the best compâ—ny in the world for yoâ— have the company of Jesus Christ. See Isa. 53 3. He is â—espâ—sed aâ—â— rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grâ—efs 〈◊〉 we hid as it were our â—aces â—rom him he was deâ—pâ—â—ed and we esteâ—â—ed him not Wâ—en you â—re alone by your sâ—lâ— reâ—de all this Câ—â—pter you shall finde that Christ wâ—s in greaâ—er distreâ—ses then yoâ— are which he suffered patieâ—â—ly to procure for us pardon and salvation and by his â—uâ—fering he â—ad exâ—erience of suâ—ferings that â—â— might pity us in our gâ—ieâ—s and â—hâ—râ—forâ— it is said Heb. 4.15 For we have not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities but waâ— in all points tempted lâ—ke as we are 〈◊〉 without sin Our affâ—ictions alâ—s expose â—s oftentimeâ— to â—in bâ—â— in that case also Chr ist is very pitiful and gracious he remembreâ—â— that we are but duâ—â— Psal. 103.14 You adde You fear that your Sun will set in darkness and deâ—spair I answer to you Consider tâ—aâ— future things belong to God Do not afflict your self with future things Sufficient for the dâ—yâ— the evil thereof Mat. 6.34 Let â—he morrow care for it â—elf Bâ—â— suppose yâ—u should have no comfort tâ—ll you die it is the case â—â— many of Gods children to die in a dark cloud and Christ himseâ—â— sanctified that case Mat 27.46 50. He cried with a loud voice Eâ—â— Eli lamasabachthani Ver 5â— Iesus when he had cried again with loud voice yielâ—ed up the ghost Whâ—t if some of Gods childreâ— should in this point be conformed to Jesus Christ do not adde â—â— your sorrows fears of a sad condition which Christ hath sanctiâ—fied Touching your Parentage and present state I know how it iâ— very well In this case I advise you to consider that if yoâ—â— worldly Cup had been fillâ—d with such sweetness as flesh and blooâ— desire it might have been much worse for your soul. A soâ—â— drowned in earthly pleasure is rarely saved but a soul drowned iâ— worldly sorrows and griefs if instructed in the knowledge of Jâ—â—sus Christ shall never be lost because the sorrows and crosses â—â— the world will keep him from surfetting upon the Creature anâ— drive him to sâ—tiate himself in Christ by the promises of the Gâ—â—spel Thus have I answered to the chief points in your Coâ—â—plaint Penit. Oh the power of the word of God aptly applied unto tâ—â— case of a distressed soul The sweet experience that I have noâ— found in those â—criptures which you have produced and applieâ— to my case shall make me hereafter to search and reade the Scriâ—ptures more then I have done I do like Hagar complain for â—â—â—ter when it is just by me if I would search I hope I shall reaâ— the Scriptures more then ever I have done Iohn You have prevented me or rather the Spirit of God hath put into your heart by power and grace that which I intended to have presented to you by way of Advice and Counsel namely To be frequent and abundant in reading the Scriptures for you see that all Soul-cordials are laid up there fetch them out therefore from that divine Treasury and make use of them for your comfort I know the Devil will oppose you in this matter and keep you from conversing in the Scriptures because they are the sword of the Spirit Eph. 6.17 whereby we resist his temptations as Christ himself hath set us an example Mat. 4.4 7 10. when the Devil assaulted him with a temptation he drew forth the sword of the Spirit a Text of Scripture and opposed the temptation thereby and that presently conquered the Tempter Do you the same you cannot imitate a better pattern then our Lord Jesus Christ and it is his Command also that we should so do Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures and David made them his meditation day and â—ight Psal. 1.2 and he had the like experience that you now have found and came to the like resolution Psal. 119.93 I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickned me Penit. I feel much tranquility in my minde in this way of seeking Soul-comfort in the Scriptures Oh I have found out a way of refuge comfort and rest in a stormy time I hope the Lord will give me grace and wisdome to make more use thereof then ever I have done in my life But still my soul is in great doubts and fears about my eternal condition if I spend this life in griefs and sorrows and when I finish here I go away to eternal misery Oh what a lamentable case is that and my fear is that this will be my condition my griefs indeed are many but they are worldly sorrow I cannot say that I am converted I desire to know what it is to be converted Iohn All Mankinde are once born by natural birth they come into this world but all Gods children are born again Iohn 3.3 Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the kingdome of heaven and this is a spiritual birth ver 5. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit c. Baptism is an outward sign of it but the inward grace is a work of the Spirit and the Spirit worketh by the Word of God Iames 1.18 21. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth and ver 21. Wherefore lay apart all filâ—hiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls By faith in the Promise the soul is united to Christ and he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 When an afflicted soul doth venture it self and its All upon the faithful word of Promise and sayes to God as Iob said Iob 13.15 Though he kill me yet I will trust in him this is the new-born soul and this believing soul shall be surely saved at last whatever sorrows and afflictions it goes through in this life And wh ereas you say that your sorrows and griefs are but worldly sorrow I answer That the question is not what kinde of sorrow it is so much as what the effects of it is for no matter what the sorrow is if it drive the soul to Christ our salvation is by Christ and not by sorrow the use of sorrow is to imbitter sin and the world and to drive the soul to Christ for relief and rest if worldly sorrow or rather sorrow about worldly things do this it hath its end and proves to be a godly sorrow Sorrows are not to merit any thing from God but to force the afflicted soul to fly to him for refuge We shall finde examples in Scripture where sorrows about worldly things have effectually driven the soul to fly to God for refuge Psal. 88.18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me and mine acquaintance into darkness This was an outward affliction and yet in the first verse of that Psalm it drives him
