THE LIFE OF MR. JOHN ELIOT, THE FIRST PREACHER OF THE GOSPEL TO THE-INDIANS IN AMERICA.

 

WRITTEN BY COTTON MATHER..

 

PRELIMINARY 1:

 

His Birth, Age, and Family.

FOR his birth, it was at a town in England, the name whereof I cannot presently recover. He came to New England in the month of November, 1631, among those blessed old Planters, which laid the foundations of a remarkable country, devoted unto the exercise of the Protestant Religion. He left behind him in England, a virtuous young gentlewoman, whom he bad pursued and purposed marriage unto; and she coming hither the year following, that marriage was consummated in October, 1632.

On his first arrival at New-England, he soon joined himself to the Church at Boston. MR. WILSON, the Pastor of that Church, was gone back into England, that he might perfect the settlement of his affairs; and in his absence young MR. ELIOT supplied his place. Upon the return of MR. WILSON, that Church was intending to have made Mr. ELIOT his colleague; but he had engaged unto a select cumber of his Christian Friends in England, that if they should come into these parts before he should be in the pastoral care of any other people, he would give himself to them and be for their service. It happened, that these friends transported themselves hither the year after, and chose their habitation at the town which they called Roxbury. So it was in the orb of that Church that we had him as a star fixed for near threescore years.

PART 1:

HIS BEHAVIOR AS A CHRISTIAN.

ARTICLE 1: His eminent Piety..

Such was the piety of MR. ELIOT, that like another Moses, he had upon his face a continual shine, arising from his uninterrupted communion with the FATHER of Spirits. He was indeed a man of prayer, being in a manner made up of it. He riot only made it his daily practice to" enter into his closet, and shut the door, and pray to his FATHER in secret," but he would not rarely set apart whole days for Draeer, with fasting in secret, before the GOD of Heaven. Prayer solemnized with fasting, was indeed so agreeable to him, that I have sometimes thought he might justly inherit the name of JOHANNES DEJUNATOR, or JOHN THE FASTER, which, for the like reason, was put upon one of the renowned ancients; especially when there was any remarkable difficulty before him, he took this way to encounter and overcome it; being of DR. PRESTON'S mind,'That when we would have any great things to be accomplished, the best policy is to work by an engine which the world sees nothing of.' He could say, as the pious ROBERTSON did upon his death-bed,' I thank God, I have loved fasting and prayer with all my heart.' He kept his heart in a frame for prayer, with a marvelous constancy, and was continually provoking all that were about him thereunto. When he heard any considerable news, his usual and speedy reflection thereupon would be,' Brethren, let us turn all this into prayer;' and he was perpetually inviting prayer, both more privately in the Meetings, and more publicly in the Churches of his neighborhood. When he came to an house that he was intimately acquainted with, he would often say,' Come, let us not have a visit without a prayer; let us pray down the blessing of Heaven on your family before we go.' Especially when he came into a society of Ministers, before he had sat long with them, they would look to hear him urging,' Brethren, the LORD JESUS takes much notice of what is done and said among his Ministers when they are together; come, let us pray before we part.' And hence also his whole breath seemed in a sort made, up of ejaculatory prayers; many scores of which winged messengers, he despatched away to Heaven every day. By them he bespoke blessings upon almost every person or affair that he was concerned with; and he carried every thing to God with some pertinent Hosannahs or Hallelujahs over it. He was a mighty and a happy man that had his quiver full of these heavenly arrows: And when he was never so straightly besieged by human occurrences, yet he fastened the wishes of his devout soul unto them, and shot them up to heaven over the Bead of all.

As he thus took delight in speaking to GOD, no less did he in speaking of Him. In serious and pious discourses, he still had his tongue "like the pen of a ready writer." The Jesuits once at Nola, made a no less profane than severe order,' That no man should speak of GOD at all;' but this excellent person almost made it an order wherever he came,' to speak of nothing but Gon.' He was indeed sufficiently affable in conversation, but he had a remarkable gravity mixed with it, and a singular skill of raising some holy observation out of whatever matter of discourse lay before him; nor would lie ordinarily dismiss any theme without some divine pithy sentence thereupon. Doubtless he imposed it as a law upon himself, that he would leave something of God, and Heaven, and Religion, with all that should come near hint; so that in all-places his company was attended with majesty and reverence, and it was no sooner proper for him to speak, but, like Mary's opened box of ointment, he filled the whole room with the perfumes of the graces in his lips.

His conferences were like those which TERTULLIAN affirms to have been common among the Saints in his days, Ut qui sciret Dominum audire, as knowing that the ear of God was open, to them all; and lie managed his rudder so as to manifest that he' was bound Heaven-ward in his whole communication. He had a particular art at spiritualizing earthly objects, and raising high thoughts from very mean things. As the friend of the famous URSIN could profess, that he never went unto him without coming away either the wiser or the better -for him; so it is an acknowledgment which more than one friend of Mr. ELIOT's has made concerning him,' I never was with him but I got some good from him.'

And hearing from the great God, was an exercise of like satisfaction to this good man, with speaking either to him or of him. He was a mighty Student in the Bible; and it was unto him as his necessary food:, He made the Bible his companion and his counselor; and the holy lines of Scripture more enamored him, that the profane ones of TULLY ever did the famous Italian Cardinal. I-le would not, upon easy terms, have gone one day together without using a portion of the Bible as an antidote against the infection of- temptation. And he would prescribe it unto others, with his probatum est upon it; as once particularly a pious woman, vexed with a wicked husband, complaining to him, That bad company was all the day infesting her house, and what should she do He advised her,' Take the Holy Bible into your hand, when the bad company comes, and you will soon drive them out of the house:'

The woman made the experiment, and thereby cleared her house from the haunts that had molested her. Moreover, if ever any man could, he might pretend unto that evidence of uprightness," LORD, I have loved the habitation of thine house;" for he not only gave something more than his presence there twice on the LORD's-days, and once a fortnight besides on his lectures, in his own congregation; but he made his weekly visits unto the lectures in the neighboring towns: How often was he seen at Boston, Charlestown, Cambridge, and Dorchester, waiting upon the word of God in the recurring opportunities, and counting " a day in the courts of the LORD better than a thousand!" It is hardly conceivable, how, in the midst of so many studies and labors as he was at home engaged in, he could possibly repair to so many lectures abroad; and herein he aimed not only at his own edification, but at the countenancing and encouraging of the lectures which he went unto. Thus he took good heed that he might hear, and he took as much heed how he heard; lie set himself as in the presence of the eternal God, as the great CONSTANTINE used of old, in the assemblies where he came, and said,' I will hear what God the LORD will speak.' He expressed a suitable affection by feeding on what was delivered, and accompanying it with hands and eyes devoutly elevated; and they whose good hap it was to go home with him, were sure of having another sermon by the way, until their very hearts burned in them.

In a word, he was one who lived in heaven while lie was on earth. We cannot say, that we ever saw him walking any whither, but he was therein walking with God; wherever he sat, he had God by him, and it was in the everlasting arms of GOD that he slept at night. He a little discovered his heavenly way of living, when, walking one day in his garden, he plucked up a weed that he saw now and then; at which a friend pleasantly said unto him,' Sir, you tell us we must be heavenly-minded:' He immediately replied,' It is true; and this is no impediment unto that; for were I sure to go to heaven to-morrow, I would- do what I do' today: From such a frame of spirit it was that once in a visit, finding a merchant in his counting-house, where he saw books of business only oil his table, but all his books of devotion on the shelf, lie gave this advice unto him,' Sir, here is earth on the table, and heaven on the shelf; pray do not sit so much at the table, as altogether to forget the shelf; let not earth by any means thrust heaven out of your mind.

Indeed I cannot give a fuller description, of him, that what was in a paraphrase that I have heard himself to make upon that Scripture," Our conversation is in heaven." I wrote it from him as he uttered it.

Behold (said he) the ancient and excellent character of a true Christian; it is that which PETER calls "holiness in all manner of conversation;" you shall not find a Christian out of the way of godly conversation. For, first, a seventh part of our time is all spent in heaven, when we are duly zealous for, and zealous on the Sabbath of God. Besides, God has written on the head of the Sabbath,'1 Remember;" which looks both forwards and backwards; and thus a good part of the week will be spent in Sabbatizing. Well, but for the rest of our time! Why, we shall have that spent in heaven, before we have done. For, secondly, we have many days for both fasting and thanksgiving in our pilgrimage; and here are so many Sabbaths more. Moreover, thirdly, we have our lectures every week; and pious people will not miss them, if they can help it. Furthermore, fourthly, we have our private meetings, wherein we pray, and sing, and confer together, about the things of God; and being now come- thus far, we are in heaven almost every day. But a little farther, fifthly, we perform family duties every day; we have our morning and evening sacrifices, wherein having read the Scriptures to our families, we call upon the name of God, and every now and then

carefully catechize those that are under our charge.

