A93076:21
The clear sun-shine of the gospel breaking forth upon the Indians in New-England. Or,…The clear sun-shine of the gospel breaking forth upon the Indians in Nevv-England. Or,…
The clear sun-shine of the gospel breaking forth upon the Indians in New-England. Or, An historical narration of Gods wonderful workings upon sundry of the Indians, both chief governors and common-people, in bringing them to a willing and desired submission to the ordinances of the gospel; and framing their hearts to an earnest inquiry after the knowledge of God the Father, and of Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world. / By Mr. Thomas Shepard minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ at Cambridge in New-England.The clear sun-shine of the gospel breaking forth upon the Indians in Nevv-England. Or, An historicall narration of Gods wonderfull workings upon sundry of the Indians, both chief governors and common-people, in bringing them to a willing and desired submission to the ordinances of the gospel; and framing their hearts to an earnest inquirie after the knowledge of God the Father, and of Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world. / By Mr. Thomas Shepard minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ at Cambridge in New-England.
London: printed by R. Cotes for John Bellamy, 1648
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.
All these are hopeful presages that God is going out in his power and grace to conquer a people to himself; That he begins to cast an owning look on them, whom he hath so long neglected 1& despised. And indeed God may well seek out for other ground to sow the seed of his Ordinances upon, seeing the ground where it hath been sown hath brought forth no better fruit to him, he may well be peak another people to himself, seeing he finds no better entertainment among the people he hath espoused to him, and that by so many mercies, privileges, endearments, engagements. We have as many sad symptoms of a declining, as these poor outcasts have glad presages of a Rising Sun among them. The Ordinances are as much contemned here, as frequent there, the Ministry as much discouraged here, as embraced three; Religion as much derided, the ways of godliness as much scorned here, as they can be wished and desired there; generally we are sick of plenty, we surfeit of our abundance, the worst of surfeits, and with our loathed Manna and disdained food, God ⟨image 6⟩preparing them a Table in the wilderness; where our satieties, will be their sufficiencies; our complaints, their contents; our burdens, their comforts; if he cannot have an England here, he can have an England there: & baptize & adopt them into those privileges, which we have looked upon as our burdens. We have sad decays upon us, we are a revolting Nation, a people guilty of great defection from God. Some fall from the worship of God to their old superstitions, and corrupt worship, saying with those in Jeremiah, It was better with us then now. Some fall from the doctrine of grace to errors, some to damnable, others to defiling some to destructive, others to corruptive opinions. Some fall from professed seeming holiness, to fin & profaneness: who like blazing comets did shine bright for a time, but after have set in a night of darkness. We have many sad symptoms on us, we decay under all the means of nourishment, are barren under all Gods s;owings, dry under all the dews, droppings showers of heaven, like that Country whereof Historians speak, where drought causeth 2dirt, and showers causeth dust.
All these are hopefull presages that God is going out in his power and grace to conquer a people to himself; That he begins to cast an owning look on them, whom he hath so long neglected