Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	bless_a	lord_n	mercy_n	4,393	5	6.3738	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96422	Strength out of weakness. Or A glorious manifestation of the further progresse of the gospel amongst the Indians in New-England. Held forth in sundry letters from divers ministers and others to the corporation established by Parliament for promoting the gospel among the heathen in New-England; and to particular members thereof since the last treatise to that effect, / formerly set forth by Mr Henry Whitfield late pastor of Gilford in New-England. ; Published by the aforesaid corporation.	Gouge, William, 1578-1653.; Whitfield, Henry, 1597-1660?; Eliot, John, 1604-1690.; Wilson, John, 1588-1667.; Leverich, William, d. 1677.; Bessey, Anthony, 1609?-1657?; Mayhew, Thomas, 1621-1657.; Endecott, John, 1588?-1665.; French, William, 1603?-1681.; Allen, Thomas, 1608-1673.; Society for Propagation of the Gospel in New England.	1652 (1652)	Wing W2002; ESTC R223436	37,294	59

Strength out of Weakness Or a Glorious MANIFESTATION Of the further Progresse of the GOSPEL AMONGST THE INDIANS IN NEW-ENGLAND Held forth in sundry LETTERS from divers Ministers and others to the Corporation established by Parliament for promoting the Gospel among the Heathen in New-England and to particular Members thereof since the last Treatise to that effect formerly set forth by Mr Henry Whitfield late Pastor of Gilford in New-England Published by the aforesaid Corporation CANT. 8. 8. Wee have a little Sister and she hath no breasts what shall we doe for our Sister in the day that she shall be spoken for LONDON Printed by M. Simmons for John Blague and Samuel Howes and are to be sold at their Shop in Popes Head-Alley 1652. TO THE SUPREAME AUTHORITIE OF THIS NATION The Parliament of the Common-Wealth of ENGLAND THat the Fathers joy at the returning of a Spend-thrift Sonne ought to have an influence upon the whole Family of Heaven and Earth that is called after his name to worke their suitable affections and conformity to himselfe cannot be questioned by any true childe thereof Behold then Right Honourable a call thereunto Poore Prodigalls who have not only with our selves lost that rich Treasure of grace and holinesse wherewith in our Common roote and Fountaine we were entrusted but also in a course of Rebellion for many Generations wasted the remainder of Natures Riches to the utmost degeneracy that an Immortall rationall being is obnoxious unto not returning a farre off but rejoycing in the imbraces of their Father and enterteined with his flesh and bloud who was slaine and sacrificed for them The ayme of our walking with God here is to come up to some conformitie to them who behold his face and doe his Will in Heaven amongst them there is joy at the Repentance of one Sinner and shall not wee finde sweetnesse in the first fruits of a barren Wildernesse in the shining of a beame of light into the darknesse of another World giving hope of a plentifull harvest and a glorious day to ensue Let men take heed lest by despising the day and opposing the Worke of the Lord towards those poore Sonnes of Adam notwithstanding all their zealous profession they proclaime themselves to pursue a Carnall Interest by which they declare the enlargement of the Dominion of Jesus Christ is of no Concernment unto them Wee are by many Pledges assured better things of you Right Honourable and such as accompany zeale for the House of our God and therefore the ensuing Testimonialls of the progresse of the Worke of the Gospel being sent unto us wee make bold humbly to present them to you partly that we may invite you as the friends of Jesus Christ to rejoyce with him that some sheepe of his who were lost are found and partly to lay before you as matter of your rejoycing some such fruits of the putting forth of your Authoritie and investing us therewith for the carrying on this most glorious undertaking as may encourage your selves and all others that love the Lord Jesus to goe on through him who doth enable you unto future reall expressions of love and zeale thereunto Wee shall not need to draw forth any particulars from the ensuing Narrative to give you a taste of that Spirit whereinto these poore Creatures are sweetly baptized Wee hope your delight in the Worke of God will inforce a leasure to view the whole this in Generall wee may say that in the Wildernesse are waters broken out and streames in the Desert the parched ground is become a Poole and the thirsty Land-springs of water in the Habitation of Dragons where each lay there is grasse with Reeds and Rushes the Lord hath powred water upon him that is thirstie and flouds upon the dry ground He hath powred his