Sixthly, we have our daily devotions in our closets; wherein, unto supplication before the LORD, we add some serious meditation upon his word; a DAVID will be at this work no less than thrice a day. Seventhly, we have like wise many scores of ejaculations in a day; and these we have, in whatever place we come into. Eighthly, we have our occasional thoughts, and our occasional talks upon spiritual matters; and we have our occasional acts of charity, wherein we do like the inhabitants of heaven every day. Ninthly, in our callings, in our civil callings, we keep up heavenly frames; we buy, and sell,, and toil, yea, we eat and drink, with some eve both to the command and the honor of GOD in all. Behold, I have not now left an inch of time to be carnal; it is all engrossed for heaven. And yet, lest here should not be enough, lastly, we have our spiritual warfare. We are always encountering the enemies of our souls, which continually raises our hearts unto our Helper and Leader in the heavens. Let no man say, It is impossible to live at this rate; for we have known some live thus, and others that have written of such a life, have but spun a web out of their own blessed experiences. New England has examples of this life; though, alas! it is to be lamented, that the distractions of the world, in too many, becloud the beauty of an heavenly conversation. In fine, our employment lies in heaven. In the morning, if we ask, Where am I to be to-day Our souls may answer, In heaven. If thou art a believer, thou art no stranger to heaven while thou livest; and when thou diest, heaven will be no strange place to thee; no, thou hast been there a thousand times before.'

Among the many instances in which his holiness was remarkable, I must not omit his exact "remembrance of the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy."

It has been justly observed, That our whole religion fares according to our Sabbaths; that poor Sabbaths make poor Christians; and that a strictness in our Sabbaths inspires a vigor into all our other duties MR. ELIOT knew this, and it was with a most exemplary zeal that he acknowledged the Sabbath of our LORD. The sun did not set the evening before the Sabbath, till he had begun his preparation for it; and when the LORD's-day came, you might have seen'1 JOHN in the Spirit," every week. Every day was a sort of Sabbath to him; but the Sabbath-day was a taste of heaven with him. He labored that he might on this high day have no words or thoughts, but such as were agreeable thereunto; he then allowed in himself no actions, but those of a raised soul. One should hear nothing dropping from his lips on this day, but the milk and honey of the country, in which there remains a rest for the people of GOD; and if he beheld in any person whatsoever, whether old or young, any profanation of this day, he would be sure to bestow lively rebukes upon it.

ARTICLE 2:

His exemplary Mortification.

THUS did Mr. ELIOT endeavor to live unto GOD; but how much at the same time did he die unto the world

It were impossible to finish the lively picture of this holy man, without some touches upon that mortification which accompanied him all his days; for never did I see a person more mortified unto all the pleasures of this life, or more unwilling to soil an heaven-born soul in the dirty puddles of sensual delights. We are all of us compounded of these two things, the man and the beast; but so powerful was the man in this holy person, that it kept the beast ever tied With a short tether. I c became so nailed unto the cross of the LORD JESUS CHRIST; that the grandeurs of this world were unto him just what they would be to a dying man; and he entertained an almost unparalleled in differency towards all the pomps which mankind is too generally flattered and enchanted with.

The lust of the flesh he could not in the least pamper or indulge, but he persecuted it with a continual antipathy. The sleep that he allowed himself, cheated him not of his morning-hours; but he reckoned the morning no less a friend to grace, than to the Muses. He would call upon students,' I pray look to it, that you be morning-birds!' And for many more than a score of years before he, died, he removed his lodging into his study, on purpose that being there alone, lie might enjoy his early mornings, without giving the disturbance of the least 'noise to any of his friends, whose affection to him else might have been ready to call," Master, spare thyself." The meat upon: which he lived, was an homely, but an wholesome diet; varieties, costly viands, and poignant sauces, came not upon his own table, and when he found them on other men's, he rarely tasted them. One dish, and a plain one, was his dinner; and when invited to a feast, I have seen him sit magnifying God for the plenty which his people in this wilderness were within a few years arisen to; but not more than a bit or two of all the dainties taken into his own mouth all the while. And for a supper, he had learned of his loved patron, old MR. COTTON, either wholly to omit it, or to make a small sup or two the utmost of it. The drink which he still used was very small; he cared not for wines or drams, and I believe he never once in all his life knew what it was to feel a noxious fume in his head from any of them; good clear-water was more precious, as well as more usual with him, than any-liquor. When at a stranger's house in the summer-time, he has been entertained with a glass, which they told him was of water and wine, he has with a complaisant gravity replied,' Wine is a noble generous liquor, but as I remember water was made before it!' So abstemious was lie; and he found, his abstinence had more sweetness in it, than any of the sweets which he abstained from; and so willing he was to have others partake with him in that sweetness, that when lie has thought the countenance of a Minister has looked as if he had made much of himself, he has gone to him with that speech,' Study mortification, brother! Study mortification!' And he made all his addresses with a becoming majesty.

The lust of the eye was put out by him in such a manner, that it was in a manner all one with him to be rich or poor. It could not be said of him, that" he sought great things for himself;" but what estate he became owner of, was from the blessing of God upon the husbandry and industry of some in his family, rather than from any endeavors of his own. Once when there stood several kind of his own before his door, his wife, to try him, asked him, Whose they were And she found that he knew nothing of them. A few years before his dissolution, being left without an assistant in his Ministry, he pressed his congregation to furnish themselves with another Pastor; and in his application to them he told them,' It is possible, you may think the burden of maintaining two Ministers may be too heavy for you; but I will deliver you from that fear; I do here give back my salary to the LORD JESUS CHRIST; and now, brethren, you may fix that upon any man that God shall make a Pastor for you.' But his church assured him, they would count his very presence worth a salary, when he should be so superannuated as to do no further service for them.

And as for the pride of life, it was most exemplarily extinguished in him. The humility of his heart made him higher by the head than the rest of the people. His habit and spirit were both such, as declared himself to be among the lowly. His apparel was without any ornament, except that humility; and seeing some scholars once, he thought, a little too gaudy in their clothes, *, was his immediate compliment unto them, flog them, you seen him with his leathern girdle (for such a one he wore) about his loins, you would almost have thought what HEROD feared, that "JOHN Baptist was come again."

ARTICLE 3: His Charity.

His charity was a star of the first magnitude, and the rays of it were wonderfully various and extensive.

His liberality to pious uses, whether public or private, went much beyond the proportions of his little estate. Many hundreds of pounds did he freely bestow upon the poor; and he would with a very forcible importunity press his neighbors to join with him in such beneficences. It was a marvelous alacrity with which he embraced all opportunities of relieving any that were miserable: And the good people of Roxbury doubtless cannot but remember (for the righteous God will) how often, and with what ardours, with what arguments he became a beggar to them for collections in their assemblies, to support such needy objects as had fallen under his observation. The poor counted him their father, and repaired still unto him with a filial confidence in their necessities; and they were more than seven or eight, or, indeed, than so many scores, who received their portions of his bounty. Like that worthy and famous English General, he could not persuade himself,' That he had any thing, but what he gave away;' but he drove a mighty trade at such exercises as he thought would furnish him with bills of exchange, which he hoped after many days to find the comfort of;' and yet after all, he would would say, like one of the most charitable souls that ever lived in the world,' That looking over his accounts, he could no where find the GOD of heaven charged a debtor there.' He did not put off his charity, to he put in his last Will; but he was his own administrator; he made his own hands his executors, and his own eyes his overseers. It has been remarked, that liberal men are often long-lived men; so do they after tiffany days find the bread with which they have been willing to keep other men alive. The great age of Mr. ELIOT was but agreeable to this remark; and when his age had unfitted him for almost all employments, and bereaved him of those gifts which once he had been accomplished with, being asked, How lie did He would sometimes answer,' Alas! I have lost every thing; my understanding leaves me, my memory fails me, my utterance fails me; but I thank God my charity holds out still, I find that rather grows than fails.' And I make no question, that at his death, his happy soul was received and welcomed into the everlasting habitations, by many got thither before him, of such as his charity had been liberal to.

But besides these substantial expressions of charity, he made the odors of that grace more fragrant to all that were about him, by that pitifulness and peacefulness which rendered him yet further amiable. If any of his neighborhood were in distress, he was like a brother born for their adversity, he would visit them, and comfort them with a most fraternal sympathy; yea, it is not easy to recount how many whole days of prayer with fasting he has got his neighbors to keep with him, on the behalf of those whose calamities he found himself touched with. It was-an extreme satisfaction to him, that his wife had attained unto a considerable skill in physic and chirurgery, which enabled her to dispense many safe, good, and useful medicines unto the poor that had occasion for them; and some hundreds of sick, and weak, and maimed people owed praises to God for the benefit-which they freely received of her. Her husband would still be casting oil into the flame of that charity, wherein she was of her own accord abundantly forward; and lie would urge her to be serviceable to the worst enemies that he had in the world.

