undertaken and promised to serve God and therefore I cannot now go back again and serve the Devil I have found that Jesus Christ is a good Master and I come to perswade you to come and be his Servant Far be it from me that now I am come among you I should forsake my Master and serve the Devil or that I should so far grieve my Master as to go unto those Games which his Soul hateth And whereas you say that many of my friends are there the more is my grief I desire that I were able to pull you all out of that deep pit and filthy puddle which to perform I should utterly be disabled if I should go in my self and so be dâ—filed with the same filth which I perswade them to forsake and cast away Kinsm Let us go unto my house that you may take there some refreshment of food after your weary journey and there we shall have liberty to discourse fully of these matters And while we are in the way let me ask you of the estate and welfare of our friends and kindred at Natik doth your praying to God exempt you from Sicknesses Poverty Nakedness will praying to God fill you with food gladness and garments Pium. Our friends at Natik were when I left them in good state of health peace and comfort for which we give God thanks who is the Father of all mercies Touching your question Whether praying to God doth exempt us from Sicknesses Poverty and fills us with food and garments I answer If praying to God did bring with it outward plenty and worldly prosperity then all carnal people would pray to God not because they love God or praying to God but because they love themselves and love food clothing and worldly pleasures but the benefits of praying are spiritual and heavenly it teaches us to know God and the evil of sin it teacheth us to repent of sin and seek for pardon and it teacheth us to forsake sin for ever and if we are loth to part with sin God will chastise us with Sicknesses Poverty and other worldly crosses to call us to repentance and therefore many times we fare worse in the world then wicked men do that thereby we might be weaned from the world and brought and taught to love and long for heaven And yet I further tell you that Religion doth teach the right way to be rich and prosperons in this world and many English especially have learned that way For Religion teacheth us to be diligent in labour six dayes and on the seventh day to rest and keep it an holy Sabbath and God hath promised that the diligent hand shall make rich and when we walk with God in godliness and obedience â—e will give us the blessing of this life so far as is best for us he will withhold no good thing from us if any thing be withheld from us or taken away from us it is because it is not good for us Our Father better knoweth what is good for us then we our selves know Kinsm If your praying to God do indeed teach you the true way of being rich as you say how then cometh it to pass that you are so poor still for you have prayed to God these twenty years and more and I do not see that you have increased in riches verâ— much you are still poor where be your Riches where be youâ— flocks and herds of Cattel where be your Clothes what greaâ— Houses have you built where be your fields of Corn Barns anâ— Orchards Alas you are not like the English and therefore â— doubt upon this point it is not as you say that praying to Goâ— teacheth you the right way to be rich Pium. This is one of the least the last the lowest of those things that our Religion teacheth us There be two sorts of riches Earthly riches of which onely you speak and Heavenly riches which Gods Word calleth true riches These Earthly riches are but temporary and shall soon perish but the true riches are heavenly and eternal they last for ever And we have spent these twenty Years in seeking chiefly after heavenly riches for so God commandeth us in his Word Seek first the Kingdome of Heaven as for these earthly riches they shall be added to you so much as you need And the Word of God commandeth us to be content if we have food and clothes Now we have food and clothes more then we were wont to have before we prayed to God and we have contented our selves therewith and have bent our mindes more to look after heavenly riches and in those things we have increased more then in earthly riches Kinsm I pray tell me what are those heavenly riches of which you speak so highly and upon which you do bestow your chief care and pains and so much prefer before earthly riches which we account so much of and think to be the best things attainable in this world Pium. The true riches which we spend our time to seek after are 1. The knowledge of the great God who hath made this vast World and governeth the same by his Wisdome and Power and who hath made Man and governeth us by his holy Laws and Commandments 2. The knowledge of our selves to be miserable sinners and do daily oâ—fend and sin against God provoking his wrath against us to puâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 for our transgressions against his holy Laws and Commandments 3. The knowledge of Jesus Christ the Redeemer of the world who hath in unspeakable love took a course to deliver us from the wrath of God for whereas we have by our sins deserved Death Damnâ—tion Christ became a Man and died for us and thereby hath pacified the Justice and Wrath of God and opened a way of Salvation for us obtaining a Pardon for us and offering grace unto us whereby we may be saved and be brought to eternal glory and â—appinesâ— 4. The knowledge of the grace of God in Jesus Christ whereby he bringeth us to repent of our sins to convert and turn from all our evil wayes and to believe in the Lord Jesus and to walk with God in the wayes of holiness and righteousness before him 5. The knowledge of the Means of grace the Ordinances of God whereby we walk with God in wayes of Civil Government in wayes of Justice and good Order And in the Ordinances of Worshipping God in the sanctifying of the Sabbaths and walking in the Communion of Saints by the Word of God and Prayer and Singing of Psalms 6. In the knowledge of the estate of all men after death how the godly men that penitently believe in Christ go to Heaven when they die and the wicked that refuse to repent and believe they go to Hell and there abide till the Day of Judgement at which day or time when it cometh all men shall rise again and be judged according to their deeds in this life and then shall the godly go with Christ to eternal Glory
