Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	lord_n	people_n	word_n	7,267	5	4.0951	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84357	Tears of repentance: or, A further narrative of the progress of the Gospel amongst the Indians in New-England: setting forth, not only their present state and condition, but sundry confessions of sin by diverse of the said Indians, wrought upon by the saving power of the Gospel; together with the manifestation of their faith and hope in Jesus Christ, and the work of grace upon their hearts. Related by Mr. Eliot and Mr. Mayhew, two faithful laborers in that work of the Lord. Published by the corporation for propagating the Gospel there, for the satisfaction and comfort of such as wish well thereunto.	Eliot, John, 1604-1690.; Mayhew, Thomas.; Mather, Richard, 1596-1669.	1653 (1653)	Wing E524; Thomason E697_16; ESTC R207106	52,811	83

to return from Babylon the Spirit by the word of Prophesie raised up such actings of Faith as were put forth in the exercise of all gifts necessary for the accomplishment thereof Daniel prayeth Zerubbabel hath a Spirit of Ruling the peoples affections are loose from their dwellings and have a Spirit of Traveling Ezra Nehemiah and all the rest of the Worthies of the Lord are raised at that time to accomplish what is Prophesied In these times the Prophesies of Antichrist his down fall are accomplishing And do we not see that the Spirit of the Lord by the word of Prophesie hath raised up men instruments in the Lord hand to accomplish what is written herein And the Spirit of Prayer and expectation of Faith is raised generally in all Saints by the same word of Prophesie In like manner the Lord having said That the Gospel shall spread over all the Earth even to all the ends of the Earth and from the riseing to the setting Sun all Nations shal become the Nations and Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ Such words of Prophesie hath the Spirit used to stir up the servants of the Lord to make out after the accomplishment thereof and hath stirred up a mighty Spirit of Prayer and expectation of Faith for the Conversion both of the Jewes yea all Israel and of the Gentiles also over all the world For this Cause I know every beleeving heart awakened by such Scriptures longeth to hear of the Conversion of our poor Indians whereby such Prophesies are in part begun to be accomplished Yea the Design of Christ being to erect his own Kingdom in the room of all those Dominions which he doth and is about to overturn You shall see a Spirit by such words of Prophesie powred forth upon the Saints into whose hands Christ will commit the manageing of his Kingdom on Earth that shall carry them forth to advance Christ to rule over men in all affairs by the word of his mouth and make him their only Law-giver and supream Judge and King It is a day of small things with us and that is Gods season to make the single beauty of his humbling Grace to shine in them that are the veriest ruines of mankind that are known on earth as Mr. Hooker was wont to describe the forlorn condition of these poor Indians I see evident demonstrations that Gods Spirit by his word hath taught them because their expressions both in Prayer and in the Confessions which I have now published are far more and more full and spiritual and various then ever I was able to express unto them in that poor broken manner of Teaching which I have used among them Thēir turning Doctrins into their own experience which you may observe in their Confessions doth also demonstrate the Teachings of Gods Spirit whose first special work is Application Their different Gifts likewise is a thing observable in their Confessions wherein it is not to be expected that they should be all Eminent it is not so in any Society of men but in that there be some among them that are more eminent it is a sign of Gods favor who is raising up among themselves such as shall be his instruments to conveigh a blessing unto the rest Their frequent phrase of Praying to God is not to be understood of that Ordinance and Duty of Prayer only but of all Religion and comprehendeth the same meaning with them as the word Religion doth with us And it is observable because it seemeth to me That the Lord will make them a Praying people and indeed there is a great Spirit of Prayer powred out upon them to my wonderment and you may easily apprehend That they who are assisted to express such Confessions before men are not without a good measure of inlargement of Spirit before the Lord The points of Doctrine that are here and there dropped in their Confessions may suffice at present for a little taste to the Godly discerning Saints That they are in some measure instructed in the chief points of Salvation though there be no Doctrinal Confession on purpose set down to declare what they have learned and do beleeve If any should conceive that that word which they so often use I thought or I think should need explication as a godly Brother did intimate to me on the Fast day let