He was a great enemy to contention. When he heard any Ministers complain, that such and such in their flocks were too difficult for them, the strain of his answer still was,' Brother, learn the meaning of those three little words, Bear, Forbear, Forgive.' Yea, his inclinations for peace sometimes almost made him to sacrifice right itself. When there was laid before an assembly of Ministers, a bundle of papers which contained matters of difference and contention between some people, which MR. ELIOT thought should rather unite, with an amnesty upon all their former quarrels, he (with some imitation of what CONSTANTINE did upon the like occasion) hastily threw the papers into the fire before them all, and said immediately,' Brethren, wonder not at what I have done, I did it on my knees this morning before I came among you.' Such an excess (if it were one) flowed from his charitable inclinations, to be found among those peace-makers, which, by following the example of Him who is our Peace, come to be called" the children of GOD." In short, wherever he came, he was like another old JOHN, with solemn and earnest persuasives to love; and when he could say little else, he would give that charge," My children, love one another."

Finally, it was his charity which disposed him to continual benedictions on those that he met; he had a heart full of good wishes, and a mouth full of kind blessings for them. And he made his expressions agreeable to the -circumstances which he saw the persons in. Sometimes when he came into a family, he would call for all the young people in it, that so he might distinctly lay his hands. upon every one of them, and bespeak the mercies of heaven for them all.

ARTICLE 4:

Some Elects of his Piety and Charity.

BUT what was the effect of his exemplary piety and charite" He walked in the, light of GOD's countenance all the day long.'" lie had a continual assurance of the Divine love, marvelously sealing, strengthening, and refreshing him, for many years before he died; and for this cause the fear of death was extirpated out of his soul. Had our blessed JESUS at any time sent his wagons to fetch this old JACOB away, he would have gone without the least reluctance. Laboring once under a fever, a visitant asked him how he did And he replied,' Very well, but anon I expect a paroxysm.' Said the visitant, Sir, fear not: He answered,' Fear! No, no; I am not afraid, I thank God, I am not afraid to die!' Dying would not have been any more to him, than sleeping to a weary man.

Another excellency which accompanied this courage, and comfort in him, was a wonderful resignation to the will of God in all events. There were sore afflictions that some times befell him, especially when he followed some of his worthy sons to their. graves. But he sacrificed them, like another Abraham, with such a sacred indifferency, as made the spectators marvel. Yea, he bore all his trials with admirable patience, and seemed to be wholly melted and moulded into the will of his heavenly FATHER. Once being in a boat at sea, a larger vessel unhappily over-run and over-set that little one. He immediately sunk, without any expectation of ever going to Heaven any other way; and when he imagined that he had but one breath more to draw, it was. this,' The will of the Lord be done!' But it was the will of the LORD that he should survive the danger, for he was rescued by the help that was at hand; and he that had long been like MOSES in every thing else, was now drawn out of the waters: Which gives me an opportunity to mention one remarkable thing that had some relation hereunto. This happened in the time of our Indian wars,. when some furious English people that clamored for the extirpation of the praying Indians, which were in subjection to us, as well as the Pagan Indians that were in hostility against us, vented a wicked rage at MR. ELIOT, because of his concern for the Indians; and one monster, hearing how narrowly Mr. ELLIOT escaped from drowning, wished he had been drowned; but within a few days, that man, by a strange disaster, was drowned in that very place where MR. ELIOT had received his deliverance.

He sometimes felt a lively touch of God upon his refined and 'exalted spirit, not easy to be uttered; and he was admitted unto a singular familiarity with the Holy One of Israel. Hence it was, that as bodies of a rare and fine constitution will forebode the changes -of the weather, so his soul often had strange forebodings of things that were to come. I have been astonished at some of his predictions, that were followed with exact accomplishments. If he said of any affair,' I cannot bless it,' it was a worse omen to it than the most inauspicious presages in the world; but sometimes, after he had been with GOD about a thing, he was able successfully to foretell,' I have set a mark upon it, it will do well.' I shall never forget, that when England and Holland were plunged into the unhappy war, which the more sensible Protestants every where had sorrow apprehensions of, Mr. ELIOT being, in the height and beat of the war, privately asked, What news we might look for next Answered, to the surprise of the inquirer, Our next news will be a peace between the two Protestant nations.' And it came to pass accordingly.

It would not be improper, under this head, to lodge the singular and surprising successes of his prayers; for they were such, that in our distresses we still repaired to him, under that encouragement," He is a Prophet, and he shall pray for thee and thou shalt live." I shall single out but one, from many that might be mentioned: There was a gentleman of Charlestown, one MR. FOSTER, who, with his son, was taken captive by Turkish enemies. Much prayer was made, both privately and publicly, by the good people here, for the redemption of that gentleman; but we were at last informed, that the bloody Prince in whose dominions he was now a slave, was resolved that in his life-time no prisoner should be released; and so the distressed friends of this prisoner flow concluded, Our hope is lost!' Upon this, MR. ELIOT, in some of his prayers, before a solemn congregation, very broadly begged,' Heavenly FATHER, work for the redemption of thy poor servant FOSTER; and if the Prince which detains him will not, as they say, dismiss him as long as himself lives, LORD, we pray thee to kill that cruel Prince, and glorify thyself upon him.' And now behold the answer: The poor captivated gentleman quickly returns to us that had been mourning for him as a lost man, and brings us news, that the Prince which had hitherto held him was come to an untimely death, by which means he was set at liberty. Thus we now know that" a Prophet has been among us."

PART II

ARTICLE 1: His Ministerial Accomplishments.

THE grace of God as well qualified him for, as disposed him to; the employment wherein he spent about sixty years, which was" the service of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, in the Ministry of the Gospel." This was the work to which he applied himself; and he undertook it, 1 believe, with as right thoughts of it, and as good ends in it, as ever any man was acted with. He looked upon the conducting of a Church as a thing no less dangerous than important, and attended with so many difficulties, temptations, and humiliations, that nothing but a call from God could have encouraged him to undertake it. He saw that flesh and blood would find it no very pleasant thing to be obliged too the oversight of a number, that by a solemn covenant should be listed among the volunteers of the LORD JESUS CHRIST; that it was no easy thing to feed the souls of such a people, and of the children and the neighbors which were to be brought into the same sheep-fold with them; to bear their manners with all patience, not being by any of their infirmities discouraged from teaching them, and from watching and praying over them; to value them highly as "the flock which God has purchased with his own blood," notwithstanding all their miscarriages; and in all to examine the rule of Scripture for the warrant of whatever shall be done, and to remember the day, wherein an account must be given of all that has been done. It was his opinion,' That, (as the great OWEN expresses it,) notwithstanding all the countenance that is given to any Church by the public Ministry, yet whilst we are in this world, those who will faithfully discharge their duty, as Ministers of the Gospel, shall have need to be prepared for sufferings;' and it was in a sense of these things that he gave himself up to the sacred Ministry. A stranger to regeneration can be but poorly accomplished for such a Ministry; and however GOD may prosper the sermons of such a man for the advantage of his Church: However the building of the Ark may be helped on by such carpenters as perish in the flood, and the Tyrians may do some work about the Temple; and, as AUSTIN expressed it, a stone-cutter may convey water into a garden, without having himself any advantage of it; nevertheless, the unsanctified Minister, how gifted, how able so ever he may be, must have it still said unto him, "Thou lackest one thing!" That one thing MR. ELIOT had: But the one thing was not all, as indeed it would not have been enough. God furnished him with a good measure of learning too, which made him capable to" divide the word aright." He was a most acute Grammarian, and understood very well the languages which God first wrote his Holy Bible in. He had a sharp insight into all the other liberal arts, and made little systems of them for the use of certain Indians, whose exacter education he was desirous of. But above all, he bad a most eminent skill in Theology; and he was Scripturarius Theologus,' One mighty in the Word;' which enabled him "to convince gainsayers," and on all occasions to show himself a thorough Divine, "and a work man that needeth not be ashamed."

In short, he came like another BEZALEEL, or AHOLIAH, unto the service of the tabernacle. And from one particularity in that part of his learning which lay in the affairs of the tabernacle, it was, that in a little" book of his, we have those lines, which for a certain cause I now transcribe; ' O that the LORD would put it into the heart of some of his religious and learned servants, to take such pains about the Hebrew language, as to fit it for universal use! Considering, that above all languages spoken by the lip of man, it is most capable to be enlarged, and fitted to express all things, and motions, and notions, that our human intellect is capable of in this mortal life; considering also, that it is the invention of GOD himself; and what none is fitter to be the universal language, than that which it pleased our LORD JESUS o make use of, when He spake from heaven unto PAUL'

ARTICLE 2: His Family-Government.

THE Apostle PAUL, reciting the qualifications of a Gospel Minister, he gives order," That he be the husband of one wife, and one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity." It seems that a mans carriage in his own house is a part, or at least a sign of his due deportment in the house of GOD; and I am sure, MR. ELIOT's was very exemplary. That one wife, which was given to him truly from the LORD, he loved, prized, cherished, with a kindness that notably represented the compassion which he (thereby) taught his Church to expect from the LORD JESUS CHRIST; and after he had lived with her for more than half an hundred years, he followed her to the grave, with lamentations beyond those which the Jews from a figure of a letter in the text affirm, ABRAHAM deplored his aged, SARAH with; her departure made a deeper impression upon him, than any common affliction, could. His whole conversation with her had that sweetness, and that gravity and modesty beautifying it, that every one called them ZACHARY and ELIZABETH.

