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The glory of goodness. The goodness of God celebrated; in remarkable instances and improvements thereof: and more particularly in the redemption remarkably obtained for the English captives, which have been languishing under the tragical, and the terrible and the most barbarous cruelties of barbary. : [Six lines from Psalms]
printed by T. Green for Benjamin Eliot, 1703
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.
It was a mighty Relief unto them▪ that the English Captives there formed themselves into a SOCIETY, and in their Slavery enjoyed the Lib•••y to meet on the Lords Day Evening, every Week & annually choose a Master and Assistants, and form a Body of Laws, to prevent and suppress Disorders among themselves. The Good Orders of their Society, were a great Reputation, and Preservation unto them. And it afforded them no small Comforts to delight them, in the multitude of the Griefs upon them, that at their Meetings they still had one or other, who by his Prayers, and other Exercises of Religion among them, greatly Edified them.
It was a mighty Relief unto them▪ that the English Captives there formed themselves into a SOCIETY, and in their Slavery enjoyed the Lib•••y to meet on the Lords Day Evening, every Week & annually chuse a Master and Assistents, and form a Body of Laws, to prevent and suppress D•sorders among themselves. The Good Orders of their Society, were a great Reputation, and Preservation unto them. And it afforded them no small Comforts to delight them, in the multitude of the Griefs upon them, that at their Meetings they still had one or other, who by his Prayers, and other Exercises of Religion among them, greatly Edified them.
Behold, A Support from the Goodness of God!
And God Supported them, with Raising up such as were concerned more ways than one, to supply them in their deplorable Necessities. There were some (as a Carver) among themselves, that were able to advise & assist the rest, and others (as a Balaam) at home, were full of Charitable endeavours to send them Comfortable Assistances. And, a, Pastoral Letter or two, Published, and Scattered among them, was blessed of God, for their unspeakable Advantage, and perhaps, had no little Influence, to prepare them for the Salvations which they have now received.
And God Supported them, with Raising up such as were concerned more ways than one, to supply them in their deplorable Necessities. There were some (as a Carver) among themselves, that were able to advise & assist the rest, and others (as a Balam) at home, were full of Charitable endeavours to send them Comfortable Assistences. And, a, Pastoral Letter or two, Published, and Scattered among them, was blessed of God, for their unspeakable Advantage, and perhaps, had no little Influence, to prepare them for the Salvations which they have now received.
Oh, That men would Praise the Lord, for His Goodness, and for His wonderful Works unto the Children of men!
III. It is a Remarkable Goodness of God, That none of these our Friends proved Apostates, from our Holy Religion, when they were under so many Temptations to Apostasy.
There was now and then a wretched Christian, who Renounced Christianity & Embraced Mahometism. If These our Friends had been left unto themselves, under their amazing Trials, They, They would have done so too! Sirs▪ I hope ⟨p. 39⟩you readily own, That you did not keep your selves from Falling! Wherefore unto Him that kept you from Falling, be Glory and Majesty, Dominion and Power, both now and forever. Oh: Let us admire Sovereign Grace, and shout, Grace! Grace! upon it, that though these our Friends, were covered with the shadow of Death, yet they did not Forget the Name of our God, into which they had been Baptised, nor deal falsely in their Baptismal Covenant; nor stretch out their Hands unto the Impostor Mahomet, and his accursed Alcoran!
There was now and then a wretched Christian, who Renounced Christianity & Em•raced Mahometism. If These our Friends had been left unto themselves, under their amazing Trials, They, They would have done so too! Sirs▪ I hope ⟨p. 39⟩you readily own, That you did not keep your selves from Falling! Wherefore unto Him that kept you from Falling, be Glory and Majesty, Dominion and Power, both now and forever. Oh: Let us admire Sovereign Grace, and shout, Grace! Grace! upon it, that though these our Friends, were covered with the shadow of Death, yet they did not Forget the Name of our God, into which they had been Baptised, nor deal falsely in their Baptismal Covenant; nor stretch out their Hands unto the Impostor Mahomet, and his accursed Alcoran!
Our Glorious Lord JESUS CHRIST has now and then had a Martyr, of late, in the Torrid zone of Africa.
One Story (related by Brooks,) may not unprofitably be now repeated.
An English-man and a French-man were taken, endeavouring an Escape▪ The next Day, the English-man and the French-man were cared up to Macqueness in Irons, before the Emperor, who by the Moors was informed, what was done. The Emperor, upon Examination, told them, if they did not immediately turn Moors, he would kill them. The French-man yielded; the Emperor then threatened the English-man, ⟨p. 40⟩if he did not turn, he would quickly kill him. He made Answer, Gods Power was greater than the Devils, & let him do what he would, he should not make him turn Moor. The Emperor called for his Sword, and immediately fell to cutting him, threatening him still, to turn▪ He said, He was brought up in the Faith of Jesus Christ, & he would not forsake it. Then this inhumane Wretch in great spleen, Cut him till he fell down, and hacked & hewed him, as if had been butchering an Ox, and caused the Negro-boys to run his Body full of Holes, with Knives, till his Body was as full of Holes as possible it could be. When he had so done, Bring, said he in his own Language, Four English Dogs to fetch that Dog away. And as they carried his Body away, the Negro-boys stoned them, saying, That should be the end of them, if they did not turn Moors: But they were glad to go quietly without answering again; if they had made any Reply, they had certainly been fallen upon by the Negro-boys. So their greatest satisfaction was, his Dying in the Christian Faith, and his counting that more precious than his own Life, holding the same steadfast ⟨p. 41⟩before that Cruel Tyrant, while he had Breath in his Body. Then they carried him to the place, where they lodged under ground; so took off his Irons, and kept there all Night; and the next Morning carried him where he was to be buried, the Negroes still stoning of them as they went along. As soon as they had laid his Body in the ground, they were hurried by the Negroes to work again after their usual manner.
