A further Account of the progress OF THE GOSPEL Amongst the Indians In New England BEING A Relation of the Confessions made by several Indians in the presence of the Elders and Members of several Churches in order to their admission into Church-fellowship Sent over to the Corporation for Propagating the Gospel of Iesus Christ amongst the Indians in New England at London by Mr Iohn Elliot one of the Laborers in the Word amongst them LONDON Printed by Iohn Macock 1660. TO ALL That love the Lord Iesus Christ in sincerity and have a zeal for the propagation of Gospel-light to those who sit in darkness Grace and peace be multiplyed Brethren IT was the holy ambition and strife of the Apostle Paul that chosen Vessel to bear the Name of Christ before the Gentiles to preach the Gospel where Christ was not named lest hee should seem to build upon another mans foundation Rom. 15. 20. To hand on a good work begun by another is very commendable and shall not loose its reward but to break the ice and begin a good work is very honourable and shall surely have a great reward I am much perswaded it hath been the gracious strife I am sure it hath been the lot of many of our faithfull Brethren in New England to preach the Gospel where Christ was not named before and the Lord hath given a signal Testimony that they have not laboured in vain Wee reade of the First-fruits of Achaia unto Christ Rom. 16. 5. and again 1 Cor. 16. 15. Wee have also heard both of the First-fruits and Second-fruits of India in New England unto Christ and these are a fair assurance of a plentifull harvest there in due time A blessed Foundation is laid yea the Building begins to appear above ground in the visible profession or professed subjection of many poor Souls unto the Gospel of Christ May wee not therefore hopefully expect that the Top-stone shall be set up with a shout of Grace Grace to it Hee that attentively readeth the Report which is made in the following Collection of the Examinations and Confessions of several Native Indians who have been wrought upon by the preaching of the Word in the Wilderness will see much cause to admire the free grace and goodness of God to them as also his mighty power and the revealing of his arme in them What strong and clear convictions of sin both of the sinfulness of their natures and of the sins of their lives have they been under who lay before dead in trespasses and sins wholly alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that was in them What strugglings and strivings with corruption and temptation do they speak of before they could come off from sin and from that vain conversation received by tradition from their Fore-fathers What wrestlings had they with unbelief before they could close with Christ in the promise What full resignations of themselves have they made to the commands of Christ after closing with him by faith in the promise Yea what hungrings and thirstings do some of them express for more intimate communion with Christ in attendance upon all his Ordinances in a Church-state or holy Fellowship with his People Surely what these late Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel have found and declared as their spiritual experiences about the dealings of God with their hearts in bringing them off from sin and home to himself may shame many among us who have been born and bred up in the aire and sound of the Gospel all their dayes I may not unfitly make use of those Prophesies of Moses and Esaias concerning the Iewes and Gentiles and so applyed by the Apostle Paul Rom. 10. 19 20 21. in this present case between us in England and the Indians The Lord hath begun to provoke us to Jealousie by them that were no people and by a foolish Nation hee hath angred us hee is found of them that sought him not hee is made manifest to them that asked not after him but all the day long hath hee stretched out his hands unto us a disobedient and gainsaying people Conversions are grown somewhat rare that 's sad in England and such accounts of Conversion much more rare And as we finde but few able to give any passable account of their conversion to God so wee finde not a few offended at the requiring and taking of it before admission into compleat Church-communion Wee have many who profess the Religion they were born in but wee have comparatively only a few who profess Religion upon the evidences of their New-Birth And that 's one great reason why the Church and the world the pretious and the vile are in so lamentable a mixture in most places at this day It were a very desireable mercy that the practise and example of our native Brethren yea of the native Indians in New England might kindle in us the fire of a blessed emulation in this matter and that the Ministers of the Gospel would every where exspect and diligently enquire after some hopefull proofs of the work of Grace from all those who in their own right partake of those higher Priviledges the Seals of the Covenant of Grace Doubtless then Churches would appear more like Churches in the beauties of Holiness and the fruits of the presence of Christ would be more gloriously visible in them The great thing which wee upon whom the ends of the world are come should earnestly pray endeavour and wait for is that the new Jerusalem may be seen coming down from heaven like a Bride adorned for her Husband and to be any way rightly instrumentall for the bringing in of this glory is a piece of the best Glory which wee are capable of on this side our heavenly Glory 'T was therefore a very gracious as well as a noble Design to create and establish a Corporation in this our England to receive improve mannage and issue a free contribution and the profits arising from it for the constant support encouragement and promotion of this work of Christ in That Other England Nor can wee but with much thankfulness to God take notice of the liberal charity of many who have already contributed to it as also of the faithfulness diligence prudence and Godly zeal of those worthy Persons who are entrusted with the disposal of those Contributions And because as the whole Work is great so there are some great parts of it now in hand as the Printing of Davids Psalms and the New Testament besides an intendment of printing the whole Bible in the Indian Language which must needs be a work of great charge as well as of excellent use for these reasons I say it would be a most acceptable Charity either to procure or advance additional Contributions How can any honour the Lord better with their perishing substance then by forwarding a Design which may be a means to keep thousands of Souls from perishing Yea what an honour will it be to this whole Nation that
