â—y soul He hath sâ—ewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do juâ—tly and to love mercy and to walk huâ—bly with thy God Nothing that you can do or bring to God can pacifie that divine wrath that is kindlâ—d â—gainst you but ver 8. he sheweth you the way Also consider that Text Iohn 14.6 I am the Way and the Truth â—nd â—he Life No man cometh unto the Father but by me You have been a great sinner now you lament it you would obtain a pardon and be reconciled to God This word of God sheweth you the way and thâ—â— is to humble your self before Christ Jesus believe in him and give up your self to be his servant your self to worship the Lord and to bring on all your people to do the same I remember two places in Daniel where Sachems were in trouble of minde as you now are and Daniel gave them counsel from the Lord the first place is Dan. 4.27 Wherefore O Sachem let my counsel be acceptaâ—le to thee and break off thy sins by righteousness and thy iniquities by sheâ—ing mercy to the poor if it may â—e a lengthning of thy tranquility Aâ—d my heart is perswaded with submission to the Lord that if you now turn unto God and promote praying to God among all your people you shall see better dayes tâ—en ever you have yet seen There is another sad story in the fifth Chapter of Daniel where the wicked Sachem did act profanely agaiâ—st the Gâ—d of heaven and then appeared fingers which wrote Mene Mene Tekel Vpharsin but let the interpretation of that be unto your enemies and not to you beloved Sachem I say unto you in that word of the Lord Acts 16.31 Believe in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saved and thy house Wiâ—â— Hope of relief is a means to ease grief and to raise the distressed heart to apply it self unto means of Remedy In the second of Chron. 33. we reade of a Sachem that was a greater sinner then you have been yet upon his repentâ—nce and change of life he obtained mercy His Name was Manasseh his sins were such as that it is an abhorring to reade them then God brought him into affliction and it is said ver 12 13. And when he was in affliction he â—esought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers anâ— prayed unto him and he was intreateâ— of hiâ— anâ— hearâ— his supplication and brought him again unto Ierâ—â—aleâ— into his kingdâ—me Then Manasseh know that the Lord he was God So I say unto you Beloved â—achem humble your self before the Lord set up praying to God among all your people walk in wayes of wisdome and religion and you shall finde that God will be merciful to you and your latter dayes shall be blessed and be a blessing Keit. Words that come swimming in love with full sails of wisdome have great power to calm heart storms of grief and trouble I now finde it true my soul is wounded for my sin in profaning the Sabbath-day now I desire to look deeper into the matter I desire you would open unto me the Sabbath that I may know my former sins and future duty Ant. The doctrine of the Sabbath is a great Point in Religion It is one of the Ten Moral Universâ—l Commandments of God which are required of all Mankinde and the fourth Command a chief Hinge of all the rest By a religious keeping of the Sabbath we act our obedience to all the Commands By profaning the Sabbath we turn all Religion and good Order out of doors and set open a door unto all sin and wickedness so weighty a matter is the good keeping of the Sabbath-day For the opening of the Sabbath I know not a better way then to open briefly the fourth Command wâ—ich I shall do by laying it out into six parts 1. Here is the Preface in this word Remember the Sabbath-day to shew the great weight and worth of the Sabbath oâ— our proneness to â—light it and to stablish a perpetual and careful preparation to the Sabbath Neh. 13.19 And it came to pass that when the gates of Ierusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath I commanded that the gates should be shut and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath and some of my servants set I at the gates that there should no burden be brought in on the Sabbath day 2. Here is the Affirmative part of the Command wherein we are commanded to keep the whole Sabbath holy both in thought word and deed Isa. 58.13 If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath â— delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own wayes nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words 3. Here is an exact distribution of all time betwixt God and man wherein God hath appointed six parts or dayes to man and the seventh part is dedicated to God and hence it followeth that the Sabbath was capable of being changed from the lâ—st of seven