this suffice That it is to be Construed by the present Matter For sometimes it is a thought of Faith sometime of Fear sometime of Vnbelief sometime of Carnal Reason and sometime of Ignorance Lastly It is plainly to be observed That one end of Gods sending so many Saints to NEW-ENGLAND was the Conversion of these Indians For the Godly Counsels and Examples they have had in all our Christian Families have been of great use both to prepare them for the Gospel and also to further the Lords work in them as you may evidently discern in most of their Confessions Beloved Reader I have no more to say as necessary to Prepare for the following Matter only to beg yea earnestly to beg the continuance of all your Prayers by the power whereof through the Grace and Intercession of Christ I beleeve this wheele of Conversion of these Indians is turned and my Heart hath been alwayes thereby encouraged to follow on to do that poor little I can to help forward this blessed Work of Spreading and Exalting the Kingdom of our dear Savior Jesus Christ under the direction and protection of whose Word and Grace by Faith committing you I rest Your unworthy Brother in our dear Savior JOHN ELIOT To the Christian Reader THE Amplitude and large Extent of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ upon Earth when the Heathen shall be his Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth his Possession and when all Kings shall fall down unto him and all Nations do him service all contrary Kingdoms and Powers being broken in pieces and destroyed is a thing plainly and plentifully foretold and promised in the Holy Scriptures Psal. 2. 8. and 22. 27. and 72. 11. and 86. 9. Dan. 2. 35. 44 45. and 7. 26 27. Zech. 14. 9. And although as yet our Eyes have never seen it so nor our Fathers afore us many Nations and People having hitherto been overspread and overwhelmed in Pagan Blindness and Ignorance having scarce ever heard of Christ or of His Name and many others that in some sort have heard of Him having no more Grace but to make and maintain Opposition against Him and against His Kingdom some more professedly and others more covertly and under fairer pretence as in the great Dominions of the Turk and of the Pope is apparent yet the time is coming when things shall not thus continue but be greatly changed and altered because the Lord hath spoken this Word and it cannot be that his Word should not take effect And if the Lord have spoken it his People have good ground and reason to beleeve it and to say as the holy Apostle

expressed did much affect him And shortly after he came and desired to joyn with the praying Indians to serve Jehovah but it was to the great discontentment of the Sachems on the Mayn and those Indians about him News was often brought to him that his life was laid in wait for by those that would surely take it from him they desired him therfore with speed to turn back again The man came to me once or twice and I perceived that he was troubled he asked my counsel about removing his Habitation yet told me That if they should stand with a sharp weapon against his breast and tell him that they would kill him presently if he did not turn to them but if he would they would love him yet he had rather lose his life than keep it on such terms for said he when I look back on my life as it was before I did pray to God I see it to be wholly naught and do wholly dislike it and hate those naughty waies but when I look on that way which God doth teach me in his Word I see it to be wholly good and do wholly love it Blessed be God that he is not overcome by these temptations The next thing I judg also worthy to be observed My Father and I were lately talking with an Indian who had not long before almost lost his life by a wound his Enemies gave him in a secret hidden way the mark whereof he had upon him and will carry it to his grave This man understanding of a secret Plot that was to take away his Enemies life told my Father and I That he did freely forgive him for the sake of God and did tell this Plot to us that the mans life might be preserved This is a singular thing and who among the Heathen will do so I observe also that the Indians themselves do indeavor to propagate the knowledg of God to the glory of God and the good of others I heard an Indian after I had some discourse with the Indians in the night ask the Sachem and many others together how they did like that counsel they heard from the word of God They answered very wel then said he why do you not take it why do you not do according to it He further added I can tell you why it is Because you do not see your sins and because you do love your sins for as long as it was so with me I did not care for the Way of God but when God did shew me my sins and made me hate them then I was glad to take Gods Counsel this I remember he spake with some other things with such Gravity and truth that the Sachem and all the company was not able to gain-say Myoxeo also lately met with an Indian which came from the Mayn who was