Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	jesus_n	sin_n	sinner_n	3,659	5	7.4408	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59662	The Day-breaking, if not the sun-rising of the Gospell with the Indians in New-England	Wilson, John, 1588-1667.; Shepard, Thomas, 1605-1649.; Eliot, John, 1604-1690.	1647 (1647)	Wing S3110; ESTC R21203	20,924	28

sins and that therefore they might bee sure to finde favour though they had lived many yeares in sinne and that therefore if now they did repent it was not too late as the old man feared but if they did not come when they were thus called God would bee greatly angry with them especially considering that now they must sinne against knowledge whereas before we came to them they knew not any thing of God at all Having spent much time in clearing up the first question the next they propounded upon our answer was this viz. How come the English to differ so much from the Indians in the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ seeing they had all at first but one father Wee confessed that it was true that at first wee had all but one father but after that our first father fell hee had divers children some were bad and some good those that were bad would not take his counsell but departed from him and from God and those God left alone in sinne and ignorance but others did regard him and the counsell of God by him and those knew God and so the difference arose at first that some together with their posterity knew God and others did not and so wee told them it was at this day for like as if an old man an aged father amongst them have many children if some of them bee rebellious against the counsell of the father he shuts them out of doores and lets them goe and regards them not unlesse they returne and repent but others that will bee ruled by him they learne by him and come to know his minde so wee said English men seek God dwell in his house heare his word pray to God instruct their children out of Gods booke hence they come to know God but Indians forefathers were a stubborne and rebellious children and would not heare the word did not care to pray nor to teach their children and hence Indians that now are do not know God at all and so must continue unlesse they repent and returne to God and pray and teach their children what they now may learne but withall wee told them that many English men did not know God but were like to Kitchamakins drunken Indians Nor were wee willing to tell them the story of the scattering of Noabs children since the flood and thereby to shew them how the Indians come to bee so ignorant because it was too difficult and the history of the Bible is reserved for them if God will to be opened at a more convenient season in their owne tongue Their third Question was How may wee come to serve God Wee asked him that did propound it whether he did desire indeed to serve him and hee said yes Hereupon wee said first they must lament their blindnesse and sinfulnesse that they cannot serve him and their ignorance of Gods booke which wee pointed to which directs how to serve him Secondly that they could not serve God but by seeking forgivenesse of their sinnes and power against their sinnes in the bloud of Jesus Christ who was preached to them Thirdly that looke as an Indian childe if he would serve his father hee must first know his fathers will and love his father too or else he can never serve him but if hee did know his fathers will and love him then he would serve him and then if hee should not doe some things as his father commands him and yet afterwards grieve for it upon his knees before his father his father would pity and accept him so wee told them it was with God they must labour to know his will and love God and then they will bee willing to serve him and if they should then sin yet grieving for it before God he would pity and accept of them Their fourth Question was How it comes to passe that the Sea water was salt and the Land water fresh 'T is so from the wonderfull worke of God as why are Strawberries sweet and Cranberries sowre there is no reason but the wonderfull worke of God that made them so our study was chiefly to make them acknowledge God in his workes yet wee gave them also the reason of it from naturall causes which the lesse understood yet did understand somewhat appearing by their usuall signes of approving what they understand Their fifth Question was that if the water was higher then the earth how comes it to passe that it doth not overflow all the earth Wee still held God before them and shewed that this must needes bee the wonderfull worke of God and we tooke an apple and thereby shewed them how the earth and water made one round globe like that apple and how the Sun moved about it and then shewed them how God made a great hole or ditch into which hee put the waters of the Sea so that though it was upon the earth and therefore above the earth yet we told them that by making so deepe a hole the waters were kept within compasse that they could not overflow just as if Indians making a hole to put in much water the water cannot overflow nor runne abroad which they would if they had no such hole so it was with God it was his mighty power that digged a hole for all Sea-waters as a deepe ditch and thereby God kept them in from overflowing the whole earth which otherwise would quickly drowne all They having spent much conference amongst themselves about these Questions and the night hastening we desired them to propound some other Questions or if not we would aske them some hereupon one of them asked us If a man hath committed adultery or stolen any goods and the Sachim doth not punish him nor by any law is hee punished if also he restore the goods he hath stolen what then whether is not all well now meaning that if Gods Law was broken and no man punished him for it that then no punishment should come from God for it and as if by restoring againe an amends was made to God Although man be not offended for such sinnes yet God is angry and his anger burnes like fire against all sinners and here wee set out the holinesse and terrour of God in respect of the least sinne yet if such a sinner with whom God is angry fly to Jesus Christ and repent and seeke for mercy and pardon for Christ's sake that then God will forgive and pity Upon the hearing of which answer hee that propounded the question drew somewhat backe and hung downe his head as a man smitten to the very heart with his eyes ready to drop and within a little while after brake out into a complaint Mee little know Jesus Christ otherwise he thought he should seeke him better we therefore told him that looke as it was in the morning at first there is but a little light then there is more light then there is day then the Sun is up

