Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	bill_n	house_n	pass_v	12,480	5	7.4741	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93076	The clear sun-shine of the gospel breaking forth upon the Indians in Nevv-England. Or, An historicall narration of Gods wonderfull workings upon sundry of the Indians, both chief governors and common-people, in bringing them to a willing and desired submission to the ordinances of the gospel; and framing their hearts to an earnest inquirie after the knowledge of God the Father, and of Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world. / By Mr. Thomas Shepard minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ at Cambridge in New-England.	Shepard, Thomas, 1605-1649.	1648 (1648)	Wing S3109; Thomason E431_14; ESTC R206115	39,184	54

THE Clear Sun-shine of the Gospel BREAKING FORTH UPON THE INDIANS IN NEW-ENGLAND OR An Historicall Narration of Gods Wonderfull Workings upon sundry of the INDIANS both chief Governors and Common-people in bringing them to a willing and desired submission to the Ordinances of the Gospel and framing their hearts to an earnest inquirie after the knowledge of God the Father and of Jesus Christ the Saviour of the World By Mr. THOMAS SHEPARD Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ at Cambridge in New-England Isaiah 2 2 3. And it shall come to passe in the last dayes that the mountain of the Lords house shall bee established in the top of the mountains and shall bee exalted above the bills and all Nations shall flow unto it And many people shal go and say Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his paths for out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem London Printed by R. Cotes for John Bellamy at the three golden Lions in Cornhill near the Royall Exchange 1648. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE LORDS COMMONS Assembled In High Court of Parliament Right Honorable THese few sheets present unto your view a short but welcome discourse of the visitations of the most High upon the saddest spectacles of degeneracy upon earth The poore Indian People the distance of place if our spirits be right will be no lessening of the mercy nor of our thankefulnesse That Christ is glorified that the Gospel doth any where find footing and successe is a mercy as well worthy the praise of the Saints on Earth as the joy of the Angels in heaven The report of this mercy is first made to you who are the Representative of this Nation That in you England might bee stirred up to be Rejoycers in and Advancers of these promising beginnings And because to You an account is first due of the successe of the Gospel in those darke corners of the World which have been so much inlightned by Your favour enlivened by Your resolutions encouraged by Your fore past indeavours for God hope stil being parts of Your selves to be further strengthned by Your benigne aspects and bountifull influences on them The present troubles have not so far obliterated and worn out the sad mispressions which former times have made upon our spirits but we can sadly remember those destructive designes which were on foot and carryed on for the Introduction of so great evils both into Church and State In order to which it was the endeavour of the Contrivers and Promoters of those designes to wast the number of the godly as those who would never be brought to comply in such destructive enterprises which was attempted by banishing and forcing some abroad by burthening and afflicting all at home Among those who tasted of the first I say not the worst sort of their cruelty were these our Brethren who to enjoy the liberties of the Gospel were content to sit downe and pitch their tents in the utmost parts of the Earth hoping that there they might be out of the reach of their malice as they were assured they were beyond the bounds of their love God who doth often make mans evill of sin serviceable to the advancement of the riches of his owne Grace The most horrid act that ever was done by the sonnes of men the ●●rther of Christ God made serviceable to the highest purposes of Grace and mercy that ever came upon his breast That God doth shew that hee had mercifull ends in this their malicious purpose as hee suffer'd Paul to be cast into prison to convert the Act 16. 30 33 34. Acts. 8. 1. 11 Jaylor to be ship wrackt at Melita to preach to the barbarous so he suffer'd their way to be stopped up here and their persons to be banished hence that hee might open a passage for them in the Wildernesse and make them instruments to draw soules to him who had been so long estranged from him It was the end of the adversary to suppresse but Gods to propagate the Gospel theirs to smother and put out the light Gods to communicate and disperse it to the utmost corners of the Earth that as one saith of Paul his blindnesse gave light to the 〈…〉 whole World so we hope God will make their distance and estrangednesse from us a meanes of bringing many near and in to acquaintance with him Indeed along time it was before God let them see any farther end of their comming over then to preserve their consciences cherish their Graces provide for their sustenance But when Providences invited their return he let them know it was for some farther Arrand that hee brought them thither giving them some Bunches of Grapes some Clusters of Figs in earnest of the prosperous successe of their endeavours upon those poor outcasts The utmost 〈…〉 ends of the earth are designed and promised to be in time the possessions of Christ And hee sends his Ministers into every place where he himself intends to come and take possession Where the Ministery is the Harbinger and goes before Christ and Grace will certainly follow after This little we see is something in hand to earnest to us those things which are in hope something in possession to assure us of the rest in Promise when the ends of the earth shall see his Psal 22. 27. Rev. 11. 15. Psal 72. 8 9 10 11. glory and the Kingdomes of the world shall become the Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ when hee shall have Dominion from Sea to Sea and they that dwell in the wildernesse shall bow before him And if the dawn of the morning be so delightfull what will the clear day be If the first fruits be so precious what wil the whole harvest be if some beginnings be so ful of joy what will it be when God shall perform his whole work when the whole earth shall be full of the knowledge Isa 11. 9. 10. of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea and East and West shal sing together the song of the Lamb In order to this what doth God require of us but that we should strengthen the hands incourage the hearts of those who are at work for him conflicting with difficulties wrestling with discouragements to spread the Gospel in that the same and honor of this Nation to the utmost ends of the earth It was the design of your enemies to make them little let it be your endevor to make them great their greatnesse is your strength Their enemies threatned their hands should reach them for evil God disappointed them And let your hands reach them now for good there is enough in them to speak then fit objects of your incouragement they are men of choice spirits not frighted with dangers softned with allurements nor discouraged with difficulties