His family was a little Bethel, for the worship of GOD constantly and exactly maintained in it; and unto the daily prayers of the family, his manner was to prefix the reading of the Scripture; which being done, it was also his manner to make his young people choose a passage in the chapter, and give him some observations of their own upon it. By this method he did mightily sharpen and improve, as well as try their understanding, and endeavor to make them "wise unto salvation." He was likewise very strict in the education of his children, and more careful to mend any error in their hearts and lives, than he could have been to cure a blemish in their bodies. No exorbitancies or extravagancies could find room under his roof; nor was his house any other titan a school of piety; one might have there seen a perpetual mixture of a Spartan and a Christian discipline. Whatever decay there might be upon family religion among us, we knew him, that he would command his children, and his household after him, that they should keep the way of the LORD.

ARTICLE 3:

His May f Preaching.

SUCH was he in his lesser family; and in his greater family he manifested still more of his regards to the rule of a Gospel Ministry. To his Congregation, he was a Preacher that made it his care" to give every one their meat in due season." It was food and not froth, which inn his public sermons he entertained his people with; he did not starve them with empty and windy speculations. His way of preaching was very plain, so, that the very lambs might wade into his discourses on those texts and themes wherein elephants might swim; and herewith it was very powerful; his delivery was graceful and grateful; but when he was to use reproofs and warnings against any sin, his voice would_ rise into a warmth which had in it very much of energy as well as decency; he would brandish the sword, and sound the trumpet of GOD against all vice, with a most penetrating liveliness, and make his pulpit another mount Sinai, for the flashes of lightning therein displayed against the breaches of the law given upon that

burning mountain.

And, I observed, that there was a special fervor in the rebukes which he bestowed upon a carnal frame of life in professors of religion; when he was to brand the earthly-mindedness of Church-members, and the allowance they often-gave themselves in sensual delights, here he was a right BOANERGES; he then spoke, as it was said one of the Ancients did, as many thunderbolts as words.

It was another property of his preaching, that there was evermore much of CHRIST in it; with PAUL he would say, "I determined to know nothing but JESUS CHRIST;" having that blessed name in his discourses, with a frequency like that with which PAUL mentions it in his Epistles. As it was noted of DR. BODLY, that whatever subject he were upon, still his use of it would be to drive men unto the LORD JESUS: In like manner, the LORD JESUS was the Loadstone which pave a touch to all the sermons of MR. ELIOT; a glorious precious, lovely CHRIST was the point of heaven which they still verged unto. From this inclination it was, that although he printed several English books before he died, yet his heart seemed not so much in any of them, as in that entitled, The Harmony of the Holy Gospels, in the Holy History of JESUS CHRIST. From hence also it was that he would give that advice to young Preachers,' Pray let there be much of CHRIST in your Ministry;' and when he had heard a' sermon which bad, any special relish of JESUS in it, he would say,' O blessed be GOD, that we have CHRIST so much preached in poor New England!'

Moreover, he liked no preaching but what bad been well studied for; and he would very much commend a sermon which he could perceive had required some good thinking and reading in the author of it. I have been present when he has unto a Preacher then just come home from the assembly with him, thus expressed himself,' Brother, there was oil required for the service of the sanctuary; but it must be beaten oil; I, praise God that I saw your oil so well beaten to-day; the LORD help us always by good study to beat our oil, that there may be no knots in our sermons left undissolved, and that there may a clear light be thereby given in the house of GOD!' And yet he likewise looked for something in a sermon beside and beyond the mere study of man; he was for having the SPIRIT of God breathing in it and with it; and he was for speaking those things from those impressions, and with those affections, which might compel the hearer to say,' The SPIRIT of God was here!' I have heard him complain,' It is a sad thing when a sermon shall have that one thing, the SPIRIT of God, wanting in it.

ARTICLE 4: His Care about the Children of his- People.

BUT he remembered that he had lambs in his flock, and like another DAVID he could not endure to see the lion seize upon any of them. He always had a mighty concern for little children; it was an affectionate stroke in one of the little papers which he published for them,' Sure CHRIST is not willing to lose his lambs;' and I have cause to remember with what an hearty, fervent, zealous application he addressed himself, when in the name of the neighbor Pastors and Churches he gave me the right hand of fellowship at my ordination, and said,' Brother, art thou a lover of the LORD JESUS CHRIST Then, I pray, feed his lambs.'

One thing whereof he was very desirous for poor children, was the covenanting of them; he was very solicitous that the lambs might pass under the LORD'S tything rod, and be brought under the bond' of the covenant. He earnestly maintained the cause of Infant Baptism, against a sort of persons risen since the Reformation, (among which indeed there are many godly men, that were dear to the soul of MR. ELIOT,) who forget that in the Gospel Church State; as well as in the Jewish, "The promise is to believers and their children;" and are unwilling to reckon children among the disciples of JESUS CHRIST, or to grant,

That of such is the kingdom of heaven: " Or to know, That the most undoubted records of antiquity affirm Infant Baptism to have been an usage in all the Primitive Churches: That even before the early days of NAZIANZEN,

CHRYSOSTOM, BASIL, ATHANASIUS, EPIPHANIUS in the Greek, and AMBRosE, JEROM, AUSTIN in the Latin Church, all of which give glorious testimonies for Infant Baptism; even CYPRIAN, before these, assures us, that in his day there was no doubt of it; and ORIGEN before him could say,' It was from the Apostles that the Church took up-the Baptism of Infants;' and CLEMENS ROMANUS before him could say,' That children should be recipients of the discipline of CHRIST;' besides what, plain evidence we have in IRENIEUS and JUSTIN MARTYR; and that the very arguments with which some. of the ancients did superstitiously advise the delay of Baptism, do at the same time confess the divine right of infants in it. MR. ELIOT could by no means look upon infants Of godly men as unfit subjects to have upon them a mark of dedication- to the LORD.

No man could entertain a person of a different persuasion, with more sweetness and kindness than he, when he saw the fear of GOD prevailing in them; he could uphold a most intimate correspondence with such a man as MR. JESSEY, as long as he lived; and yet he knew how to be an hammer upon their unhappy errors.

But having baptized the children of his neighbors, he did not, as too many, think that he had now done with them. No, another thing wherein he was very laborious for poor children was, the catechizing, both publicly and privately, and spent in it a world - of time. He thought himself under a particular obligation to be that officer, which the Apostle calls "an instructor of the young;" (1 Cor. 4: 15;) nor was be ashamed, any more than some among the Ancients, to be called a Catechist. He would observe upon John 21: 15: That the care of the lambs is one third part of the charge over the church of God.

It would be incredible, if I should relate what pains he took to keep up the blessed echoes of truth between himself and the young people of his' congregation; and what prudence he used, in suiting his Catechism to the age and strength of his catechumens. But one thing I must observe, which is, That although there may be (as one has computed) no less than five hundred Catechisms extant; yet MR. ELIOT gave himself the travail of adding to their number, by composing of some further Catechisms, which were more particularly designed as an antidote for his own people, against the contagion of such errors as might threaten them. And' the success of this catechizing, bore proportion to the indefatigable industry with which he prosecuted it; it is a well principled people that he has left behind him. As when certain Jesuits were sent among the Waldenses to corrupt their children, they returned with much disappointment and confusion, because the children of seven years old were well-principled enough to encounter the most learned of them all; so, if any seducers were let loose to wolve it among the good people of Roxbury, I am confident, they would find as little prey in that well-instructed place, as in any part of all the country; no civil penalties would signify so much to save any people from the snares t )f busy heretics, as the unwearied catechizing of MR. ELIOT has done to preserve his people from the gangrene of ill opinions.

There is a third instance of his regard to the welfare of the children under his charge; and that is, his activity to support a good school in the town that belonged to him.' A Grammar-school he would have upon the place, whatever it cost him; and he importuned all other. places to have the like. I cannot forget the ardor with which I once heard him pray in a Synod of these churches, which met at Boston, to consider, how the miscarriages which were among us might be prevented; I say, with what fervor he uttered an expression to this purpose;' LORD, for schools every where among us! That our schools may flourish! That every member of this assembly, may go home and procure a good school to be encouraged in the town where he lives! That before we die, we may be so happy as to see a good school encouraged in every plantation in the country P GOD so blessed his endeavors, that Roxbury could not live quietly without a Free-school in the town; and the issue of it has been, that Roxbury has afforded more scholars, first for the College, and then for the public, than any town of its bigness; or, if I mistake not, of twice its bigness in all New-England. From the spring of the school at, Roxbury, there have run a large number of the" streams, which have made glad the whole city of GOD."

ARTICLE 5: His Church-Discipline.

IT yet more endears unto us the memory of MR. ELIOT, that lie was not only an evangelical Minister, but also one full of that spirit which acted the first planters of this country, in their peaceable secession from the unwarrantable things elsewhere imposed upon their consciences. The judgment and practice of one that readily underwent all the misery attending the infancy of this plantation, is a thing which we young people should count worthy to be inquired after; and since we saw him so well behaving himself in the house of GOD, it cannot but be worth while to know what he thought about the form and constitution of that blessed house.