then the Sun warmes and heates c. so it was true they knew but little of Jesus Christ now but wee had more to tell them concerning him hereafter and after that more and after that more untill at last they may come to know Christ as the English doe and wee taught them but a little at a time because they could understand but little and if they prayed to God to teach them he would send his Spirit and teach them more they and their fathers had lived in ignorance untill now it hath beene a long night wherein they have slept and have not regarded God but now the day-light began to stirre upon them they might hope therefore for more ere long to bee made knowne to them Thus having spent some houres with them wee propounded two Questions What do you remember of what was taught you since the last time wee were here After they had spoken one to another for some time one of them returned this answer that they did much thanke God for our comming and for what they heard they were wonderfull things unto them Doe you beleeve the things that are told you viz that God is musquantum i. e. very angry for the least sinne in your thoughts or words or workes They said yes and hereupon wee set forth the terrour of God against sinners and mercy of God to the penitent and to such as sought to know Jesus Christ and that as sinners should bee after death Chechainuppan i. e. tormented alive for wee know no other word in the tongue to expresse extreame torture by so beleevers should after death Wowein wicke Jehovah i. e. live in all blisse with Iehovah the blessed God and so we concluded conference Having thus spent the whole afternoone and night being almost come upon us considering that the Indians formerly desired to know how to pray and did thinke that Jesus Christ did not understand Indian language one of us therefore prepared to pray in their owne language and did so for above a quarter of an houre together wherein divers of them held up eies and hands to heaven all of them as wee understood afterwards understanding the same but one of them I cast my eye upon was hanging downe his head with his rag before his eyes weeping at first I feared it was some sorenesse of his eyes but lifting up his head againe having wiped his eyes as not desirous to be seene I easily perceived his eyes were not sore yet somewhat red with crying and so held up his head for a while yet such was the presence and mighty power of the Lord Jesus on his heart that hee hung downe his head againe and covered his eyes againe and so fell wiping and wiping of them weeping abundantly continuing thus till prayer was ended after which hee presently turnes from us and turnes his face to a side and corner of the Wigwam and there fals a weeping more aboundantly by himselfe which one of us perceiving went to him and spake to him encouraging words at the hearing of which hee fell a weeping more and more so leaving of him he who spake to him came unto mee being newly gone out of the Wigwam and told mee of his teares so we resolved to goe againe both of us to him and speake to him againe and wee met him comming out of the Wigwam and there wee spake againe to him and he there fell into a more aboundant renewed weeping like one deeply and inwardly affected indeed which forced us also to such bowels of compassion that wee could not forbeare weeping over him also and so wee parted greatly rejoycing for such sorrowing Thus I have as faithfully as I could remember given you a true account of our beginnings with the Indians within our owne bounds which cannot but bee matter of more serious thoughts what further to doe with these poore Natives the dregs of mankinde and the saddest spectacles of misery of meere men upon earth wee did thinke to forbeare going to them this winter but this last dayes worke wherein God set his seale from heaven of acceptance of our little makes those of us who are able to resolve to adventure thorow frost and snow lest the fire goe out of their hearts for want of a little more fewell to which wee are the more incouraged in that the next day after our being with them one of the Indians came to his house who preacht to them to speake with him who in private conference wept exceedingly and said that all that night the Indians could not sleepe partly with trouble of minde and partly with wondring at the things they heard preacht amongst them another Indian comming also to him the next day after told him how many of the wicked sort of Indians began to oppose these beginnings Whence these Indians came here to inhabit is not certaine his reasons are most probable who thinke they are Tartars passing out of Asia into America by the straits of Anian who being spilt by some revenging hand of God upon this continent like water upon the ground are spread as farre as these Atlanticke shores there being but few of them in these parts in comparison of those which are more contiguous to the Anian straits if wee may credit some Historians herein what ever these conjectures and uncertainties bee certaine it is that they are inheritors of a grievous and fearefull curse living so long without Ephod or Teraphim and in nearest alliance to the wilde beasts that perish and as God delights to convey blessings of mercy to the posterity of some in respect of his promise to their fathers so are curses entailed and come by naturall descent unto others for some great sinnes of their Ancestors as no doubt it is in respect of these Yet notwithstanding the deepest degeneracies are no stop to the overflowing grace and bloud of Christ when the time of love shall come no not to these poore outcasts the utmost ends of the earth being appointed to bee in time the Sonne of Gods possession Wee are oft upbraided by some of our Countrymen that so little good is done by our professing planters upon the hearts of Natives such men have surely more spleene then judgement and know not the vast distance of Natives from common civility almost humanity it selfe and 't is as if they should reproach us for not making the windes to blow when wee list our selves it must certainely be a spirit of life from God not in mans power which must put flesh and sinewes unto these dry bones if wee would force them to baptisme as the Spaniards do about Cusco Peru and Mexico having learnt them a short answer or two to some Popish questions or if wee would hire them to it by giving them coates and shirts to allure them to it as some others have done wee could have gathered many hundreds yea thousands it may bee by this time into the name of Churches but wee have not learnt as yet