Say not I will pray hereafter but now Today if yee will hear his voice harden not your hearts but pray to God and that made my heart to yield to do it Then I understood Gen. 2. that God formed man out of the dust of the earth and breathed into him a living soul by this I did believe that God made me And I heard that God caused Adam to sleep and took out a rib and made it a woman and by this I believed that surely this is the work of God Again I heard that wee are born in sin under the guilt of Adams sin and by that I believed that I was a sinner Again I heard Gen. 6. that all the thoughts and imaginations of the heart of man are only evil continually and that God did threaten to destroy man whom hee had made and all beasts and living creatures which hee had made and by this I saw that surely sin is a very great evil Again I heard that Noah found grace and hee onely was upright before God and that God drowned all the world except Noah and his sons and their wives eight persons this did make mee remember my sinnes and confesse them and I saw that God is angry with sin It rained forty dayes and so drowned all the world then I said Surely this is Gods work and hee doth as he threatned to do to sinners and the same may God do to me who am a sinner and my heart is full of sin and evil thoughts c. And then I prayed Oh God be not angry with mee but be mercifull to mee and shew mee what I should do Then I considered why did God bid Noah make an Ark and saved Noah and his Sons and their Wives and by it my heart saw that this is Gods work who does what hee speaketh and hath mercy on whom hee will And my heart thought does God pardon mee and love mee It may be God will have mercy on mee I heard that promise Mat. 3. Repent and believe for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand then my heart said Oh that God would help mee and pardon my sins And God made mee wonder at Gods mercy to mee I heard of Sodom and their great sin and destruction and that did make me to remember my great sins and the great work of God that hee had almost kill'd mee Oh I thought this is Gods work to shew mee my sinnes and as God saved Lot by the Angels and sent him out of the place but burnt Sodom and all the people this I saw to be Gods work now I desired to fear God and pray unto him all the dayes of my life Again I heard Mat. 3. The axe is laid to the root of the tree every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire then I feared my own case because my fruits were sin and I deserved to be cut down then I desired to believe in Christ I did believe that Christ is the Son of God by that word Matth. 4. Satan tempted Christ If thou be the Son of God c. but Christ conquered Satan and therefore assuredly hee is the Son of God Then I considered that place Mat. 11. Many came to Christ the halt and blinde and lame and deaf and sick and hee healed all and if they did but touch Christ they were healed and therefore my heart believed assuredly hee is the Son of God and therefore now I will pray and Oh let Christ save mee And Christ hath promised Whatever yee ask in my name it shall be done therefore now I prayed Oh Christ Jesus pardon mee but my heart is weak and doubting and I cannot believe And I heard that word that every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire then I said I deserve that Again that word Not every one that sayeth Lord Lord but hee that heareth the Word and doeth it Assuredly it is so and I desire not only to hear the Word but to do it then my heart was ashamed of my sinnes and grieved I heard that word Matth. 6. Blessed art thou Simon bar-Ionah flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my heavenly Father then my heart said Yea Lord no man has taught mee Christ onely God hath taught my heart to know Christ Again I heard that word Mat. 1. Hee will save his people from their sins then my heart said Be it so to mee Oh Lord Again I heard that Christ rose again the third day with an Earth-quake and the Watchmen were afraid and fled then my heart said Surely this is Christ the Son of God and whosoever believeth in Christ his soul shall go to heaven For again I heard of the Ascension of Christ and more then five hundred saw him ascend and therefore I believe this is Christ the Son of God Again I heard that in John 14. No man cometh unto the Father but by mee my heart answered Yea assuredly Oh Lord Christ is the way to believe in and come to God Again I heard that Mat. 25. Christ saith to the wicked Depart yee cursed I said God might justly say so to mee and send mee to eternal death But I earnestly cryed to God Oh God set mee into the right way and give mee Christ that I may ever walk with Christ for I am poor and weak and Christ promiseth that what wee ask hee will grant and I say Let God do with mee what hee will but I beg mercy in Christ onely I desire to pray to God as long as I live Iohn Speen THis I confess that I assuredly am a great sinner before the Lord but now I beseech God to help mee Oh Christ lead mee in the right way that I may speak that which is right This I confesse that before wee prayed to God I was wholly a sinner and not only before but since praying to God I have been a great sinner and now I desire to make a short confession for we desired that they would be shorter the time requiring so At first when I prayed my prayer was vain and only I prayed with my mouth and on the Sabbath only I came to the House of Prayer I prayed morning and evening and when I eat but I considered not what I prayed for I was sometime angry and passionate about wordly matters and I was troubled when I saw my brother was chosen to be a Ruler who was younger then I because now I saw that I was a sinner and though I repented yet presently again I fell into sin therefore I thought surely God hath cast me off because I thus sin and still my heart was full of sin all my thoughts were full of sin all my talk and doings were sinfull But now of late about 2 yeares ago I heard this word Mat. 12. When the unclean spirit was cast out hee went up and down unquiet then hee returned and took 7 devils with him worse