spake to us viz. Before my husband did pray hee was much angry and froward but since hee hath begun to pray hee was not angry so much but little angry wherein first shee gave an honorable testimony of her husband and commended him for the abatement of his passion secondly shee gave implicitly a secret reproofe for what was past and for somewhat at present that was amisse and thirdly it was intended by her as a question whether her husband should pray to God and yet continue in some unruly passions but she wifely avoyded that l●st it might reflect too much upon him although wee desired her to expresse if that was not her meaning At this time beside these questions there were sundry others propounded of very good use in all which we saw the Lord Jesus leading them to make narrow inquiries into the things of God that so they might see the reality of them I have heard few Christians when they begin to looke toward God make more searching questions that they might see things really and not onely have a notion of them I for beare to mention any of them because I forget the chiefe of them onely this wee tooke notice of at this dayes meeting that there was an aged Indian who proposed his complaint in propounding his question concerning an unruly disobedient son and what one should do with him in case of obstinacy and disobedience and that will not heare Gods Word though his Father command him nor will not forsake his drunkennesse though his father forbid him Unto which there were many answers to set forth the sinne of disobedience to parents which were the more quickned and sharpned because wee knew that this rebellious sonne whom the old man meant was by Gods providence present at this Lecture Mr. Wilson was much inlarged and spake so terribly yet so graciously as might have affected a heart not quite shut up which this young desperado hearing who well understood the English tongue instead of humbling himself before the Lords Word which touched his conscience and condition so neare hee was filled with a spirit of Satan and as soone as ever Mr. Wilsons speech was ended hee brake out into a loud contemptucus expression So saith he which we passed by without speaking againe leaving the Word with him which we knew would one day take its effect one way or other upon him The latter end of this yeare Mr. Wilson Mr. Eliot and my selfe were sent for by those in Tarmoutb to meet with some other Elders of Plimoutb pattent to heare and heale if it were the will of Christ the difference and sad breaches which have been too long a time among them wherein the Lord was very mercifull to us and them in binding them up beyond our thoughts in a very short time in giving not only that bruised Church but the whole Towne also a hopefull beginning of setled peace and future quietnesse but Mr. Eliot as hee takes all other advantages of time so hee tooke this of speaking with and preaching to the poore Indians in these remote places about Cape Cod in which journey I shall acquaint you with what all of us observed Wee first found these Indians not very farre from ours to understand but with much difficulty the usuall language of those in our parts partly in regard of the different dialect which generally varies in 40. or 60. miles and partly and especially in regard of their not being accustomed unto sacred language about the holy things of God wherein Mr. Eliot excells any other of the English that in the Indian language about common matters excell him I say therefore although they did with much difficulty understand him yet they did understand him although by many circumlocutions and variations of speech and the helpe of one or two Interpreters which were then present Secondly wee observed much opposition against him and hearing of him at the day appointed especially by one of the chiefest Sacbims in those parts a man of a fierce strong and surious spirit whom the English therefore call by the name John who although before the day appointed for preaching promised very faire that he would come and bring his men with him yet that very morning when they were to bee present he sends out almost all his men to Sea pretending fishing and therefore although at last he came late himselfe to the Sermon yet his men were absent and when he came himself would not seem to understand any thing although hee did understand as some of the Indians themselves then told us when Mr. Eliot by himself and by them inquired of him if he understood what was spoken yet he continued hearing what was said with a dogged looke and a discontented countenance Thirdly not withstanding this opposition wee found another Sachim then present willing to learne and divers of his men attentive and knowing what was said and in the time which is usually set apart for propounding questions an aged Indian told us openly That these very things which Mr. Eliot had taugh them as the Commandements of God and concerning God and the making of the world by one God that they had heard some old men who were now dead to say the same things since whose death there hath been no remembrance or knowledge of them among the Indians untill now they heare of them againe Which when I heard solemnly spoken I could not tell how those old Indians should attaine to such knowledge unlesse perhaps by means of the French Preacher cast upon those coasts many yeers since by whose ministry they might possibly reape and retaine some knowledge of those things this also I hear by a godly and able Christain who hath much converse with them that many of them have this apprehension now stirring among them viz. That their forefathers did know God but that after this they sell into a great sleep and when they did awaken they quite forgot him for under such metaphoricall language they usually expresse what eminent things they meane so that it may seeme to be the day of the Lords gracious visitation of these poore Natives which is just as it is with all other people when they are most low the wheele then turnes and the Lord remembers to have mercy Fourthly a fourth and last observation wee took was the story of an Indian in those parts telling us of his dreame many yeers since which he told us of openly before many witnesses when we sate at meat the dreame is this hee said That about two yeers before the English came over into those parts there was a great mortality among the Indians and one night he could not sleep above half the night after which hee fell into a dream in which he did think he saw a great many men come to those parts in cloths just as the English now are apparelled and among them there a rose up a man all in black with a thing in his hand which hee now sees was all one