A39228:78
Indian dialogues for their instruction in that great service of Christ, in calling home…
Indian dialogues for their instruction in that great service of Christ, in calling home their country-men to the knowledge of God, and of themselves, and of Jesus Christ.Indian dialogues for their instruction in that great service of Christ, in calling home their country-men to the knowledge of God, and of themselves, and of Iesus Christ.
Printed at Cambridge : s.n., 1671
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Pium. This discourse is better to me then meat, drink and sleep, if I may do good to your Souls, and turn you unto God. But before we go to r•st and sleep we must pray unto God, for it is God that giveth rest and sleep unto his Servants.
Kinsm. Do all you praying Indians thus do when you are weary and tired with labour, or travel, or hunting, &c. do you pray before you go to rest? what is the reason of your so doing?
Pium. We always do so: and if any should at any time through sloth and sleepiness fail so to do, we judge our selves for our sin, & repent, and confess our sin unto God, and beg pardon and mercy for Christ his sake. And there is great reason thus to pray unto God before we go to rest; for besides what I said that God giveth us rest, and therefore it is fit humbly to ask it of him; There be many other Reasons why we should thus do: for 1. We must give God thanks for all the mercies we have received all the day, which are more then the moments of the time that we live. 2. We must pray for Gods protection of us when we are asleep, we lye like so many dead men, and how easily might mischief befall us, either by Fire, or by an Enemy, if God did not defend and keep us; but when God is our keeper we may rest quietly, in safety without fear, under the covert of his hand: and by faith in Gods protection we sleep quietly without fear, whereas you that do not pray, nor believe, nor commit your selves to God, you do always sleep in fear and terror. 3. Moreover, our sleep and rest is a great reparation of our strength and spirits, and preservation of our health. While we sleep our food is boiled up within us, and digested into all parts of our body, and new spirits are extracted out of our food, and sent up both to our head, heart, and all parts of our body, so that we are fresh and strong in the morning after a good nights rest. Now all this is the special work of God, beyond the power and skill of man to perform for us, and therefore it is great reason to pray for this blessing when we go to rest.