It was his principle, That in the reformation of churches, things ought to be reduced unto the order wherein we find them at their original, apostolical institution. And in pursuance of this principle, -he espoused that way of church government which we call the Congregational; he was fully persuaded that the Church State which our LORD CHRIST has instituted in the New Testament, is, in a congregation or society of professed Believers, agreeing and assembling together, among themselves, with officers of Divine appointment, for the celebration of evangelical ordinances, and their own mutual edification: For be thought it must be a cruel hardship used upon the Scriptures, to make them so much as lisp the least intimation of any other Church State prescribed unto us; and he used to assert, That no approved Writers for the space of two hundred years after CHRIST, make any mention of any other original, visible, professing church, but that only which is Congregational.

He could not comprehend, that this Church State can arise from any other formal cause, but the consent of those concerned it,; he looked upon a relation unto a church, as not a natural, or a violent, but a voluntary thing, and so that it is to be entered no otherwise, than by a holy covenant, or, as the Scripture speaks, by giving ourselves first unto the LORD, and then one unto another. He could not think that Baptism alone was to be accounted the cause, but rather the effect of church-membership; inasmuch as upon the dissolution of the church to which a man belongs, his Baptism would not become a nullity: Nor that mere profession would render men members of this or that church; for then it would be impossible to cut off a corrupt member from that body: Nor that mere co-habitation would make church-members; for then the vilest infidels would be actually incorporated among us. And a covenant was all that he now saw remaining.

But for the subjects to be admitted by churches unto all the privileges of this fellowship with them, he thought they ought to be such as a charitable trial should pronounce regenerate. He found the first churches of the Gospel mentioned in the Scripture, to be churches of saints; and that the Apostles writing to them, still acknowledged them to be holy brethren; and that a main end of church fellowship, is to represent to the world, the qualifications of those that shall "ascend into the hill of the LORD, and stand in his holy place for ever."

Such were the opinions of Mr. ELIOT; but many persons, equally wise and pious, have been of a contrary mind.' In the Independent way,' says the great BAXTER,' I disliked the lamentable tendency to divisions and subdivisions, and the nourishing of heresies and sects. But above all, I disliked, that most of them made the people by majority of votes, to be church-governors, in excommunications, &c., which CHRIST has made an act of office; and so they governed their governors and themselves: And their making their Minister to be no Minister to any but his own flock, and to act to others but as a private Man.'-EDIT.

PART 3:

Of Mr. ELIOT as an Evangelist.

THE titles of a Christian and of a Minister have rendered Mr. ELIOT considerable; but there is one memorable title more, by which he has been signalized. An honorable person dice once in print put the name of an Evangelist upon him; whereupon in a letter of his to that person, afterwards printed', his expressions were,' There is a redundancy where you put the title of EVANGELIST upon me I beseech you to suppress all such things; let us do, and speak, and carry all things with humility; it is the LORD who has' done what is done; and it is most becoming the SPIRIT Of JESUS CHRIST, to lift up Him, and lay ourselves low; I wish that word could be obliterated.' My reader sees what a caution MR. ELIOT long since entered against our giving him the title of an Evangelist; but his death has now made it safe, as his life had long made it just.

The natives of the country now possessed by the New-Englanders, had been wretched Heathens, ever since their first herding here. Just before the first arrival of the English in these parts, a prodigious mortality bad swept away vast numbers of the poor Indians: And those Pagans, who being told by a shipwrecked Frenchman which died in their hands,' That GOD would shortly introduces a more civil and worthy people into their place,' blasphemously replied,' GOD could not kill them;' were quickly killed with such a raging pestilence, as left the very earth covered with their carcasses. Nevertheless, there were, I think, twenty nations (if I may call them so) of Indians upon that spot of ground which fell under the influence of our three United Colonies; and MR. ELIOT was willing to rescue as many of them as he could, from that old usurping LORD of America, who is by the wrath of God," the Prince of this world..

It was that HOLY SPIRIT which laid before his mind the idea of that which is now on the seal of the Massachusetts Colony; a poor Indian, having a label going from his mouth, with a" Come over and help us." It was the SPIRIT of our LORD JESUS CHRIST which kindled in him a pity for the dark, dying souls of these natives, whom "the god of this world had blinded" through all the past ages. It very -powerfully moved his holy bowels to hear the thunder-claps of that imprecation over the heads of our naked Indians, "Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen which know thee not:' And thought he, What shall I do to rescue these Heathen from that all devouring fury

But when this charitable pity had once begun to flame, there was a concurrence of many things to cast oil into it. All the good men in the country were glad of his engagement in such an undertaking; the ministers especially encouraged him, and those in the neighborhood kindly supplied his place, and performed his work for him at Roxbury, while lie was laboring among them that were without. Hereunto he was further awakened by those expressions in the Royal Charter, in the protection whereof this wilderness was first peopled;. namely, I to win and incite the natives of that country to the knowledge and obedience of the only true God and Savior of mankind, and the Christian faith, is our Royal intention; and the adventurers' free profession is the principal end of the plantation.' And the remarkable zeal of the Romish Missionaries, compassing sea and land that they might make Proselytes, made his devout soul think of it with disdain, that we should come behind in our care to evangelize the Indians whom we dwelt among. Lastly, when he had begun, the good God, in answer to his prayers, mercifully stirred up a liberal contribution among the people in England for promoting it:

By means whereof a considerable estate, was at length entrusted in the hands of an honorable Corporation, by whom it is to this day carefully employed in the service it

was designed for. These abject creatures live in a country full of mines we have already made entrance upon our iron; and in the very surface of the ground there lies copper enough to supply all this world, besides other mines; but our shiftless Indians were never owners of so much as a knife till we came among them; their name for an Englishman was a Knife-man; stone was instead of metal for their tools; and for their coins, they have only little beads with holes in them to string them upon a bracelet, whereof some are white, and of these there go six for a penny; some are black or blue, - and of these go six for a shilling; this Wampam, as they call it, is made of the shell-fish which lies upon the sea-coast continually.

They live in a country where we have now all the conveniencies of life; but as for them, their housing is nothing but a few mats tied about poles fastened in the earth, where a good fire is their bed-clothes in-the coldest seasons; their clothing is but a skin of a beast covering their hind_ parts, their fore-parts having but a little apron; their diet has not a greater dainty than their Nakohick, that is, a spoonful of parched meal with a spoonful of water, which will strengthen them to travel a day together; except we should mention the flesh of deers, bears, racoons, and the like, which they have when they can catch them; as also a little fish.

They live in a country full of the best ship-timber under heaven; but never saw a ship till some came from Europe They cross the water in canoes, made sometimes of trees which they burn and hew till they have hollowed them; and sometimes of barks, which they stitch into a light sort of a vessel, to be easily carried over-land; if they are overset, it is but a little paddling like a dog, and they are soon where they were.

Their way of living is infinitely barbarous: The men are most abominably slothful; making their poor Squaws, or wives, to plant, and dress, and barn, and beat their corn, and build their Wigwams for them.; which, perhaps, may be the reason of their extraordinary ease in childbirth. In the mean time their chief employment, when they condescend to any, is that of hunting; wherein they go out some scores, if not hundreds in a company, driving all before them.

They continue in a place till they have burned up all the wood thereabouts, and then they follow the wood which, they cannot fetch home to themselves; hence when they inquire about the English.' Why came they hither,' they have themselves very learnedly determined the case,' It was because we wanted firing.' No arts are understood among them, unless just so far as to maintain their brutish conversation, which is little more than is to be found among the beavers upon our streams.

Their division of time is by sleeps, and moons, and Winters; and by lodging abroad they have somewhat observed the motions of the stars, among which it has been surprising unto ire to find that * called Charles s Wain by the name of Paulatnnawaw, or The Bear, which is the name whereby Europeans have distinguished it. Moreover, they have little, if any traditions among them worthy of notice; and reading and writing are altogether unknown to them, though there is a rock or two in the country that has unaccountable characters engraved upon it. All the religion they have amounts unto thus much They believe that there are many Gods, who make and own the several nations of the world; of which a certain great God in the South-west regions of heaven, bears the greatest figure. They believe, that every remarkable creature has a peculiar God within it, or about it: There is with them a Sun-god, a Moon-god, and the like; and theyy cannot conceive but that the fire must be a kind of God, inasmuch as a spark of it will produce strange effects. They believe that when any good or ill happens to them, there is the favor or anger of a God expressed in it; and hence, as in a time of calamity, they keep a dance, or a day of extravagant devotions to their God; so in a time of prosperity they likewise have a feast, wherein they also make presents one to another. Finally, They believe that their chief God KAUTANTOWIT made a man and woman of a stone; which, upon dislike, he broke to pieces, and made another man and woman of a tree, which were the fountains of all mankind; and that we all have in us immortal souls, which, if we are good, shall go to a splendid entertainment with KAUTANTOWIT; but otherwise must wander about in restless horror for ever.