to the first of seven and so the Lord hath changed it 1 Cor. 16 2â—â— Acts 20.7 Rev. 1.10 And when this Change was first made the Câ—urch kept two Sabbaths together as the Passover and the Lords Supper were together 4. Here is the Negative part of this Command wherein we are forbidden all our own works in that word or deed Thou shalt do no manner oâ— work 5 Here be the persons that be bound to keep the Sabbath All high and low rich and poor male and female in all societies â—nd relâ—tions and strangers Thou thy son thy â—aughter thy man-servant thy maid-servant thy cattel and thy stranger 6. Here be three Râ—aâ—ons to urge us to a reverent and careful keeping of the Sabbath 1. Taken from Gods most holy and wise Example who six dayes Created but on the sâ—venth dâ—y rested in his heavenly joyes 2. The second Reason is Because God hath put a blessing on the head of the Sabbath and on all that keep it holy He blessed the seventh day 3. The third Reason is Because the Lord made it holy he dedicated it to holy use aâ—d tâ—erefore may not be violated without sacriledge Mal. 3.8 Will ye rob God Thus have I opened this Command Will. I will onely adde two Texts of Scripture Ier 17.19 to the end Thus saith the Lord unto me Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people whereby the Kings of Iudah come in and by the which they go out and in all tâ—e gates of Ierusalem and say unto them Hear ye the word of the Lord ye kings of Iudah anâ— all Iudah and all the inhabitants of Ierusalem that enter in by â—hese gates Tâ—us saith the Lord Takâ— heed to your selves and bear no burden on the Sabbath day c. The other â—ext is Exod. 31 13 14 15 16
will turn to God onely at such times when praâ—â—ing is in credit leave themselves under a doubt whether it be 〈◊〉 the love of God and his wayes that they pray or for love of theâ—â— selves and their own credit But when men will take up praying to God in evil times whâ— they must expect hâ—rd measure from the world for it this is a 〈◊〉 that they love God and love praying to God better then thâ—â— love themselves and that they deny themselves for Christ his 〈◊〉 Therefore I have taken the fiâ—test time to try you and to sift yoâ— to catch none but the good Corn and to let go and lose all tâ—â— dust and chaff Kinsm Some sâ—eak of very many English people killed wiâ—â— Thunder and many burnt in their houses is it so indeed Pium. It is so indâ—ed and in many parts of the Country Boston and in many other places Very lately there were in oâ—â— Winter eight or nine persons burnt to death in one house five another one in another Sicknesses are often sent of God amoâ—â— them which kill many Their Corn is Blasted and they are pâ—â—niâ—â—ed by God many wayes by Sea and Land in these late years Kinswom These are but cold and weak Arguments to perswaâ—â— us to take up the English fashion and to serve their God when 〈◊〉 tell us how sharply he dealeth with his Servants All. You say right we are better as we are Pium. We know there be many sins among the English whiâ—â— provoke God to be angry with them and to punish them to tâ—â— end he might bring them to repentance When we exhorâ— youâ— pray and to serve the God of the English we call you 〈…〉 the virtues and good wayes of the English wherein yoâ— shall acceptable to the Lord We do not call you to imitate their 〈◊〉 whereby they and you shall provoke the anger and displeasure the Lord. Anâ— what though God doth chastise his people for thâ— sins it is his wisdome faithfulness and love so to do a Châ—â—â— will not run away from his wise and loving Father because he 〈◊〉 him for his faults but will love him the better fear him tâ—â— more and learn thereby to be a good Childe The wise Englâ—â—â— love God the more for his wise Chastisement of them for thâ— sins And why may not I use it as an Argument to perswade yâ—â— to choose him to be your God who will love and encourage you all virtue and love and punish you for all sins that he might brâ—â—â— you to repentance and amendment of life Gods Rods have moâ—â— encouragement to a wise heart then discouragement in them Kinswom Cousin had you not a great Thunder and Lightniâ—â— to day as you came and were you not afraid We had it so with us and I was very much afraid and especially since I have heard of so many English stricken and killed by it and cannot refrain my self from fear Pium. I perceived the Thunder to be more this way then it was in the place where I was at that time travelling Touching the fear of Thunder the Word of God saith it is terrible and the bruit Beasts tremble at it it is sometime called The Voice of God by reason of the terribleness of it and the reason of its terrour to