Spirit on the seeds of the Heathen his blessing on their Off-spring they spring up as among the grasse as willowes by the water-courses One sayes I am the Lords and another calls himselfe by the name of Jacob and another subscribes with his hand unto the Lord and sirnames himselfe by the name of Israel The Lord hath done a new thing and wee know it he hath made a way in the Wildernesse and Rivers in the Desert the beast of the feild doth honour him the Dragons and the Owles because he gives waters in the Wildernes and Rivers in the Desert to give drinke to his People his chosen So that upon the Report heere read unto us wee cannot but glorifie God with those Primitive beleevers and say then hath God also to the poore naked Indians granted Repentance unto life Their outward wants and streights have often been presented unto you wee shall not need to repeate them blessed be the Lord and blessed be you of the Lord that your hearts have been stirred up to give encouragement unto this Worke and to open a Doore for the reliefe of those Eminent Instruments in the hand of the Lord who there carry it on who though they communicate to them Spiritualls yet are so farre from receiving of their Temporalls that they impart unto them a Portion of their own dayly bread and provision necessary from their owne subsistence The good Lord lay the weight and concernment of this Worke upon your spirits and wee no way doubt that you will in any way be wanting to the Publique improvement of this blessed opportunitie for the enlargement of the Kingdome of him whom our Soules doe love There is a vexation of spirit which through their formalitie and unbeliefe hath encompassed many Professors that whereas they have with much seeming earnestnes cryed out for mercies when they have been bestowed they have thought scorne of them so did the Jewes in the busines of their Messias and many at this day amongst our selves in the great works of the Providences of God It is so with some to this breaking forth of light amongst the Indians desiring it before it began despising it in its very beginnings the Lord lay it not unto their charge and keep all our spirits in an holy admiration and reverence of the powerfull efficacy of his eternall and unchangeable purposes which through so many sinfull Generations falling in their Rebellion hath preserved a seed to himselfe whereof he will take care that one graine fall not to the Ground Your Honors to serve you in promoting the Gospel of Christ Signed in the name and by appointment of the Corporation William Steele President To the READER Christian Reader THese ensuing Letters doe represent unto thee and to the Churches the out-goings of Christ as a Light to the Gentiles that the grace which brings Salvation hath appeared unto them also in the furthest parts of the Earth for the accomplishment of that ancient and glorious Promise I will give thee for a Light to the Gentiles that thou may'st be my Salvation to the Ends of the Earth Isa. 49. 6. The People of God have been greatly affected with the appearances of

furtherance of this our worke and also how the Lord had frowned upon it and undoubtedly it was a fruit of sinne and therefore the Lord called them to repentance and make peace with God besides wee were beginning a great worke of civill Cohabitation and Governement and they wanted wisdome to carry on such a worke and the Lord had promised if any want wisdome aske it of God who gives liberally citing that of James which I had formerly preached on Moreover wee were in preparation for a Church-state and that was a great matter to seeke the Lord in and lastly they having chosen Rulers and intending to enter into a Covenant to promise unto God to be his people and to be ruled in all things by his Word Gods appointment is that such a Covenant should be entred into in a solemne day of fasting and prayer and all these causes concurred to put us on unto that worke Now though wee never yet had kept such a day unto the Lord yet I had instructed them therein for in the Spring wee had a generall day of humiliation in all the Churches and thereupon they moved this question Why the English often fasted and prayed and I never yet taught them so to doe to which I did answer by that of Christ unto the Disciples but told them that when wee set upon the great vvorkes of God to be his people governed by his Word and to gather a Church then they should be called of God unto it c. and now it came to passe my motion they deliberated on with some conference as their manner is and finally did consent unto it then I told them it was needfull they should pray and teach that day sundry of them and wee agreed that all such as vvere called to be Rulers should exercise that