This was the miserable people which MR. ELIOT hoped to save. The first step which he judged necessary to be taken, was to learn the Indian language, for he saw them so stupid and senseless, that they would never do so much as inquire after the religion of the strangers now come into their country, much less would they so far imitate us as to leave off their beastly way of living, that they might be partakers of any spiritual advantage by us, unless we could first address their in a language of their own. So he hired a native to teach it him, and with a laborious care and skill reduced it into a Grammar. Having finished this, at the close he writes,;' Prayers and pains, through faith in CHRIST JESUS, will do any thing!' And being by his prayers and pains thus furnished, he set himself in the year 1646 to preach the Gospel of our LORD JESUS CHRIST among these desolate outcasts.

It remains that I lay before the world the remarkable conduct and success of this famous man in his great affair; and I shall endeavor to do it by Englishing and reprinting a letter sent a while since by my father, unto his learned correspondent, DR. LEUSDEN, at Utrecht. I shall make some annotations for the illustration of sundry memorable things therein.

'WORTHY AND MUCH HONORED SIR,

'Your letters were very grateful to me; by which I understand that you and others in your University of Utrecht desire to be informed concerning the converted Indians in America: Take therefore a true account of them in a few words. ' It is above forty years since IVIR. JOHN ELIOT, Pastor of the Church at Roxburgh, (about a mile from Boston in New-England,) being warmed with a holy zeal of converting the Americans, set himself to learn the Indian tongue, that he might more easily and successfully (a) open to them the mysteries of the Gospel; upon which account he has been (not undeservedly) called, The Apostle of the American Indians. This reverend person, not without great labor, translated the whole Bible into the Indian tongue; (b) he translated also several English treatises of Practical Divinity and Catechisms into their language. About twenty-six years ago, he gathered a Church of converted Indians in a town called (c) Natick. These Indians confessed their sins with tears, and professed their faith in CHRIST, and afterwards they and their children were baptized, and they were solemnly joined together in a Church-Covenant. The said 1I R. ELIOT was the first that administered the LORD's Supper to them. The Pastor of that Church now is an Indian, his name is DANIEL. Besides this Church at Natick, among our inhabitants in the Massachuset's colony, there are four Indian assemblies, (d) where the Name of the true GOD and JESUS CHRIST is solemnly called upon. These Assemblies have some American Preachers. MR. ELIOT formerly used to preach to them once every fortnight, but now he is weakened with labors and old age, being in the eighty-fourth year of his age, and preacheth not to the Indians oftener than once in two months.

There is another Church, consisting only of converted Indians, about fifty miles from hence, in an Indian town called Mashippaug. The first pastor of that-Church was an Englishman; who being skilful in the American language, preached the Gospel to them in their own tongue. (e) This English Pastor is dead; and, instead of him, that Church has an Indian Preacher.

There are, besides that, five assemblies of Indians professing the name of CHRIST, not far distant from Mashippaug, which have Indian Preachers. (f) JOHN COTTON, Pastor of the Church at Plymouth, preaches in their own language to the last five mentioned congregations. every week. Moreover, of the inhabitants of Saconet, in Plymouth Colony, there is a great congregation of those, who, for distinction's sake, are called Praying Indians, because they pray to GOD in CHRIST.

Not far from a promontory called Cape Cod, there are six assemblies of Heathens who are to be reckoned as catechumens, amongst whom there are six Indian Preachers. SAMUEL TREAT, Pastor of a Church at Eastham, preacheth to those congregations in their own language. There are likewise, among the islanders of Nantucket, a Church, with a Pastor who was lately an Heathen, and several meetings of catechumens, who are instructed by the converted Indians. There is also another island, about seven leagues long, called Martha's Vineyard, where are two American Churches planted, which are more famous than the rest, over one of which there presides an ancient Indian, as Pastor, called HIACOOMS. JOHN HIACOOMS, son of the said Indian Pastor, also preacheth the Gospel to his countrymen. In another Church in that place, JOHN TOCINOSH, a converted Indian, teaches. In these Churches, Ruling Elders of the Indians are joined to the Pastors. The Pastors were chosen by the people, and when they had fasted and prayed, MR. ELIOT and MR. COTTON laid their bands on them, so that they were solemnly ordained. All the congregations of the converted Indians, every LORD's-day, meet together.; the Pastor or Preacher always begins with prayer; when the Ruler of the Assembly has ended prayer, the whole congregation of Indians praise GOD with singing. Some of them are excellent singers_ After the Psalm, he that preaches reads a place of Scripture, and expounds it; then another prayer to GOD in the name of CHRIST, concludes the whole service. Thus do they meet together twice every LORD's-day. Upon extraordinary occasions, they solemnly set apart whole days, either in giving thanks, or fasting and praying with great fervor of mind.

Before the: English came into these coasts, these barbarous nations were altogether ignorant of the true GOD; hence it is, that in their prayers and sermons they use English words and terms. He that calls upon the Most Holy Name of God, says JEHOVAH, or GOD, or LORD; and also they have learned and borrowed many other theological phrases from us.

' In short, there are six Churches of baptized Indians in New-England, and eighteen assemblies of catechumens, professing the Name of CHRIST. Of the Indians there are four and twenty who are Preachers of the Word of God and besides these, there are four English Ministers who preach the Gospel in the Indian tongue.

' Farewell, worthy Sir! The LORD preserve your health for the benefit of your country, his Church, and of learning.

' Your's ever,

INCREASE MATH ER.

ANNOTATIONS ON THE PRECEDING LETTER

MR. ELIOT's way of opening the Mysteries of the Gospel to our Indians.

IT was in the year 1646, that Mr. ELIOT, accompanied by three more, gave a visit to an Assembly of Indians, of whom he desired a meeting at such a time and place, that he might lay before them the things of their eternal peace. After a serious prayer he gave them a sermon, which continued about an hour and a quarter, and contained the principal articles of the Christian Religion, applying all to the condition of the Indians present. Having done, he asked of them, whether they understood and with a general reply, they answered, 'They understood all.' He then began what was his usual method afterwards that is, he caused them to propound such questions as they pleased, and he gave answers to them all. Their questions would often, though not always, refer to what he had newly preached; and be this way not only made a proof of their profiting by his Ministry, but also gave an edge to what he delivered to them. Some of their questions required a good measure of learning in the Minister concerned with them; but this MR. ELIOT wanted not. He would also put proper questions to them; and at one of his first exercises with them, lie made the young ones capable of regarding these three questions

1.Who made you, and all the world

l. Who do you look should save you from sin and hell 3. How many Commandments has the LORD given you to keep He began with them upon such principles as they themselves had already some notion of; such as that of a heaven for good, and a hell for bad people, when they died. It broke his heart within him, to see what floods of tears fell from the eyes of several among these savages, at the first addresses which he made unto them; yea, from the very worst of them all.

He was very inquisitive to learn who were the Powaws, that is, the sorcerers and seducers, that maintained the worship of the Devil in any of their societies; and having, in one of his first journies to them; found one of these wretches, he made the Indian come to him, and said, ' Whether do you suppose God, or Chepian, (that is, the Devil,) to be the Author of all good' The Conjuror answered, God. Upon this he added, with a stern countenance,' Why do you pray to Chepian then' And the poor man was not able to stand or speak before him, but made promises of reformation.

The text which he first preached upon, was that in Ezekiel xxxvii. 9, 10: "That by prophesying to the wind, the wind came, and the dry bones lived." Having thus entered upon the teaching of these poor creatures, it is incredible how much time, toil, and hardship he underwent in the prosecution of this undertaking; how many weary days and nights rolled over him; how many tiresome journies he endured; and how many terrible dangers he had experience of. If you briefly would know what he felt, and what carried him through all, take it in his own words, in a letter to MR. WINSLOW,' I have not been dry night nor day, from the third day of the week to the sixth,. but so traveled; at night I pull off my boots, wring my stockings, and on with them again, and so continue. But GOD steps in, and helps. I have considered the word of GOD, in 2 Tim. 2: 3," Endure hardship as a good soldier of CHRIST."'

(b) His translating the Bible, and other Books of Piety into the Indian Tongue.

ONE of his remarkable cares for these illiterate Indians, was to bring there into the use of schools and books. He quickly procured the benefit of schools for them; wherein they profited so much, that not only very many of them quickly came to read and write, but also several arrived to a liberal education in our College, and one or two of them took their Degree with the rest of our Graduates. And for books, it was his chief desire that the sacred Scriptures might not be hidden from them; very hateful and hellish did the policy of Popery appear to him on this account. He could not live without a Bible himself; he would have parted with all his estate, sooner than have lost a leaf of it; and he knew it would be of use to the Indians too;. he,. therefore, with vast labor, translated the Holy Bible into the Indian language. A little Indian library quickly followed; for, besides Primers, and Grammars, and some other compositions, we quickly had the Practice of Piety in the Indian tongue, and MR. RICHARD BAXTER'S Call to the Unconverted; he also translated some of MR. SHEPHERD'S Compositions, and such Catechisms likewise as there was occasion for.

(c) His gathering of a Church at Natick. THE Indians that had felt the impressions of his Ministry, were quickly distinguished by the name of Praying Indians; and these praying Indians as quickly were for a more decent and English way of living, and they desired a more fixed habitation. At several places did they now combine and settle; but the place of greatest name' among their towns, is that of Natick.