man is because we are great sinners and have deserved Gods wrâ—th and it should move our hearts to repentance for our sins and take heed of provoking the anger of that God who is able to utter so terrible a voice and can dash down destroying fire upon us worms who are no wayes able to defend our selves Kinsm Would you not lye down now you have eaten and take soâ—e rest after your long journey Pium. Nay we must first return to God and give Thanks to him for our food and health and strength by the same Kinsm I pray tell me why you are so careful to pray unto God before and after meat Pium. Let us first give Thanks and then we will discourse that point Attend all We do give humble thanks unto thy holy Name O Lord our God for our life health food raiment and for this present food whereby we are refreshed We thank thee O Lord for the love we finde among our friends and for our freedome in good discourse for the good of our Souls We do pray for a blessing upon both what our food may strengthen our Bodies and our discourse may do good to our Souls Help me so to declare thy Word and thy Works that I may win their Souls to love thee and to forsake their sins and turn unto the Lord by true Repentance These and all other mercies we pray for in the Name and for the sake of our Lord Iesus Christ. Amen All. Tabat tabat tabat Pium. Now my Kinsmen and Friends let us discourse a little about the Question propounded Why we pray unto God before and after Meat Our Lord Jesus Christ did so before meat as it is written of him in many examples and we are not to doubt but he did the same after meat because the Lord hath commanded the same so expresly saying When thou hast eaten and art full then beware lest thou forget the Lord. And to shew you what great reason we have thus to do consider that God doth some of his chief works in this world in the matter of our eating which no creature can do for take you a Tray of meat and ask Who can turn this into blood and flesh and siâ—ewâ— and bones and skin and who can give every part of our body its due proportion that one part shâ—ll not overgrow the other but every part alike Who but God can do this And who but God can make our bodies to grow to such an appointeâ— stature and then to grow no more And who but God can prâ—â—serve our health and turn away sicknesses Now these marvelloâ—â—â—hings God doth for us every day and every time we eat anâ— therefore is it not very good reason that we should pray and givâ— thanks to God at such time as he doth such great and obligiâ—â— things for us Again God provideth all our food for us he provideth Corâ— not we our selves we do but a little towards it the great work â— God 's all that we do is to put our Corn into the ground and kâ—â—â— the ground clean about it but God makes it to grow he gives 〈◊〉 a root a blade a stalk and ears whereby one Corn shall becomâ— three or four or five hundred Who but God can do this thereâ—fore Corn is of his providing Again who provideth water and watereth the Corn is it noâ— God for when Springs and Rivers are dried up what can meâ— do but cry to God and theâ— God will bring Clouds like greaâ— Bottles full of water and drop them down upon the withered anâ— parched Earth and thereby make the Corn and Grass and all fruiâ— to grow Who but God can do this Again God provides
you mercy through Jesus Christ do not harden your hearts against the Lord be therefore perswaded now to forsake your sins and turn unto the Lord come unto the light out of your darkness awake from your dead sleep stand up and Christ will give you life VVe speak by expâ—rience we were dead and blinde as you are we loved pleasures as you do but by the grace of Christ we have found ligâ—t and life and we now call you to partake with us in our mâ—rcies Pauwau VVe have not only pleasures but also Prayers and Sâ—crifices we beat and aâ—â—â—ict our selves to pacifie our gods and when â—e be â—ick wâ— use such wayes to recover our health and to obtain all such things as we want and desire to obtain from our gods Pium. Your Prayers and Pauwauings are worâ—hipping of the Devil and noâ— of God and tâ—ey are among the greatest of your sins Your â—urthers lusts stealing lying c. they are great sins your Pauwauings are wâ—rse sins because by them you worship the Devil instead of God VVhen you Pauwau's use Physick by Roots and such other tâ—ings which God â—ath made for that purpose that is no sin you do well to use Pâ—ysick for your recovery from sickness but your prâ—ying to and worshipping the Devil that is your great siâ— which now God calls you to forsake Use onely such Remedies as God hath appointed and pray onely to God this we call you to do and this