Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A39231
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Nevv Englands first fruits in respect, first of the conversion of some, conviction of divers, preparation of sundry of the Indians, 2. of the progresse of learning in the colledge at Cambridge in Massacusets Bay : with divers other speciall matters concerning the country.
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1643
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Wing E519; ESTC R1260
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19,229
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28
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of the meanes he grew greatly in the knowledge of Christ and in the Principles of Religion and became thorowly reformed according to his light hating and loathing himselfe for his dearest sinnes which were especially these two Lust and Revenge this repentance for the former was testified by his temperance and abstinence from all occasions or matter of provocation thereunto Secondly by putting away all his Wives saving the first to whom he had most right His repentance for the latter was testified by an eminent degree of meeknesse and patience that now if any did abuse him he could lie downe at their feet and if any did smite him on the one cheeke he would rather turne the other than offend them many trialls hee had from the Jndians in this case Thirdly by going up and downe to those hee had offered violence or wrong unto confessing it and making restitution Afterwards he went amongst the Indians like that poore Woman of Samaria proclaiming Christ and telling them what a Treasure he had found instructing them in the knowledge of the true God and this he did with a grave and serious spirit warning them with all faithfullnesse to flee from the wrath to come by breaking off their sinnes and wickednesse This course of his did so disturb the Devill that ere long some of the Indians whose hearts Satan had filled did secretly give him poyson which he tooke without suspition and when he lay upon his death bed some Indians who were by him wished him according to the Indian manner to send for Poâ—ow that is to say a Wizzard he told them If Iesus Christ say that Wequash shall live then Wequash must live if Iesus Christ say that Wequash shall dye then Wequash is willing to dye and will not lengthen â—ur his life by any such meanes Before he dyed he did bequeath his Child to the godly care of the English for education and instruction and so yielded up his soule into Christ his hands I cannot omit the testimony of Mr. Sh a godly Minister in the Bay that wrote to his Friend in London concerning this Story his lines are full plain and pithy his words these Wequash the famous Indian at the Rivers mouth is dead and certainly in heaven gloriously did the Grace of Christ shine forth in his conversation a yeare and a halfe before his death he knew Christ he loved Christ he preached Christ up and down and then suffered Martyrdome for Christ and when he dyed he gave his soule to Christ and his only child to the English rejoycing in this hope that the child should know more of Christ then its poore Father ever did Thus we have given you a little tast of the sprincklings of Gods spirit upon a few Indians but one may easily imagine that here are not all that may be produced for if a very few of us here present upon very sudden thoughts have snatcht up only such instances which came at present to hand you may conveive that if all in our Plantations which are farre and wide should set themselves to bring in the confluence of all their Observations together much more might be added We beleeve one mean amongst others that hath thus farre wonne these poore wretches to looke after the Gospell hath been the dealings and carriages which God hath guided the English in our Patent to exercise towards them For 1. At our entrance upon the Land it was not with violence and intrusion but free and faire with their consents and allowance the chief Sagamores of all that part of the Countrey entertaining us heartily and professed we were all much welcome 2. When any of them had possession of or right unto any Land we were to plant upon none were suffered to our knowledge to take one acre from them but do use to compound with them to content 3. They have had justice truly exercised towards them in all other particular acts that as we expect right dealing from them in case any of them shall trespasse us we send to their Sagamore and he presently rights us or else we summon them to our Court to answer it so if any of our men offend them and complaint and proofe be made to any of our Magistrates or the publique Court they know they are sure to be righted to the utmost by us 4. The humanity of the Enghish towards them doth much gaine upon them we being generally wary and tender in giving them offensive or harsh language or carriage but use them fairly and courteously with loving termes good looks and kind salutes Thus they having first a good esteem of our Persons such of them as God intends good unto are the sooner brought to hearken to our words and then to serve our God wheras on the contrary the wicked injurious and scandalous carriages of some other Plantations have bin a mean to harden chose poore wofull soules against the English and all Religion for their sakes and seale them up under perdition Yet mistake us not we are wont to keep them at such a distance knowing they serve the Devill and are led by him as not to imbolden them too much or trust them too farre though we do them what good we can And the truth is God hath so kept them excepting that act of the Pequits long since to some few of our men that we never found any hurt from them nor could ever prove any reall intentions of evill against us And if there should be such intentions and that they all should combine together against us with all their strength that they can raise we see no probable ground at all to feare any hurt from them they being naked men and the numbâ—r of them that be amongst us not considerable Let us here gâ—ve a touch also of what God hath done and is further about to doe to divers Plantations of the English which before that time that God sent light into our coasts were almost as darke and rude as the Indians themselves 1. First at Agamenticus a Plantation out of our jurisdiction to which one of our Preachers comming and labouring amongst them was a meanes under God not only to sparkle heavenly knowledge and worke conviction and reformation in divers of them but conversion also to Christ in some of them that blesse God to this day that â—ver he came thither 2. Then after that as Sauco Plantation which is an hundred miles from us divers of that place comming often into our coasâ—s and hearing the Word preached and seeing Gods goings amongst his people there being much affected went home and lamented amongst their neighbours their own wofull condition that lived like heathens without the Gospel when others injoyed it in great plenty hereupon with joynt consent two of their chiefe men were sent in all their names earnestly to intreat us to send a godly Minister to preach the Word unto them which was doe accordingly not without good successe to the people there and divers places about