Here it was, that in the year 1651, those that had heretofore lived like the wild beasts in the wilderness, compacted themselves into a town, and applied themselves to the forming their civil Government. Our General Court, notwithstanding their exact study to keep these Indians sensible of their being subject to the English empire, yet allowed them their smaller Courts, wherein they might govern their smaller concerns after their own particular modes, and might have their town-orders (if I may call them so) peculiar to themselves. With respect hereunto, MR. ELIOT on a solemn day made a public vow,' That seeing these Indians were riot prepossessed with any forms of Government, he would instruct them in such a form as we had written in the word of GOD, that so they might be a people in all things ruled by the LORD.' Accordingly, he expounded unto then the eighteenth chapter of Exodus; and then they chose Rulers of hundreds, of fifties, of tens, and therewithal entered into this Covenant

'We are the sons of ADAM; we and our forefathers have a long time been lost in our sins, but now the mercy of the LORD beginneth to find us again; therefore, the grace of CHRIST helping us, we do give ourselves and our children unto God, to be his people. He shall rule us in all our affairs; the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King. He will save us; and the wisdom which God has taught us in his Book shall guide us. 0 JEHOVAH! teach us wisdom; send thy SPIRIT into our h carts, take us to be thy people, and let us take Thee to be our GOD.'

The little towns of these Indians being pitched upon this foundation, they utterly abandoned that polygamy which had heretofore been common among them; - they made severe laws against fornication, drunkenness, Sabbath breaking, and other immoralities; they next began to lament after the establishment of a Church-order among them, and after the several ordinances and privileges of a Church Communion.

The Churches of New-England have usually been very strict in their admissions into Church-fellowship, and required very signal demonstrations of a repenting and believing soul, before they thought men fit subjects to be entrusted with the rights of "the kingdom of Heaven." But they - seemed rather to augment than abate their usual strictness, when the examination of the Indians was to be performed.. A day was therefore set apart, which they called Natootaanuhtenicusuk, or, a day of asking questions, when the Ministers of the adjacent Churches, assisted with the best interpreters that could be had, publicly examined a good number of these Indians, about their attainments both in knowledge and virtue. And, notwithstanding the great satisfaction then received, our Churches being willing to proceed surely, and therefore slowly, the Indians were afterwards called in considerable assemblies convened for that purpose, to make open confession of their faith in God and CHRIST, and of the efficacy which his word had had upon them.

I need pass no further censure upon them, than what is given by my Grandfather, the well-known RICHARD MATHER, in an epistle of his, published on this occasion;' There is so much of GOD's work among them, that I cannot but count it a great evil, yea, a great injury to GOD and his goodness, for any to make light of it. To see and hear Indians opening their mouths, and lifting up their hands and eyes in prayer to the living GOD, calling on him by his name JEHOVAH, in the mediation of JESUS CHRIST; to see and hear them exhorting one another from the word of GOD, confessing the name of CHRIST JESUS, and their own sinfulness; sure this is more than usual!

And though they spoke in a language, of which many of us understood but little, yet we that were present that day, saw and heard them perform the duties mentioned with such grave and sober countenance, with such comely reverence in their gesture and their whole carriage, and with such plenty of tears trickling down the cheeks of some of them, as did argue to us that they spake with the holy fear of GOD, and it much affected our hearts.'

At length they entered (as our Churches do) into an holy Covenant, wherein they gave themselves first unto the LORD, and then unto one another, to attend the rules, and helps, and expect the blessings of the everlasting Gospel; and Mr. ELIOT administered first Baptism, and then the Supper of the LORD unto them.

(d) The Hindrances that the Devil gave unto him. WE find four assemblies of praying Indians, besides that of Natick, in our neighborhood: But why no more Not because Me. ELIOT was wanting in his labors, but because many of the Infidels would not receive the Gospel of Salvation. In one of his letters, I find him giving this report,' Lynn-Indians are all naught, save one, who sometimes comes to hear the word; the reason is, principally, because their Sachim is naught, and careth not to pray to GOD: Indeed the Sachims, or the Princes of the Indians, generally did all they could that their subjects might not entertain the Gospel; the Devils having the Sachims on their side, thereby kept their- possession of the people. Their Pawaws, or Clergymen, did much to maintain the interest of the Devils in this wilderness; those" children of the Devil, and enemies of all righteousness, did not cease to pervert the right ways of the LORD;" but the Sachims did more towards it, for they would presently raise a storm of persecution upon any of their vassals that should pray to the eternal GOD. The ground of this conduct in them, was a fear that religion would abridge them of the tyranny they had been used to: They always, like the Devil, held their people in the most absolute servitude; and ruled by no law, but their own will. Some of them had the impudence to address the English, that no motions about the Christian religion might ever be made to them; and Mr. ELIOT sometimes in the wilderness, without the company or assistance of any other Englishman, has been treated in a very barbarous manner by some of those tyrants; but GOD inspired him with so much resolution as to tell their,' I am about the work of the great God, and my God is with me; so that I fear neither you, nor all the Sachims in the country; I will go on, and do you touch me if you dare!' Upon which the stoutest of them shrunk before him. And one of them he at length conquered by preaching to him a sermon upon the temptations of our LORD; particularly' the temptations fetched from the kingdoms and glories of the world.

The little kingdoms and glories of the great men among the Indians, were a powerful obstacle to the success of Mr. ELIOT's ministry; and it is observable, that several of those nations which thus refused the Gospel, quickly after began an unjust and bloody war upon the English, which issued in their utter extirpation from the face of GOD's earth. It was particularly remarked of PHILIP, the ring-leader of the most calamitous war that ever they made upon us; MR. ELIOT made a tender of salvation to that King, but PHILIP entertained it with contempt and anger, and after the Indian mode of joining signs with words, he took a button upon the coat of the reverend man, adding,' That he cared for his Gospel, just as much as he cared for that.' The world has heard what a terrible ruin soon came upon that woful creature, and upon all his people. And Mr. SAMUEL LEE is now Pastor to an English congregation, sounding the praises of heaven, upon that very spot of ground, where. PHILIP and his Indians were lately worshipping the Devil.

Sometimes the more immediate hand of God, by cutting off the principal opposers of the Gospel among the Indians, made way for Mr. ELIOT's Ministry. An association of profane Indians near Weymouth, set themselves to deter the neighbor Indians from the "right ways of the LORD." But God quickly sent the small-pox, which like a plague swept them away, and thereby engaged the rest to himself. One attempt made by the Devil, to 'prejudice the Pagans against the Gospel, had something in it extraordinary While MR. ELIOT was preaching CHRIST to the other Indians, a demon appeared to a Prince of the Eastern Indians, in a shape that had some resemblance of MR. ELIOT, or of an English Minister, pretending to be' the, Englishman's god.' The spectre commanded him,' To forbear the drinking of rum, and to observe the Sabbath-day, and to deal justly with his neighbors;' all which things had been inculcated in MR. ELIOT's Ministry; promising therewith unto him,' That if he did so, at his, death his soul should ascend to a happy place; otherwise descend to miseries:' But the apparition all the while never said one word about CHRIST, which was the main subject of MR. ELIOT's Ministry. The Sachim received such an impression from the apparition, that he dealt justly with all men, except in the cruelties he afterwards committed on the English in our wars; lie kept the Sabbath-day like a Fast, frequently attending our congregations; he would not meddle with any rum, though usually his countrymen had rather die thanundergo such a piece, of self-denial. At last, and not long since, this demon appeared again to this Pagan, requiring him to kill himself, and assuring -him that he should revive in a day or two, never to die any more. He thereupon divers times attempted it, but his friends very carefully prevented it; however at length he found a fair opportunity, and hanged himself. It is easy to see what a stumbling-block was here laid before the miserable Indians.

(e) The Indian Churches at Mashippaug, and elsewhere. THE same spirit which acted Mr. ELIOT, quickly inspired. others elsewhere, to prosecute the work of rescuing the poor Indians out of their worse than Egyptian darkness. One of these was Mr. RICHARD Bouax, who soon saw a great effect of his labors.

In the year 1666, Mr. ELIOT, accompanied by the Governor and several Magistrates and Ministers of Plymouth Colony, procured a vast assembly at Mashippaug; and there a good number of Indians made confessions touching the knowledge and belief, and regeneration of their souls, with such understanding and affection, as was extremely grateful to his pious auditory. Afterwards they chose Mr. BouRN to be their Pastor; who was then by Mr. ELIOT and Mr. COTTON ordained unto that office.

From hence Mr. ELIOT and Mr. COTTON went over to an island called Martha's Vineyard, where God; had so succeeded the honest labors of some, and particularly of the Mayhews, that a church was gathered. This church, after fasting and prayer, chose one HIACOONS to be their Pastor, JOHN TOCKINOSH, an able and discreet Christian to be their Teacher; JOSHUA MUMMEECHEEGS anal JOHN NANASO to be ruling elders; and these were then ordained by Mr. ELIOT and Mr. COTTON thereunto. Distance of habitation caused this One church by mutual agreement afterwards to become two; the Pastor and one ruling Elder taking one part, and the Teacher and one ruling Elder another. At Nantucket, another adjacent island, was another church of Indians quickly gathered, who chose an Indian, JOHN GISRS, to be their Minister. These, churches are so exact in their admission, and so solemn in their discipline, and so serious in their communion, that some of the Christian English in the neighborhood, which would have been loath to have mixed with. them in a civil relation, yet have gladly done it in a sacred one.