is the way of true wisdome Kinsm I feel my heart broken and divided I know not what to do To part with our former lusts and pleasures is an hard point and I feel my heart very loth and backward to it many objections against it yet I cannot but confess that I do not in my inward heart approve of them I know they are vile and filthy and I deâ—ire to forsake them they are like burning coals in my bosome I will shake them out if I can I am ashamed of my old wayes and loth I am to keep that which I am ashamed to be seen in The wiser men be the more they abstain from such lusts and we account such to be foolish vile and wicked that are unbridled and unperswâ—deable I would not be my self of the number of them that are vicious and vile â—bove restraint VVhat I perswade others to leave I would not do the same my self VVe do account it commendable in such as do bridle and refrain themselves from those vices and what I judge to be commendable in others would be therein exemplar and a pattern unto such as be young and foolish and run mad after such beastly courses In that point I would easily be perswaded or at least I desire so to be But the greatest difficulty that I yet finde is this I am loth to divide my self from my Friends and Kindred If I should chaâ—gâ— my course and not they then I must leave and forsake their company which I am very loth to do I love my Sachem and all the rest of you my good Friends if I should change my life and way I greatly dâ—sire that we might agree to do it together Sont I like well that we should agree upon some amendment of some bad courses that are too oft among us and I love your love that would have us agree together and do what we do in these great matters by common consent but to do that is a matter of much discourse and deep consideration This Meeting was sudden we have other matters at present to attend we have been together long enough for this time we must leave the whole matter to some other time Pium. Two dayâ—s hence is the Sabbath-day God hath commanded all men to Remember the sabbath-Sabbath-day to keep it holy I request all of you to come together that day and then I will further teach you by the assistance of the Lord touching this matter And to perswade you to make this beginning to keep the Sabbath besides the Commandment of the Lord we have the Reasons annexed by God himself unto it God himself Rested that day to set us an heavenly pattern and God hath also blessed that day and mâ—de it holy and hath promised that when we shall â—eet together in his Naâ—e then he will come among us and bring a blessing with him And when the Disciples of Christ were met to worship God upon that day before the day was done he came among them and blessed them So if you come together on the Sabbath-day my hope and trust is that we shall finde some special token of the presence of Christ Jesus among us Kinsm I do very well like of this motion and shall willingly attend and if you think good let my house be the place or if you our beloved Sachem think good we will all come together at your house Sont I like it well let it be so come to my house and you shall be welcome All. Content we like it well so let it be Pium. Let the time of Meeting be as early as you well can about Nine of the Clock All. So let it be The Sabbath Meeting Sontim Piumbuhhou Kinsman All. Sont IT is well done my Friends and Neighbours that you have remembred our agreement and are come together about this great business And now my kinde Friend what you have further to say unto us we are here ready to hear you Pium. Six dayes God hath given us wherein to do all our own business and works Every seventh day God hath commanded us to give unto him to rest from our own works and to do his work to pray unto him to hear his Word to talk and speak of heavenly matters for the good of our Souls We are all here this day before the Lord And first of all he hath commanded us to prâ—â— together therefore let us all either stand up like servants or kneel down like sons and daughters and pray unto the Lord. Then he prayeth The next work we use to do is to Catechize that is to teach by asking of Questions and they that are taught make Answer according as they have been taught but that work you are not yet fitted and prepared for therefore we lay it by The next work which we do is to Reade some Chapter of the Word of God Then he calleth one that came with him who Realeth When that is â—iniâ—hed then he saith Now we use to sing a Psalm which is one part of Gods Word and Worship but for that work you are not yet prepared therefore wâ— lay that by also And now I will teach you out of the Word of God The Text is Matth. 7.13 14. Enter ye in at the strait gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that finde it In these words are two parts 1.
