant in the Word of God and though you cannot yet reade the Word yet you must get the help of others and learn the word of God by heart and you must meditate upon the same night and day for so David did Psal. 1.2 And the meditation on the Word will sanctifie the heart and kill corruption and will mightily help you to subdue it Pen. I doubt it will be difficult for me to learn to reade I am dull of capacity Wab. A strong desire diligence and constancy will obtain any thing and you must pray God to teach you and to open your heart to learn Iam. 1.5 If any of you lack wisdome let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upâ—raideth not and it shall be given him And for a further help to you my fourth Counsel is That you diligently learn the Catechize and by learning to reade that you will learn to reade and understand the whole Bible Pen. I see my self very ignorant and therefore I am very desirous to learn Catechism because I have heard and do perceive that is the foundation of all knowledge in Religioâ— being wisely gathered out of the Scripture Wab. You say right about Catechism we do therefore teach it our Children that the principles of good knowledge may be sown and rooted in them from a Childe and for that reason also do we send them to School to learn to reade the Word of God that they may be acquainted with the Word from a Childe Pen. Oh what a loss is this to me that I am to begin to learn Catechize and the Word of God now I am a man which I might have been acquainted with from a Childe had I been brought up among the praying Indians How happy are your Children that are thus brought up I suppose you are very diligent in this matter in Training up of your Children Wab. We have great cause to judge our selves for too much negligence in this point A fifth Counsel I give you is That you be constant and diligent in the exercise of the Worship of God in your Family in these points 1. You must Morning and Evening pray in your Family and teach them in Catechism and reading of the Scriptures 2. Alwayes before and after Meat you must pray and give thanks to God Pen. Oh what an holy life do the praying Indians live Lord â—each me and help me thus to do VVhat further Counsel do you â—ive me Wab. A sixth Counsel I give you is That you do carefully reâ—ember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy and to come to the publick Assembly both Forenoon and Afternoon constantly and timely and there diligently to attend the worship of God Pen Oh how my heart approveth of this Couâ—â—el Have you any further Counsel to give me Wab. One thing more Let all your Conversation be a good example to others labour on all occasions to do good to others Pen. I requâ—st this of you that as we travel this day in our journey you would teach me the Principles of Catechism Wab. I do well like of your motion it s a good subject of discourse as we are in our way Thus are they imployed till they come at their journeys end Waban Nishâ—hkou Penooâ—ot Waban MY aged Uncle I am glad that it hath pleased God once more to give me an opportunity to see you alive in this world It is not unknown unto you that I and many others have undertaken a new way of life which is known to many by the name of Praying to God The way that I formerly and you still live in is a way oâ— worshipping the Devil it is a way of darkness and sin and though it is a way pleasant and easie to the flesh yet it leadeth to destruction and eternal torments Man is made for another life after this life is ended and though our body dieth and turneth to dust yet the Soul is immortal it dieth not but at the death of the body it departeth to a place of eternal being either in glory or in misery If we pray to God with a right â—eart penitenâ—ly turn from sin to God and believe in Jesus Christ then we shall have a pardon granted us and eternal happiness with Jesus Christ But if we do not turn to God but worship and serve the Devil and walk in the wayes of sin then at death our Soul must be dragged to hell and there tormented for ever among the Devils whom we have obeyed and served in this life These things and many more we do perfectly know and believe to be true by the Word of God which is the Sun-light of the Soul even as the Sun is the great light of the outward world God hath put it into my heart to desire that your Soul might be bleâ—â—ed for ever and the Church hath sent me and I come in the Name of Jesus Christ to tell you these things and beseech you to turn from these vain and evil wayes and to believe in Jesus Christ that your sins may be pardoned and that your Soul may be saved in eternal glory Nish Your love and desire of my good I have no reason but to accept with kindness but me thinks one thing in your discourse is doubtful We see with our eyes and know certainly that the body dieth and turneth to rottenness and dust and why may not the Soul dâ— so likewise we see not what becometh of it and to make such a stir and change our course upon uncertainties I have no liking to it my Age inclineth me rather to be quiet and not meddle with such unâ—een intricacies fitter for younger heads to