THE Station in which the Hand of the God of Heaven hath disposed His Majesties Heart to place your Honour, doth so manifestly entitle your Lordship to this ensuing Narrative, that its being thus Presented to your Excellencies Hand is thereby both Apologized for and Justified. I believe, had the Writer of it, when he Penned it, had any Knowledge of your Excellency, he would himself have done it, and withal would have amply and publicly Congratulated the ⟨image 3⟩People of New England, on account of their having such a Governor, and your Excellency on account of your being made Governor over them. For though as to some other things it may possibly be a place to some Persons not so desirable, yet I believe this Character may be justly given of them, that they are the best People under Heaven; there being among them, not only less of open Profaneness, and less of Lewdness, but also more of the serious Profession, Practise, and Power of Christianity in proportion to their number, then is among any other People upon the Face of the whole Earth. Not but I doubt, there are many bad Persons among them, and too many distempered Humours, perhaps even among those who are truly good. It would be a wonder, if it should be otherwise; for it hath of late Years on various accounts, and some very singular and unusual ones, been a Day of sore Temptation with that whole People. Nevertheless, as I look upon it as a Favour from God to those Plantations ⟨image 3⟩that he hath set your Excellency over them, so I do account it a Favour from God to your Excellency, that he hath committed and trusted in your Hand, so great a part of his peculiar Treasure and precious Jewels, as are among that People. Besides, that on other accounts the Lord Jesus hath more of a visible Interest in New England, then in any of the outgoings of the English Nation in America. They have at their own Charge not only set up Schools of lower Learning up and down the Country; but have also erected an University, which hath been the happy Nursery of many useful, Learned, and excellently accomplished Persons. And moreover, from them hath the blessed Gospel been Preached to the poor barbarous savage Heathen there, and it hath taken such root among them, that there were lately four and twenty Assemblies in which the Name of the Lord Jesus was constantly called on, and celebrated in their own Language.
THE Station in which the Hand of the God of Heaven hath disposed His Majesties Heart to place your Honour, doth so manifestly entitle your Lordship to this insuing Narrative, that its being thus Presented to your Excellencies Hand is thereby both Apologized for and Justified. I believe, had the Writer of it, when he Penned it, had any Knowledge of your Excellency, he would himself have done it, and withal would have amply and publickly Congratulated the ⟨image 3⟩People of New England, on account of their having such a Governour, and your Excellency on account of your being made Governour over them. For though as to some other things it may possibly be a place to some Persons not so desirable, yet I believe this Character may be justly given of them, that they are the best People under Heaven; there being among them, not only less of open Profaneness, and less of Lewdness, but also more of the serious Profession, Practise, and Power of Christianity in proportion to their number, then is among any other People upon the Face of the whole Earth. Not but I doubt, there are many bad Persons among them, and too many distemper'd Humours, perhaps even among those who are truly good. It would be a wonder, if it should be otherwise; for it hath of late Years on various accounts, and some very singular and unusual ones, been a Day of sore Temptation with that whole People. Nevertheless, as I look upon it as a Favour from God to those Plantations ⟨image 3⟩that he hath set your Excellency over them, so I do account it a Favour from God to your Excellency, that he hath committed and trusted in your Hand, so great a part of his peculiar Treasure and precious Jewels, as are among that People. Besides, that on other accounts the Lord Jesus hath more of a visible Interest in New England, then in any of the outgoings of the English Nation in America. They have at their own Charge not only set up Schools of lower Learning up and down the Country; but have also erected an University, which hath been the happy Nursery of many useful, Learned, and excellently accomplished Persons. And moreover, from them hath the blessed Gospel been Preached to the poor barbarous savage Heathen there, and it hath taken such root among them, that there were lately four and twenty Assemblies in which the Name of the Lord Jesus was constantly called on, and celebrated in their own Language.