of some note among them I heard that he told them of the great things of God and of Christ Jesus the sinfulness and folly of the Indians the Pardon of sin by Christ and of a good life and so were they both affected that they continued this discourse two half nights and a day until their strength was spent He told him in particular how a Beleever did live above the world that he did keep worldly things alwaies at his feet as he shewed him by a sign That when they were deminished or increased it was neither the cause of his Sorrow or joy that he should stoop to regard them but he stood upright with his heart Heavenward and his whol desire was after God and his joy in him Now Much honored in the Lord and all that love Christ Jesus in truth let me prevail with you that we may be presented by you at the Throne of Grace in his worthiness to obtain those blessings that concerns his Kingdom and Glory our comfort and Salvation And you are and shall also be ever humbly so prayed for by him who is From the Vinyard the 22. of October 1652. Yours obliged and ever to be commanded in the Work of the Lord Jesus Thomas Mayhew To His Excellency the Lord General Cromwel Grace Mercy and Peace be Multiplied Right Honorable ENvy it self cannot deny that the Lord hath raised and improved You in an Eminent manner to overthrow Antichrist and to accomplish in part the Prophesies and Promises of the Churches Deliverance from that Bondage In all which Service the Lord hath not only kept Your Honor unsteined but also caused the Lustre of those precious Graces of Humility Faith Love of Truth and Love to the Saints c. with which through His Free Grace He hath enriched You to shine forth abundantly beyond all exception of any that are or have been Adversaries to Your Proceedings Now as the design of Christ in these daies is double namely First To overthrow Antichrist by the Wars of the Lamb and Secondly To raise up His own Kingdom in the room of all Earthly Powers which He doth cast down and to bring all the World subject to be ruled in all things by the Word of His mouth And as the Lord hath raised and improved You to accomplish so far as the Work hath proceeded the first part of His Design so I trust that the Lord will yet further improve You to set upon the accomplishment of the second part of the design of Christ not only by indeavoring to put Government into the hands of Saints which the Lord hath made You eminently careful to do but also by promoting Scripture Government and Laws that so the Word of Christ might rule all In which great Services unto the Name of Christ I doubt not but it will be some Comfort to Your heart to see the Kingdom of Christ rising up in these Western Parts of the World and some confirmation it will be that the Lords time is come to advance and spread His Blessed Kingdom which shall in his season fill all the Earth and some incouragement to your heart to prosecute that part of the Design of Christ namely That Christ might Reign Such Considerations together with the Favorable Respect You have alwaies shewed to poor New-England hath imboldned me to present unto Your Hand these first Confessions of that Grace which the Lord hath bestowed upon these poor Natives and to publish them under the protection of Your Name begging earnestly the continuance of Your Prayers for the further proceeding of this gracious Work And so committing Your Honor to the Lord and to the Word of His Grace and all Your weighty Affairs to His Heavenly Direction I rest Your Honors to serve You in the Service of Christ JOHN ELIOT To the READER Christian Reader I Know thy Soul longeth to hear Tydings of Gods grace powred out upon these goings down of the Sun because the Spirit of God by the Word of Prophesie useth to raise up and draw forth such actings of Faith as accord with the accomplishment of those Prophesies when the time of their accomplishment is come When Israel was

the Commands of God I have been full of lusts and thefts c. all my life and all the time I have lived I have done contrary to the Command of God And I am now grieved now I hear of all my sins I beleeve Christ doth convert me to God and he calleth Children and old men and all men to turn unto God and from their sins he calleth to sorrow and repentance and ever to beleeve in Christ and who ever doth this shall be ever blessed in Heaven but if he do it not he perisheth if he turn not from sin dying he shall go to Hell for ever I think also that so long as I live God doth give me life I beleeve that we ought to gather into a Church to serve God as long as we live But I do not know whether yet God hath pardoned my sins or not but I know Christ and I know he hath already dyed for me because I cannot redeem my self Another who made Confession was named Poquanum which was as followeth His first Confession A Great while ago the English would tell me of God but I hated it and would go out of doors when they so spake unto me and I murmured at it When the Indians first prayed to God I did not think there was a God or