day or so many as wee had time for their exercise Before that day came even then when it was appointed Cutshamoquin the chiefe Sachem and therefore chosen the chiefe for hee is constant in his profession though doubtfull in respect of the throughnesse of his heart was in the Countrey neere Narragan set about appeasing some strife among some Sachems In which Journey some of those bad Indians and Cutshamoquin with them did buy much strong Water at Gortons Plantation and had a great drinking from which the wiser sort did withdraw themselves but Cutshamoquin was in it though not unto drunkennesse yet his Act was scandalous Before vvee solemnly appeared before God and made the above-written Covenant I advised with Mr Cotton about it and his Counsaile was to add these words in the beginning Wee are the sonnes of Adam wee and our forefathers have a long time been lost in our sinnes but now the mercy of the Lord beginneth to finde us out againe therefore the grace of Christ helping us wee doe give our selves and our Children c. When the day came this Act of Cutshamoquin being broken out wee suffered not him to teach onely he began the day with confession of his sinne and made a short prayer wherein he confessed Satan acted in his heart begged pardon and that the Spirit of God might dwell in him and act in him for time to come and so ended Then another of them began with prayer and for his Text tooke that in the 7th of Luke 36. to the end though they doe not know the Booke Chapter or Verse but distinguish my Lectures by the first materiall word in it Christ being invited by Symon the Pharisee the Woman washt his feete with her teares c. At vvhich Symon stumbling Christ spake the parable of the two Debtors both freely forgiven with the application all which he repeated pretty well and after his teaching he prayed againe and ended The second tooke for his Text the Lords Prayer because it is said he a day of prayer The third tooke for his Text the 7th of Matthew 19. to the end Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is cut downe c. And upon that parable of the two Builders on the rocke the first the other on the sand c. By this time the day was well up then I taught out of the 9th of Ezra 3. 9. where I described a day of fasting and the right carriage of it yet by the parable of a Nut I shewed that outward acts are as the shell which is necessary but a broken and believing heart is the kernell and so ended the forepart of the day After a little respite in which time a Question came to mee if it were lawfull to take a pipe of Tobacco we met againe the first took his Text Joh. 3. 16. 22. and his Preface was I reade or rehearse this and let every one reade it in his owne heart The second took his Text Matth. 13. 24. to 31. from the parable of him that sowed good seed and the enemie came and while they slept sowed tares c. The third took his Text Luke 3d. 4 5 6. ver. Prepare yee the way of the Lord make his paths straight c. By this time night drew on then I took for my Text Deut. 29. and the 1. to 16. where Israel entred into Covenant with the Lord and finally our Covenant in the forerecited words I expressed and they joyntly consented unto first the Rulers then all the people then was the Collections for the poore and by dark night wee finished our worke Thus have I briefly described that blessed day wherein these poore soules solemnely became the people of the Lord this was on the 24th day of the 7th Moneth 1651. Upon the 8th of the Oct. Moneth which was our next Lecture for it is in that place but once in a fortnight I houlding a Lecture each other weeke still at any other place it pleased our Governour with many others attending him to visit our poore workes and day of small things where they viewed our house our Fort our Bridge advised about a place for a Mill c. At the season they came unto our Lecture and observed the carriage and behaviour of things and men among other things one of our Indians did as we are wont exercise which they tooke so much notice of and were so farre affected with as that it pleased the Governour to advice me to write the substance of that which he spake which is as followeth his Text was Matth. 13. 44 45 46. Againe the Kingdome of heaven is like vnto treasure hid in a feild the which when a man hath found he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth the feild 45. Againe the Kingdome of heaven is like unto a Marchant-man seeking goodly pearles 46. Who when he had found one pearle of great price he went and sould all that he had and bought it The substance of these words he did twice rehearse then for instruction he first propounded what is this treasure which is hid in a feild he answered it is Repentance for