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
Flesh for us to feed upon for he maketâ— the grass and herbs to grow and when the beasts do feed thereoâ— he doth turn those Leaves into blood flesh sinews and bones anâ— this he giveth us for food and turneth it into blood flesh sineâ—â— and bones in us All these wonderful works God doth in tâ—â— matter of feeding us and therefore is it not good reason wâ— should then pray to him Kinsm I never heard so much before nor thought of thesâ— things but now you declare and teach them my heart saith thaâ— all is true which you say and I now see great reason for this practise of you that pray to God to pray and give thanks both beforâ— and after meat and I see not but that there is good and just reâ—â—son so to do every time we drink and take in any sustenance aâ— lâ—ast to lift up our hearts to God who hath so eminent an hand iâ— doing us good thereby or hurt if he will Pium. Your acceptance and approbation of what I say and 〈◊〉 what we do in this point is a great argument that God doth boâ— your heart to pray unto God for you acknowledge it to be oâ—â— duty so to do and the neglect of it would be against the light oâ— your own Reason so that this Conviction hath cast a chain upoâ— your soul to binde you to pray unto God What say you mâ— friends All. We cannot say any thing against what you say but whâ—â— we shall do we cannot yet tell we must first consider of it foâ— we are ignorant and foolish we cannot do as you do Pium. Bend your hearts to it and God will teach you by hiâ— Word for we were at first as ignorant as you are but God helped us to hear the Word and do what we could and you see what God hath brought the matter unto We now walk in the light and now we call you to come into the light therefore I say Awake you that sleep stand up from the dead and Christ will give you light Kinsm We shall tire you with these discourses after your long and weary journey it is time for you to go to rest Pium. This discourse is better to me then meat drink and sleep if I may do good to your Souls and turn you unto God But before we go to râ—st and sleep we must pray unto God for it is God that giveth rest and sleep unto his Servants Kinsm Do all you praying Indians thus do when you are weary and tired with labour or travel or hunting c. do you pray before you go to rest what is the reason of your so doing Pium. We alwayes do so and if any should at any time through sloth and sleepiness fail so to do we judge our selves for our sin repent and confess our sin unto God and beg pardon and mercy for Christ his sake And there is great reason thus to pray unto God before we go to rest for besides what I said that God giveth us rest and therefore it is fit humbly to ask it of him There be many other Reasons why we should thus do for 1. VVe must give God thanks for all the mercies we have received all the day which are more then the moments of the time that we live 2. VVe must pray for Gods protection of us when we are asleep we lye like so many dead men and how easily might mischief befall us either by Fire or by an Enemy if God did not defend and keep us but when God is our keeper we may rest quietly in safety without fear under the covert of his hand and by faith in Gods protection we sleep quietly without fear whereas you that do not pray nor believe nor commit your selves to God you do alwayes sleep in fear and terrour 3. Moreover our sleep and rest is a great reparation of our strength and spirits and preservation of our health VVhile we sleep our food is boiled up within us and digested into all parts of our body and new spirits are extracted out of our food and sent up both to our head heart and all parts of our body so that we are fresh and strong in the morning after a good nights rest Now all this is the special work of God beyond the power and skill of man to perform for us and therefore it is great reason to pray for this blessing when we go to rest Kinsm VVhat you say is plain clear and true in every bodies experience though I did never hear nor consider so much of it before if therefore you will pray we will attend you Pium. Let us all appear before God reverently and with godly fear let none lye along or sit which are postures of unreverence but either stand like servants or kneel like sons and daughters before the Lord and so let us pray O merciful Lord God c. Kinsm I perceive that you pray for all our Countrymen who do not yet pray unto God it is your love so to do But what is the effect of your prayers there are not many that I hear of thaâ— pray unto God and you that do pray unto God what do you get by it wherein are you beâ—tered by your praying to God Pium. These are two great Points which you have propounded I am willing to speak to both First for the numbers that pray to God At first this aâ—â—er of praying to God was a little thing like a Cloud in the VVest of the bigness of a mans hand but now the Cloud is great â—nd wide and spreadeth over all the Country Nop and Nantuket and Pâ—umenuk Islands Mahshepog and many parts of the main Land to the utmost bounds of this Country Eastward And VVestward not onely all the Massachusets pray but also a great part of Nipmuk yea and the fields are ripe unto the harvest in many places more whom I will not name until they have given up themselves to the Lord to forsake their vanities and to pray unto God The Church of Christ at Natik have sent forth many into many parts of the Country to call them in unto Jesus Christ. I am sent unto you and I have good hope that God will bow your hearts to pray unto God So that the praying Indians are many and like to be more every year And our hope is the greater because the Lord hath râ—ised up sundry of our young men who were children when we first prayed unto God unto good knowledge in the â—criptures and are able to teach others the good knowledge of God and are sit to be sent forth unto all parts of the Country to â—each them to pray unto God Kinswom Husband what do you mean to withhold our Friend from â—eâ—t so long so lâ—te Alas Cousin you had need be at rest I pray tire not your sâ—lf with these long discourses Pium. I thaâ—k you for your care of me There is but one thing more that I am to speak to viz the second
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