then himself and dwelt in that man and the latter end of that man was worse then his beginning When I heard this I feared my heart feared I feared that my repentance and praying and all was nought and that God hath almost quite cast me off Then I considered how I fell into these sins I remembred that the Serpent did deceive the woman she the man and thereby brought sin and thereupon God punished both the man and the woman Hearing this my heart thought Surely I am a great sinner and I was born in sin because my parents were sinners and so am I I have sinned against God and I was born in sin My Parents broke that Command Thou shalt have no other gods but Mee but they served many gods and so did I and therefore the earth bringeth forth thorns and weeds unto man when he laboreth therefore by this I remembred my troublesom life and all is because God is offended at me because of my sins And then I remembred that many of my children are dead this is Gods punishment on me because of my sins Sometime men punished me and were offended at me but now I remembred my sins against God and I saw that the punishments of God are a greater matter Again I heard that word that hee that keepeth his word shall finde mercy I thought so it is indeed but I am a sinner I considered what I should do because I was a sinner and born in sin and have lived in sin I considered assuredly there is a God and God made heaven and earth and all that is therein and all destructions and deaths are the work of God I remembred my vain praying to God and considered what to do I confessed my sins before God and begged pardon for Christ his sake I did finde I could not deliver my self but Christ only is my deliverer and my heart desired to believe and pray to him and yet knew not what to do nor how to please God and get pardon only I prayed Oh Christ deliver mee because I am a sinner and know not what to do Then I remembred that God layeth on us two deaths in this world First the soul is dead and wee are made guilty of Adams sin and have lost Gods Image and hereby my soul is a fool and hereby my soul is dead and a man dead can do nothing nor speak nor go nor stand and verily so is my soul dead and I shall fall to eternal damnation by sin Therefore now I cry to God to help mee for I am throughly a sinner After I heard that God pardoneth penitent believers and I remember the word of Ionas when he was almost cast off he repented and God made a Whale to eat him up and then he looked to God and cryed for mercy and then I saw that if I cry for mercy and believe I shall have pardon I heard that Christ healed all manner of diseases therefore I believed that Christ is the Son of God able to heal and pardon all Now I confess I know nothing almost nothing at all Again Christ saith Hee that is not with mee is against mee my heart said True it is so so must I do I must be with Christ and Hee that gathereth not scattereth I said So it is with mee I have so done I scatter and am a stranger to Christ And I did not truly love them that prayed to God but I was a stranger in heart unto them But now I desire in my heart to do as they do and our poor teaching I desire to obey it and do what God bids and what he saith you shall not do that I desire not to do But yet again I do sin and my sins troubled me by hearing the word of God and yet I would do them I heard that God will pardon all kinde of sins that men sin but the sin against the Holy Ghost shall not be pardoned in this world nor in that which is to come Then I fear'd that I was such an one and that God would not pardon me Then I earnestly entreated God to pardon and deliver me because he was the true deliverer Again I heard that word that they that are well need not the Physitian but the sick My heart said True I did even so I sought not help when I was well but now I remember my sins and now my soul is dead and now I desire that my soul may live and I desire the Physitian of my soul to heal mee and Christ will not in vain heal souls but such as convert from sin and believe in Christ their sins Christ pardoneth this my soul doth earnestly beseech of Christ and else I know not what to do Again I heard that Christ dyed for our sins when we are sinners Again Mat. 26. Christ saith This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins my heart said Yea Lord let it be so for my soul and let me not be a stranger any more before thee I know not what to do Lord help I desire to be washed from all my filthy sins and to be baptized as a sign of it I am as a dead man in my soul and desire to live Ponampam A Little I shall speak I was young about 8 years old when my father lived I did play as other children did and my father did chide me for playing I wondered at it for he said we shall all die I wondered and sat amazed about half an hour but I soon forgot it That Winter the Pox came and almost all our kindred dyed I and my mother came to the Bay and there dwelt till we pray'd to God but I did nothing but sin as the rest of the world did Then hearing the word of God I heard that from the rising of the sun to the setting thereof my Name shall be known among the Gentiles therefore all must pray to God But my heart did not desire that but to go away to some other place But remembring the word of God that all shall pray to God Then I did not desire to go away but to pray to God But if I pray afore the Sachems pray I fear they will kill me and therefore I will not pray But yet when others prayed I prayed with them and I thought if I run away to other places they will pray too therefore I will pray here Then on a Sabbath none taught and some bid me teach what the Minister had taught us but I feared and durst not for fear of the Sachems yet they urged me and I did And I taught them what I remembred and they were angry at me and we fell out and I went away I thought that my praying would be in vain and I laid by praying and there was Paw-wauing but I doubted to do that because I had prayed and I did think they would laugh at me After I returned again and was among them which prayed but my heart