A93076:78
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.
Dear Brother,
Deare Brother,
AT your desire I have wrote a few things touching the Indians which at present came to my mind, as being some of those passages which took principal impression in my heart, ⟨p. 17⟩wherein I thought I saw the Lord, and said the finger of God is here.
AT your desire I have wrote a few things touching the Indians which at present came to my mind, as being some of those passages which took principall impression in my heart, ⟨p. 17⟩wherein I thought I saw the Lord, and said the finger of God is here.
That which I first aimed at was to declare & deliver unto them the Law of God, to civilize them, wch course the Lord took by Moses, to give the Law to that rude company because of transgression, Gal. 3. 19. to convince, bridle, restrain, and civilize them, and also to humble them. But when I first attempted it, they gave no heed unto it, but were weary, and rather despised what I said. A while after God stirred up in some of them a desire to come into the English fashions, and live after their manner, but knew not how to attain unto it, yea despaired that ever it should come to pass in their days, but thought that in 40. years more, some Indians would be all one English, and in an hundred years, all Indians here about, would so be: which when I heard, (for some of them told me they thought so, and that some wise Indians said so) my heart moved within me, abhorring that we should sit still and let that work alone, and hoping that this motion in them was of the Lord, and that this mind in them was a preparative to embrace the Law and Word of God; and therefore I told them that they and we were already all one save in two things, which make the only difference betwixt them and us: First, we know, serve, and pray unto God, and they do not: Secondly, we labour and work in building, planting, clothing our selves, &c. and they do not: and would hey but do as we do in these things, they would be all one with English men: they said they did not know God, and therefore could not tell how to pray to him, nor serve him. I told them if they would learn to know God, I would teach them: unto which they being very willing, I then taught them (as I sundry times had endeavoured afore) but never found them so forward, attentive and desirous to learn till this time, and then I told them I would come to their Wigwams, and teach them, their wives and children, which they seemed very glad of; and from that day forward I have not failed to do that poor little which you know I do.