NEW ENGLANDS FIRST FRUITS IN RESPECT First of the Conversion of some of the Indians First of the Conviction of divers of the Indians First of the Preparation of sundry of the Indians 2. Of the progresse of Learning in the Colledge at CAMBRIDGE in Massacusets Bay WITH Divers other speciall Matters concerning that Countrey Published by the instant request of sundry Friends who desire to be satisfied in these points by many New-England Men who are here present and were eye or eare-witnesses of the same Who hath despised the Day of small things Zach. 4.10 If thou wert pure and upright surely now he will awake for thee And though thy beginnings be small thy latter end shall greatly enerease Iob. 86 7. LONDON Printed by R. O. and G. D. for Henry Overton and are to sold at his Shop in Popes-head-Alley 1643. NEW ENGLANDS FIRST FRUITS 1. In respect of the INDIANS c. THe Lord who useth not to be wanting to the desires of his Servants as he hath not frustrated the ends of our Transplanting in sundry other respects so neither in the giving some light to those poore Indians who have ever sate in hellish darknesse adoring the Divell himselfe for their GOD but hath given us some testimony of his gracious acceptance of our poore endeavours towards them and of our groanes to himselfe for mercy upon those miserable Soules the very Ruines of Mankind there amongst us our very bowels yerning within us to see them goe downe to Hell by swarmes without remedy Wherefore we judged it our duty no longer to conceale but to declare to the praise of his owe free grace what first Fruits he haâ—h begun to gather in amongst them as a sure pledge we are consident of a greater Harvest in his owne time And wonder not that wee mention no more instances at present but consider First their infinite distance from Christianity having never been prepared thereunto by any Civility at all Secondly the difficulty of their Language to us and of ours to them there being no Rules â—o learne either by Thirdly the diversity of their owne Language to it selfe every part of that Countrey having its own Dialect differing much from the other all which make their comming into the Gospel the more slow But what God hath done for some of them we will declare 1. MAny years since at Plimmouth Plantation when the Church did fast and pray for Raine in extreame Drought it being a very hot and cleare sun-shine day all the former part thereof An Indian of good quality being present and seeing what they were about fell a wondring at them for praying for raine in a day so unlikely when all Sunne and no Clouds appeared and thought that their God was not able to give Raine at such a time as that but this poore wretch seeing them still to continue in their Prayers and beholding that at last the Clouds began to rise and by that time they had ended their Duty the Raine fell in a most sweet constant soaking showre fell into wonderment at the power that the English had with their God and the greatnesse and goodnesse of that God whom they served and was smitten with terror that he had abused them and their God by his former hard thoughts of them and resolved from that day not to rest till he did know this great good God and for that end to forsake the Indians and cleare to the English which he presently did and laboured by all publique and private meanes to suck in more and more of the knowledge of God and his wayes And as he increased in knowledge so in affection and also in his practice reforming and conforming himselfe accordingly and though he was much tempted by inticements scoffes and scornes from the Indians yet could he never be gotten from the English nor from seeking after their God but died amongst them leaving some good hopes in their hearts that his soule went to rest 2. Sagamore Iohn Prince of Massaquesets was from our very first landing more courteous ingenious and to the English more loving then others of them he desired to learne and speake our Language and loved to imitate us in our behaviour and apparrell and began to hearken after our God and his wayes and would much commend English-men and their God saying Much good men much good God and being convinced that our condition and wayes were better farre then theirs did resolve and promise to leave the Indians and come live with us but yet kept downe by feare of the scoffes of the Indians had not power to make good his purpose yet went on not without some trouble of mind and secret plucks of Conscience as the sequel declares for being struck with death fearfully cryed out of himselfe that he had not come to live with us to have knowne our God better But now said he I must die the God of the English is much angry with me and will destroy me ah I was affraid of the scoffes of these wicked Indians yet my Child shall live with the English and learne to knew their God when I am dead I le give him to Mr. Wilson he is a much Good man and much loved me so sent for Mr. Wilson to come to him and committed his onely Child to his care and so died 3. Divers of the Indians Children Boyes and Girles we have received into our houses who are long since civilized and in subjection to us painfull and handy in their businesse and can speak our language familiarly divers of whom can read English and begin to understand in their measure the grounds of Christian Religion some of them are able to give us account of the Sermons they heare and of the word read and expounded in our Families and are convinced of their sinfull and miserable Estates and affected with the sense of Gods displeasure and the thoughts of Eternity and will sometimes tremble and melt into teares at our opening and pressing the Word upon their Consciences and as farre as we can discerne some of them use to pray in secret and are much in love with us and cannot indure to returne any more to the Indians Some of them will not be absent from a Sermon or Family duties if they can help it and we have knowne some would use to weep and cry when detained by occasion from the Sermon Others of them are very inquisitive after God and his wayes and being themselves industrious in their Calling will much complaine of other servants idlenesse and reprove them One of them who for some misdemeanour that laid him open to publique punishment ran away and being gone God so followed him that of his owne accord he returned home rendred himselfe to Justice and was willing to submit himselfe though he might have escaped An Indian Maid at Salem would often come from the Word crying out with abundance of teares concluding that she must burne when she die and would say she knew her selfe naught for present