his body for the Sin of his soul whether macerations of the body or any other fruit but alas all will not do And then ver 8. he shews what is the onely thing that will satisfie onely Jesus Christ belived on by faith held forth in those works of sanctification and holy life for so the Scripture testifies 2 Cor 5.19 God was in Christ Iesus reconciling the world unto himself And Acts 4.12 There is no other Name under heaven by which we can be saved Acts 16 3â— Belâ—eve in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saved and thy house I do not mention such Texts of Scripture as call to repentance because the end of repentance being â—o dispose the heart to believing it seemeth to me by your many gracious and penitent confeâ—â—ions thâ—t the Spirit of Gâ—d hath wrought in you a penitent heart already and your soul lyeth in the very next capacity of believing in our Lord Jâ—sus Christ by the Promise Yea further I say that your gracious acceptance of the Word of God love unto it and submission â—o its light and conduct these aâ—ts of grace in you are so powerful sweet and savoury that I know not but that the work of faith is already wrought in your poor mourning trembling but blessed soul and therefore be no more so disconsolate hope in the Lord and do as it is said Psal. 27.14 Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart wait I say upon the Lord. Penit. I do perceive that you take that to be a great work of grace and faith in my heart so gladly to receive the Word of God and submissively to give up my self to the conduct thereof I cannot deny but confess that my heart is really so as I have expressed and every thing that hath passed in this Conference hath had something in it to strengthen that frame of heart it me and now lastly and especially that you do bring forth that work which is wrought in me to be an evidence of faith this doth so much the more incline and oblige my heart to a great love and reverence to the Scriptures and a resolution through the grace help and assistance of Jesus Christ to spend the rest of my life in a more diligent and abundant attendance on the hearing reading meditating on and obeying of the Word of God If this be an act of faith I desire to live that part of the life of faith all the dayes of my life Lord help me to perform this promise unto God Iohn I will shew you the reason why I lay so much weight upon â—hat fâ—â—r of heart to embrace the Word to love it to obey it c. â—irst I finde that it is the character of those famous primitive Converts Acts 2.41 42. Then they that gladly received his word were â—aptized and the same day there were added unto them about three â—housand souls and they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine â—nd fellowship Their obedience to and walking in the Word is a â—hief effect and Sign of the true and thorough work of grace in â—hem in that point their Conversion shined and it seemeth to me â—hat your Conversion doth in this point shine Again Iam. 1.21 it is said Lay aside all filthiness and superfluity â—â— naughtiness and receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is â—ble to save your souls Here be three things in this Text the first â—â— the preparative work to cast away all filthiness and out boilâ—ngs of naughtiness This work God hath wrought in your diâ—â—ressed heart which appeareth in your penitent confessions The â—econd work is to receive the word with meekness and so that it â—ay appear to be an ingrafted word connaturalized in your heart â—â—d this is the work which I observe to be wrought in your heart â—hich is the work of faith whereby you are united to Christ by â—â—e word so received and submitted unto The entrance of thy â—ord giveth life Psal. 119.130 Then the third thing this Word â—â— received and ingrafted whereby you are united to Christ this â—ill save your soul you are a veâ—â—el of grace and shall be a vessel â—â— glory fear it not God that cannot lie hath spoken it Again 1 Pet. 2.1 2. Laying aside all malice and all guâ—le and hyâ—â—crifies and envies and evil speakings As new-born baâ—es desire the 〈◊〉 milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Here see 1. A 〈◊〉 born babe that is a soul converted a new creature formed in the heart by faith laying hold on Christ and from him receiving the Spirit to dwell in him and to form this new creature in hiâ— heart Now what acts of life doth this babe perform they arâ— two 1. By mortification and repentance he purgeth out all hiâ— sins and this act of life you effectually do by your penitent