HIACOOMS was a great instrument of bringing his Pagan neighbors to a saving acquaintance with CHRIST, and GOD gave him the honor not only of doing much for some, but also of suffering much from others of those savages. Once particularly, this HIACOOMS received a cruel blow from an Indian Prince, who, if some English had not been there, would have killed him for praying to GOD. And afterwards he gave this account of his trial in it;' I have two hands I had one hand for injuries, and the other for GOD; while I did receive wrong with the one, the other laid the greater hold on GOD.'

Moreover, the Powaws used to abuse the -Praying Indians at such a rate, as terrified others from joining with them; but once, when those witches were bragging that they could kill all the Praying Indians, HIACOONs replied,' Let all the Powaws in the island come together, I will venture myself into the midst of them; let them use all their witchcrafts, with the help of GOD I will tread upon them all.' By this courage he silenced the Powaws; at the same time also he heartened the people at such a rate as was truly wonderful; nor could any of them ever harm this eminent Confessor afterwards, nor indeed any proselyte which had been by his means brought home to GOD; yea, it was observed after this, that they rather killed than cured all such as would yet use their enchantments for help against their sicknesses.

(f) Of Mr. ELIOT's Fellow--laborers in the Indian Work. So little was the soul of Me. ELIOT infected with envy, that longed for nothing more than fellow-laborers. He made his cries both to GOD and man for more laborers to be thrust forth into the Indian harvest; and indeed it was a harvest of so few secular advantages, that it must be nothing less than a Divine thrust which could make any one to labor in it. He saw the answer of his prayers, in the vigorous attempts made by several other worthy Preachers of the Gospel. At the writing of my Father's letter there were four; but the number of them increases apace among us. At Martha's Vineyard, old Mr. MAYHEW, and several of his sons, or grandsons, have done very worthily for the souls of the Indians. There were, fifteen years ago, by computation, about fifteen hundred seals of their Ministry upon that one island. In Connecticut, MR. FITCH has made noble essays towards the conversion of the Indians; but the Prince he has to deal with, being an obstinate infidel, gives unhappy, hindrances to the successes of his Ministry; and MR. PIERSON has in that colony deserved well upon the same account' In Massachusets, we see at this day, MR. DANIEL GOORIN, -MR. PETER THATCHER, MR. GRLNDAL RAWSON, all of them hard at work, to turn these poor creatures "from- darkness to light, and from SATAN to GOD." In Plymouth, we have MR. SAMUEL TREAT laying out himself to save this generation; and there is one MR. TUPPER, who uses his laudable endeavors for the instruction of them.

Such as these are the persons whom MR. ELIOT left engaged in the Indian work, when he departed from his employment to his recompence.

(g) The Exercises Performed in the Indian Congregations. MY Father's account of the exercises performed in the Indian congregations, will tell us what a blessed fruit Alit. ELIOT saw of his labors, before lie went to those rewards which GOD had reserved in heaven for him. Some of the Indians quickly built for themselves large Meeting-houses, after the English mode, in which they attended the" things of the kingdom of heaven: " And some of the English were' helpful to them on this account; among whom I ought particularly to mention that learned, pious, and charitable gentleman, MR. SAMUEL SEWAL, who, at his own charge, built a Meeting-house for one of the Indian congregations.

It only remains that I touch upon the worship which is used by the Indians. And, first, the very name of Praying Indians will assure us that prayer is one: And they pray with much pertinence and enlargement, and pour out their souls before the GOD of Heaven.

Their preaching has much of MR. ELIOT, and therefore much of Scripture; but perhaps more of the Christian than of the scholar in it. I know not how to describe it better, than by reciting the heads of a sermon, uttered by an Indian, on a day of humiliation kept by them, at a time when great rains had given much damage to their fruits and fields. It was on this wise:' A little I shall say, according to that little I know.'

GENESIS viii. 20, 21.

"And NOAH built an Ark unto JEHOVAH; and he took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savor, and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground."

IN that NOAH sacrificed, he showed himself thankful; in that, NOAH worshipped, he showed himself godly; in that lie offered clean beasts, he showed that God is an holy GOD; and all that come to God must be pure and clean. Know, that we must, by repentance, purge ourselves which is the work we are to do this day.

'NOAH sacrificed, and so worshipped. This was the manner of old time. But what sacrifices have we now to offer I shall answer by that in Psalm 4: 5: " Offer to GOD the sacrifice of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD." These are the true spiritual sacrifices which GOD required at our hands," the sacrifices of righteousness;" that is, we must look to our hearts and ways, that they be righteous, and then we shall be acceptable to, GOD when we worship him. But if we be unrighteous, unholy, ungodly, we shall not be accepted, our services will be stark naught. Again," we are to put our trust in the LORD." Who else is there for us to trust in We must believe in the Word of GOD. If we doubt of God, or doubt of his Word, our sacrifices are little worth; but if we trust steadfastly in God, our sacrifices will be good.

'Once more, what sacrifices must we offer My answer is, we must offer such as ABRAHAM offered: And what a sacrifice was that! We are told, in Gen. 22: 12,"Now I know that thou fearest me, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thy only son from me." It seems he had but one dearly beloved son, and he offered that son to GOD; and so GOD said," I know thou fearest me." Behold a sacrifice in deed and in truth! Such an one must we offer Only, God requires not us to sacrifice' our sons, but our sins, our dearest sins. God calls us this day to part with all sins, though never so beloved; and we must not withhold any of them from him. If we will not part with all, the sacrifice is not right. Let us part with such sins as we love best, and it will be a good sacrifice.

GOD "smelt a sweet savor in NOAH'S sacrifice;" and so will God receive our sacrifices, when we worship him aright. But how did GOD manifest his acceptance of NOAH'S offering It was by promising to drown the world no more, but give us fruitful seasons. God has chastised us of late, as if he would utterly drown us; and he has drowned, and spoiled, and ruined a great deal of our bay, and threatens to kill our cattle. It is for this that we fast aid pray this (lay. Let us then offer a clean anal pug"! sacrifice, as NOAH did; so GOD will smelt a savor of rest, and He will withhold the rain, and bless us with such fruitful seasons, as we are desiring of Him.'

MR. ELIOT's Death.

WHEN he drew near his end, he grew more heavenly, more divine, and scented more of the spicy country on which he was ready to put ashore. The historian observes of TIBERIUS, that when his life and strength were going from him, his vice yet remained with him; on the contrary, the grace of this excellent man rather increased than abated, when every thing else was dying with him. It is too usual with old men, that when they are past work, they are least sensible of their inabilities, and can scarce endure to see another succeeding them in any part of their office. But MR. ELIOT was of a quite contrary temper; for finding many months before his expiration, that he had not strength enough to edify his congregation with public prayers and sermons, he importuned, his people with some impatience to call another Minister; professing himself unable to die with comfort, until he could see a good successor fixed among them. For this cause he also cried mightily unto the LORD JESUS, our ascended LORD, that he would give such a gift unto Roxbury; and he sometimes called his whole town together, to join with him in a Fast for such a blessing. As the return of their supplications, our LORD quickly bestowed upon them, a person young in years, but old in discretion, gravity, and experience; and one whom the Church of Roxbury hopes to find," a Pastor after GOD's own heart."

It was MR. NEHEMIAH WALTER, who being by the unanimous choice of the Church there, become the Pastor of Roxbury, immediately found the venerable Mr. ELIOT embracing and cherishing him, with the tender affections of a father. The good old man, like old AARON as it were disrobed himself with an unspeakable satisfaction, when he beheld his garments put upon a son so dear to him. After this, he for a year or two before his translation, could scarce be persuaded to any public service, but humbly pleaded, what none but he would ever have said,' It would be a wrong to the souls of the people, for him to do any thing among them, when they were supplied so much to their advantage otherwise.' If I mistake not, the last sermon that ever, he preached, was on a public Fast; when he fed his people with a very useful exposition upon the eighty third Psalm; and concluded with an apology, begging his hearers to pardon the poorness, and meanness, and brokenness (as he called it) of his meditations; but added he, 'My dear brother here, will by and by mend all.'

This was the peace, in the end of this perfect and upright man; thus was there another star fetched away to be placed among the rest that the third heaven is now enriched with. He had once, I think, a pleasant fear, that the old saints of his acquaintance, especially those two dearest neighbors of his, COTTON of Boston, and MATHER of Dorchester, which were got safe to heaven before him, would suspect him to be gone the wrong way, because he staid so long behind them. But they are now together with the blessed JESUS, "beholding his glory," and celebrating the high praises of "Him that has called them into his marvelous light."

END OF VOL. XXVIII