that the Bible was Gods Book but that wise men made it When some prayed to God I went with them but I did not know God Afterward my mind was changed thus far That I desired to be wise as others were but yet I knew nothing of God yea after I prayed to God I still did think there was no God Afterward I found this in my heart That we pray to God for our souls then I thought all my praying was nothing because I was so foolish that I never thought of dying but after I learned That all must die and good mens souls go to Heaven and then I thought of dying and of my soul but then I thought we prayed for nothing but that our souls might go to Heaven I knew nothing of Christ But after when the Children were Catechised and taught the ten Commandements I hearkned and by them I came to know that there was a God and that there was sin against God and hereby God made me to see all my sins both before I prayed to God and since and I saw Gods anger against me for my sins before and since I prayed because sometimes I came not to the Meeting brake my word regarded not my children and I see sin in me and therfore I do greatly fear Gods anger Poquanum His Second Confession was as followeth BEfore I prayed unto God I greatly sinned I prayed to many gods and used Panwaning Adultery Lust Lying and al other sins and many were my sins evil thoughts evil words and nothing else but evil hatred and pride and all sins against God coveting other mens goods when I stole I added lying to it when I had done I was very proud I much hatred many men and loved them not because I was angry with them and thus I did every day I would slander my neighbors great was my pride I was dayly angry with my neighbors my heart was alwaies full of such waies When the English said Pray to God I cared not for God because I loved sin nor did I desire that God should forgive my sin Afterward I heard the word That if we truly pray mourn for sin cast off sin desire to hear the word and beleeve in Christ God will then pardon and when he dieth Christ will lead him to Heaven I much rejoyced to hear of this pardon but I must truly beleeve in Christ else I shal not have pardon and first I thought God will not pardon me because I still sinned But afterward I heard That though we should pray as long as we live and never sin more yet that was of no value but we must beleeve in Christ else there is no pardon and this I rejoyced at Another who made Confession is named Nookau which is as followeth His first Confession FIve years ago before I prayed I was sick I thought I should die at which I was much troubled and knew not what to do then I thought if there be a God above and he give life again then I shall beleeve there is a God above and God did give me life and after that I took up praying to God Now I beleeve God one God that made all the World and governeth it yet this I only said with my mouth I did not truly beleeve it in my heart Then I understood That God made the first man good and like God but he sinned and we have lost Gods Image and are like the Devil and deserve Hell and Damnation this I now know and see that I am foolish and sometime think not of God in an whol day sometime I do think of God every day sometime my heart greatly sinneth then sometime I presently fear but again sometimes I am slow to fear I am very foolish because I do not understand the Word but break the Word of God I beleeve the Catechism we learn to be according to the Word of God but the writings of the Bible are the very Words of God and the Spirit of God is the Word and that God giveth all things that are good I now see my sins before I prayed unto God and since and I beleeve that God seeth them all and my heart feareth because I do not yet forsake my sins and I think God will not forgive me because my heart is wicked I know not when Christ forgiveth my sins others may know but I desire that my sins may be pardoned for Christ his sake Nookau His Second Confession BEfore I prayed to God I greatly sinned every day I was proud and lived in adultery lying c. and my heart alwaies full of evil thoughts and when the English would instruct me I then thought my waies evil but the business of praying to God good then I did think if I could first understand then I would pray to God and I was glad to hear of any that did pray to God When I heard that word at Cohannet Who ever lacketh wisdom let him ask it of God let fools pray to God and he will give them wisdom I thought I was a fool and I beleeved that Word of God I heard that word of the dry bones God bid them hear and promised to put flesh and sinews and skin upon them and make them live therefore I desired to hear because I beleeved the dry bones and that I was one that did not know God afterward I was glad of praying to God Sometimes I beleeved not God and God will not look on such alwaies I thought God will not forgive me I wondred at all that prayed to God because I thought God had given them wisdom then I thought I am glad I pray to God Sometime my heart is broken because I shall