coâ—fessions The second act of life is he desires the sincere milk oâ— the word that he may grow thereby The new creature is fed bâ— the same means by which it was begotten the word of God is tâ—â— seed of God to beget the new creature 1 Iohn 3.9 and then tâ—â— word of God is milk to feed and nourish the new creature Noâ— this is the thing that I observe in you that as a new â—orn babe yoâ— desire the milk of the word and note this word Sincere milk â— living babe of Christ cannot abide humane mixtures added to tâ—â— word of God he loves the pure word he cannot rellish mixâ—tures Penit. My dearest friend God hath made you an instrument â—â— his hand to lay before me unspeakable consolation and I cannâ—â— deny but I feel it in my heart I am another man then what I waâ— I looked on my self the most miserable of men I now am hapâ—â— being united to Christ. O blessed change I am in admiration 〈◊〉 this I admire the grace of Christ to a dead lost damned sinnâ—â— I am come into a new world I have other desires then I had 〈◊〉 other purposes I see things in another frame then I was wont see them I must live a new life and steer a new course But in this point my soul desires to begin I am not mine own am the servant of Jesus Christ he died for me and by his grace deâ—â—â—e to live unto him And now I finde my self greatly to 〈◊〉 Counsel how to order my self in my future course what shaâ—â— do for the Lord who hath done so much for me My dear frieâ—â— your Counsel hath been greatly owned and blessed by the Lord my new birth I desire to have great respect to your Counsel for ordering of my wayes in my new life You do partly know that my people and some chief ones amoâ—â— them have had but a final measure of respect for me but I have grâ—â—â— reason to overlook it and bury it because in his infinite 〈◊〉 Christ hath turned it about for my better good my heart tellâ— me that I must seek the good of my people how to manage 〈◊〉 work wisely is my difficulty wherein I need your Counsel â— would to God that all my people were as I am and tasted and 〈◊〉 what I have found but that is not yet so I desire to bring tâ—â— to be the Lords people how I shall accomplish that is my grâ—â—â—â—ifficulâ—y You know I have been frequently among you prâ—â— Indians and in my heart have adhered to you and it may be 〈◊〉 have found the less acceptation for it but I leave that God must do and perform the trust charge and duty that my Lord 〈◊〉 hath committed to me My question therefore is How 〈◊〉 comport with the present affairs and state of things how shall I bring the matter about to bring about my people to pray to God Iohn It joyes my heart to hear these gracious breathings of Gods Spirit in you I taste in your discourse evident tokens of a living childe of God I see that my judgement about the spiritual state of your soul was not a product of precipitate charity but an effect of the spirit of right discerning I will encourage you in your godly purposes with a modest application of some of the Angels words to Gideon Judg. 6.12 14. Go on thou mighty man of valour and go in this thy strength and thou shalt save thy people The Lord will be with thee But for the manner of your proceeding in this matter my thoughts incline me to propose this way Be open to own the grace of God bestowed on you to confess your former known crooked and dark wayes and the change which God by his grace hath wrought in you At present let your first motion be to stay a while at Natik adjoyn your self to the Church who when they hear your Confession will joyfully receive you In due season request of the Church to send some able pious and fitting Teachers with you among your people Prudent Counsel may be taken how to prepare and predispose your people for such a motion I do not doubt but the Governour and Magistrates of the Massachusets will be easily intreated to interpose in so good a work which may tend to the bringing in so many people to the service of Jesus Christ. Penit. I do well approve and accept of your Counsel it savoureth of discretion and wisdome in all things God hath guided your lips to drop like the honey-comb into my heart And now I have one request further unto you That while we are together in this solitary opportunity we may spend some time in conversing with God in Prayer turn all those things that have passed into Prayers and the future matters also let us spread them before the Lord and beg his guidance and blessing Iohn I do greatly accept this motion and it is another sign of the truth of the work of Gods grace in your heart because this is the property of the new creature a new-born babe that he will cry Abba Father Here we leave them at Prayer FINIS