spent though we have made but little progress toward the place of our intendment but I have been about the work I came abroad upon though not the persons I intended Thus God doth over-rule the wayes of men he foreseeth and ordereth that which we had no thoughts upon and therefore in that we have spent this day in such Conference and Discourse wherein we have seen so much of the presence of Christ with us let us now spend this night in prayers and praises unto the Lord who hath found us before we sought for him You were going about another business you little thought of finding Jesus Christ by the way and finding mercy to your Soul a pardon of your sins and to become a praying Indian Pen. Your discourse doth heighten my admiration I acknowledge God hath thought of me when I thought not of him he had a care of my Soul when I had no care of my self God hath plucked me out of darkness and brought me into a most wonderful light that I should be forced to see the wonderful things of Gods Law of my eternal condemnation by it my helpless and hopeless condition that I was in And then that the Lord should open unto me a possibility of escape that a ransome and remedy might be found by the infinite wisdome and mercy of God and that Jesus Christ had not onely accomplished that great work but offered the fruit and benefit of it to me and called me to rest in him and to betrust my Soul with him for pardon of all my sins and for eternal life in Jesus Christ. These things are matter of my admiration and shall be to all eternity My life remaining shall be spent in admiring and in obeying and suffering as you have now taught me I shall account nothing â—oo dear for Christ who hath not accounted his own most precious life too dear for me Whereas I am now instructed that he being God and Man in one person his life was of more value then all the lives of all mankinde and that he did not forbear to offer that precious life for me I must I will by his grace assisting admire at this mercy for ever and therefore the motion that you made of spending this night in prayer and praises unto his holy Name it is a most acceptable motion to my heart My experience suggesteth unto me matter abundantly to pray and praise his Name but my ignorance is such as that I caâ—not tell how to utter my minde in words of knowledge suitable unto so great mercies as I have now experienced Wab. Your discourse doth lead me out to inform you in a great point of the grace and kingdome of Jesus Christ and that is the gift and grace of Prayer which the Spirit of Jesus Christ teacheth every new born Soul to perform for so the Scripture saith Rom. 8.15 He hath given the Spirit of his Son whereby we cry and crying is an earnest manner of praying and the matter of our cry is to sâ—y Abba Father that is to call God our Father and to ask him a Childes portion in the Name of Jesus Christ as he hath promised that whatever we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ it shall be surely granted either the same thing or a better for we are foolish children and know not what is best for our selves but our Father doth and therefore when we make our prayers and request to God we must leave the matter to his love wisdome to give us what and when and how he will And because we are ignorant what to pray for therefore the Spirit of God who dwelleth in our heart he is called the Spirit of Grace and of Supplication and Rom. 8.26 27. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the minde of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God Where we see that our weakness is supplied by the assistance of the Spirit and he helpeth us to pray for such things as please God and in such a manner as pleaseth God And this is the condition of every true converted believer that he can pray and desires to pray and is ever lifting up his heart to Gâ—d in prayer and therefore I like it well that my motion of spending this night in prayer is so acceptable to you a good sign it is that the Spirit of Jesus Christ hath taken possession of your Soul Pen. This little sight and experience I have hath so filled my heart with a sense of my own vileness that I see matter of endless confession and I see so much nothingness in my self that I see endless matter of petition and supplication and I see my self so infinitely obliged to God for the riches of his free-grace to me a rebellious worm that I see infinite matter of praise thanksgiving and admiration My heart also longeth after others that thâ—â— may be as I am I pray tell me what is my duty in that respeâ—â— to pray for others my Relations my Friends my Neighbouâ—â— and for all Wab. Christ hath taught us When thou art converted then strengâ—â—â—en thy brother Luke 22.32 therefore you must pray for all tâ—â— Church of God you must especially pray for them that are weaâ— and tempted and afflicted and you must pray for them that aâ—â— not yet converted and for all Gods people and for all Gods cauâ—â— in all the world and for the fulfilling of all Gods Promises Theâ—â— is a world of matter to pray for and for Kings and Rulers in â— special manner Pen. I feel my heart to answer your words like an eccho mâ— heart answers All these things I desire to pray for But alas â— am ignorant of fit words in prayer and therefore I do request oâ— you first do you pray and set me a pattern Waban prayethâ— Pen. Many whole nights have I spent waking sometime in hunâ—â—ing sometime worse in dancing and other sinful revels but â— never spent a night so well in my life before it is the first nighâ— of my new life I have begun to live well oh how full of feaâ— and care and desire my heart is that I may go on according to thiâ— good beginning I hope the sweet savour of this good beginning to live well shall abide with me and I desire your help and counsel how I may so perform it Wab. Our state in this world is not perfect corruption is killed but in part there be old roots remaining which upon occasioâ— offered will still be stirring acting appearing as a tree that is cut down the old roots will be growing which must be kept dowâ— with a speedy cutting off A field that is well weeded will quickly produce new weeds again out of that natural propensity of the earth to bring
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