An English-man and a French-man were taken, endeavouring an Escape▪ The next Day, the English-man and the French-man were carred up to Macqueness in Irons, before the Emperour, who by the Moors was informed, what was done. The Emperour, upon Examination, told them, if they did not immediately turn Moors, he would kill them. The French-man yielded; the Emperour then threatned the English-man,
These our Friends, have not thus Resisted unto Blood. But yet they have not been without Bloody Temptations. And, O my Hearers, Will you not now Glorify the Faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ, who would not suffer these our Friends to be Tempted above what they were able, but made even their Temptations to be their Preservations! One would have thought, that if any thing should have made them turn Infidels, it would have been their Adversity, and the Hope of getting thereby some Relaxation of their Adversity. No; It was remarked, That the Renegado's for the most part, were those who suffered the least share of Adversity. The Fellows who enjoyed more Prosperity ▪ & lived in Gentlemen's Houses, ⟨p. 42⟩with much of Idleness, and Luxury, and Liberty, THESE for the most part were they that fell into the Snare of the Wicked; when those who were toiling about Castles or •rickil•s, continued steadfast in the Faith of our Lord JESUS CHRIST. It was also a notable thing; That few did ever come to cast off the Faith of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, until they were first grown very Vicious in their Morals, and fallen into Vices and Scandals, which made 'em ashamed of appearing before their better disposed Countre•-men; THEN 'twas that they grew desperate, and they departed from the Lord with such a total and final Backsliding, that the Soul of God had no pleasure in them. How Forlorn, how Undone, how Damned for both Worlds had you been, if you had been given over to become such vile Deserters? You saw the strange Hand of God, upon Them: You saw them Hated, Loathed, Scorned, both by the Baptised and the Circumcised: You saw they got nothing, but were Temporally more abject than they were before, & Eternally seized by Chains of Darkness impossible ever to be taken off. You are Glad, that you have been saved from your Apostasy. Did you save your-selves? No; We hear ⟨p. 43⟩you humbly saying this Day before the Lord and His People; Not unto us, Not unto us, O Lord, but unto thy Name give Glory! And, Lord, Thou art He who has delivered my Soul from Death, my Eyes from Tears, and my Feet from Falling.
These our Friends, have not thus Resisted unto Blood. But yet they have not been without Bloody Temptations. And, O my Hearers, Will you not now Glorify the Faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ, who would not suffer these our Friends to be Tempted above what they were able, but made even their Temptations to be their Preservations! One would have thought, that if any thing should have made them turn Infidels, it would have been their Adversity, and the Hope of getting thereby some Relaxation of their Adversity. No; It was remark'd, That the Renegado's for the most part, were those who suffered the least share of Adversity. The Fellows who enjoy'd more Prosperity & lived in Gentlemens Houses,
Wherefore yet once again;
Oh! That men would Praise the Lord for His Goodness, and for His wonderful Works to the Children of Men.
IV. It is a Remarkable Goodness of God, That now the Deliverance of these our Friends is accomplished, and in a signal Answer to Prayer accomplished, and this not without great Obstructions to the Accomplishment.
IV. It is a Remarkable Goodness of God, That now the Deliverance of these our Friends is accomplished, and in a signal Answer to Prayer accomplished, and this not without great Obstrctuions to the Accomplishment.
Such was the known Treachery and Perfidy of the False Tyrant, who held these our Friends in Bondage, that every one despaired of their Deliverance.
For instance;
In the Year, 1680. the English Captives, which were under this fierce Tyrant, sent over a Petition to the King of England, that something might be done for them. An English Captain being sent over, came to an Agreement with him, for their Deliverance, and the Captives were actually put into his Hands. ⟨p. 44⟩The Shack of the Jews, who had order to build a Town for this Faithless Monarch, came to him, telling him that if he would let him have the Christians, to build the Jews-Town, he would give him as much Money as the English Captain had agreed with him for. The next Morning, this African Monster sent out his Negroes, to drive back the Christians, which were hurried again to their old Slavery, in the Cruellest manner imaginable: And there was an end of the matter! Though the Vengeance of God quickly pursued that Jew, who not without the Connivance of the Emperor, had his Brains horribly trod out, by one who purposely Rode over him.
In the Year, 1680. the English Captives, which were under this fierce Tyrant, sent over a Petition to the King of England, that something might be done for them. An English Captain being sent over, came to an Agreement with him, for their Deliverance, and the Captives were actually put into his Hands. ⟨p. 44⟩The Shack of the Jews, who had order to build a Town for this Faithless Monarch, came to him, telling him that if he would let him have the Christians, to build the Jews-Town, he would give him as much Money as the English Captain had agreed with him for. The next Morning, this African Monster sent out his Negroes, to drive back the Christians, which were hurried again to their old Slavery, in the Cruellest manner imaginable: And there was an end of the matter! Though the Vengeance of God quickly pursued that Jew, who not without the Connivance of the Emperour, had his Brains horribly trod out, by one who purposely Rode over him.