part of your question What we have gained and got by praying to God Of which Point we discoursed before we came into the house and therefore I shall but touch it now 1. We are come into the light and it is an heavenly light which leâ—deth us to God and to the eternal enjoyment of happiness by Jesus Christ. 2. VVe have attained to some measure of the true Riches by faith in Jesus Chriâ—t and love to God and his people 3. VVe are content with that portion of food and raiment which God giveth us 4. VVe enjoy the Lords Sabbath dayes for our Souls good and communion with God 5. VVe have Government and all Gods Ordinances in peace 6. VVe can lie down in peace and sleep quietly without fear In all which and many more respects our condition doâ—h far exceed what we were and had afore we prayed to God or what you have or enjoy unto this day And now let us lie down in Gods bosome and take our rest Next Morning Kinsman Kinswoman Piumbuhhou Kinsm ARe you well this morning have you slept well this night doth not your weary journey lâ—e in your bones is not the skin of your feet that was worn thin with rocks and rough wayes still tender Pium. By the mercy of God through Jesus Christ I am every way well refreshed The comfort of my Soul doth make my bodily infirmities inconsiderable And that which addeth much to the comfort of my Soul is the good attention which you and some other of our friends gave unto our disconrse and prayers the last night which giveth me hope that you are not far from the Kingdome of God Kinsm I confess my thoughts have troubled me this night I have a great strife in my heart I think your way is right I cannot gainsay any thing of which you discoursed but on the other side if I should forsake our former wayes all my friends would rise up against me like a stream too strong for me to stand against and I am not able to defend my self against them I do not know what to do Pium. God is above man VVhen I began to pray to God I had the same temptation but I quickly found how vain and weak it was God will defend all his servants against all gainsayers the light and power of Gods word and wayes will soon shame all sinners into silence But I will tell you a further help in this case VVe shall endeavour to convince and perswade all your friends to turn unto God also and then that Temptation will quite sink Let us therefore get your Friends and Neighbours together and labour to perswade them all first to heaâ— the word of God preached among you and my hope is that God will perswade so many of them as that the rest will be ashamed to oppose for darkness and sin are weak Truth and Light are powerful Kinswom My thoughts have also troubled me this night but if you shall take that course then I shall gladly joyn with my Husband in this Change I will therefore get you some Victuals to eat and then go about that business Pium. VVe are not ready for eating yet we must first go to prayer and give God thanks for his mercies the night past and this morning and we will pray unto God for his blessings all this day and pray that he would bless our endeavours to perswade them for the hearts of all men are in Gods hand and he can overcome them and perswade them Kinsm I like well what you say I pray therefore do so we will attend and joyn with you Pium. Let us humbly bow our knees and hearts before the All-seeing God and in the Name of Jesus Christ pray unto him But there come some company let them first come in it may be they will joyn with us in our prayers Kinsm A good morning to you my friends you come in a good season Our friend is come from far to visit us he is now going to prayer I pray you to joyn with us and attend unto what â—e prayeth All. VVe shall willingly keep silence and attend Pium. Prayeth Kinsm This good friend of ours is come to visit us and doth perswade us to pray unto God and you hear how heartily he prayeth unto God for us what think you of it All. VVe cannot tell we do not yet understand the matter how then should we answer to it Kinsm Your answer is right and discreet let us therefore discourse about this matter VVise men will look before they leap All. VVe are but a few and weak men let us send for the Sachem and the rest of the old and wise men and especially for the Pauwau and then let us discourse of such matters they better know what to say in these matters then we do Kinswom I like the motion And I pray you in the mean time eat soch food as I have prâ—pared for you that when they come together you may be ready without interruption to attend unto what you are purposed to do Pium. Alwayes bâ—fore we eat we must pray the last night I gave you some reasons for it by the word of God and seeing here be more of our friends come in who heard not our discourse last night I will again rehearse the same or the like Reasons for this Religious practice He discourseth of them Kinswom Your meat is ready if therefore you will please to pray according as you wisely discourse I hope we shall all attend All. VVe shall attend Pium. Prâ—yeth for a blessing Kinswom Cousin I am glad to see you eat so heartily you are very welcome to it And I see that praying to God doth not fill your bellies you need food to eat for all that All. Ha ha he Praying to God would starve them if they should â—ot eat Ha ha he Praying Indians are as weary and hungry as other men for ought we ever saw by them Ha ha he Pium. It is truâ— that you say and therefore we pray unto God to give us food and to bless it to us when we eat it This discourse bringeth to my mind a word which Christ spake Man liveth not by bread onely but by every word of God Man haâ—â—â—wo parts A Soul and a Body and both are to be fed The body â—s fed by food the Soul is fed by the Word of God and Prayer You that pray not to God you feed youâ— bodies onely but you â—tarve your Souls we that pray to God fâ—ed our Souls as well as â—ur bodies And this is one reason why we perswade you to prâ—y â—o God because we would not have you to starve your Souls Tâ—e Soul is the most excellent part of man and shall never die the â—ody shall die If you have so much wisdome as to feâ—d your â—odies we pray you be yet more wise and fâ—â—d your Souls also Kinsm Every thing that liveth doth live by feeding as Birds Beasts Fishes and so do men Pium. You
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