The Kingdome of heaven is like to a graine of mustard seed. Ibid. Verse 33. The Kingdome of heaven is like unto Leven. LONDON, Printed by Rich. Cotes, for Fulk Clifton, and are to bee To the Reader. HE Ee that pen'd these following Relations, is a Minisler of Christ in New England,* so eminently godly and faithfull, that what he here reports, as an eye or an eare witnesse, is not to be questioned; Were he willing his name should bee mentioned, it would bee an abundant, if not a redundant, Testimoniall to all that know him. Nathan. Warde. [* The Rev. John Eliot.] A A TRVE RELATION OF Our beginnings with the INDIANS. U Pon ses or tents made of barks or matts. *The name of Pon October 28. 1646. four of us (having sought God) went unto the Indians inhabiting within our bounds, with desire to make known the things of their peace to them. A little before we came to their Wigwams, five or six of * Indian houthe chief of them met us with English salutations, bidding us much welcome; who leading us into the principall Wigwam of * Waaubon, we found many more Indians, men, women, children, gathered together from an Indian. all quarters round about, according to appointment, to meet with us, and learne of us. Waaubon the chief minister of Justice among them exhorting and inviting them before thereunto, being one who gives more grounded hopes of serious respect to the things of God, then any that as yet I have knowne of that forlorne generation; and therefore since wee first began to deale seriously, with him, hath voluntarily offered his eldest son to be educated and trained up in the knowledge of God, hoping, as hee told us, that he might come to know him, although hee despaired much concerning himself; and accordingly his son was accepted, and is now at school in Dedham, whom we found at this time standing by his father among the rest of his Indian brethren in English clothes. They being all there assembled, we began with prayer, which now was in English, being not so farre acquainted with the Indian [p. 2.] language as to expresse our hearts herein before God or them, but wee hope it will bee done ere long, the Indians desiring it that they also might know how to pray; but thus wee began in an unknowne tongue to them, partly to let them know that this dutie in hand was serious and sacred, (for so much some of them understand by what is undertaken at prayer) partly also in regard of our selves, that wee might agree together in the same request and heart sorrowes for them even in that place where God was never wont to be called upon. When prayer was ended it was a glorious affecting spectacle to see a company of perishing, forlorne outcasts, diligently attending to the blessed word of salvation then delivered; professing they understood all that which was then taught them in their owne tongue; it much affected us that they should smell some things of the Alabaster box broken up in that darke and gloomy habitation of filthinesse and uncleane spirits. For about an houre and a quarter the Sermon continued, wherein one of our company ran thorough all the principall matter of religion, beginning first with a repetition of the ten Commandments, and a briefe explication of them, then shewing the curse and dreadfull wrath of God against all those who brake them, or any one of them, or the least title of them, and so applyed it unto the condition of the Indians present, with much sweet affection; and then preached Jesus Christ to them the onely meanes of recovery from sinne and wrath and eternall death, and what Christ was, and whither he was now gone, and how hee will one day come againe to judge the world in flaming fire; and of the blessed estate of all those that by faith beleeve in Christ, and know him feelingly he spake to them also (observing his owne method as he saw most fit to edifie them) about the creation and fall of man, about the greatnesse and infinite being of God, the maker of all things, about the joyes of heaven, and the terrours and horrours of wicked men in hell, perswading them to repentance for severall sins which they live in, and many things of the like nature; not medling with any matters more difficult, and which to such weake ones might at first seeme ridiculous, untill they had tasted and beleeved more plaine and familiar truths. Having thus in a set speech familiarly opened the principal matters [p. 3.] of salvation to them, the next thing wee intended was discourse with them by propounding certaine questions to see what they would say to them, that so wee might skrue by variety of meanes something or other of God into them but before wee did this we asked them if they understood all that which was already spoken, and whether all of them in the Wigwam did understand or onely some few? and they answered to this question with multitude of voyces, that they all of them did understand all that which was then spoken to them. We then desired to know of them, if they would propound any question to us for more cleare understanding of what was delivered; whereupon severall of them propounded presently severall questions, (far different from what some other Indians under Kitshomakin in the like meeting about six weekes before had done, viz. 1. What was the cause of Thunder. 2. Of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea. 3. Of the wind) but the questions (which wee thinke some speciall wisedome of God directed these unto) (which these propounded) were in number six. The name of one of the chiefe Indi ans about us. ? How may wee come to know Jesus Christ? 1 Quest. 1 Answ. Our first answer was, That if they were able to read our Bible, the book of God, therein they should see most cleerely what Jesus Christ was: but because they could not do that; therefore, Secondly, we wisht them to thinke, and meditate of so much as had been taught them, and which they now heard out of Gods booke, and to thinke much and often upon it, 2 Answ. both when they did lie downe on their Mats in their Wigwams, and when they rose up, and to goe alone in the fields and woods, and muse on it, and so God would teach them; especially if they used a third helpe, which was, 3 Answ. Prayer to God to teach them and reveale Jesus Christ unto them; and wee told them, that although they could not make any long prayers as the English could, yet if they did but sigh and groane, and say thus; Lord make mee know Jesus Christ, for I know him not, and if they did say so againe and againe with their hearts that God would teach them Jesus Christ, because hee is such a God as will bee found of them that seeke him with all their hearts, and hee is a God hearing the prayers of all men both Indian as well as English, and that English men by this [p. 4.] meanes have come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. The last helpe wee gave them was repentance, they must confesse their sinnes and ignorance unto God, and mourne for it, and acknowledge how just it is, for God to deny them the knowledge of Jesus Christ or any thing else because of their sinnes. 4 Answ. These things were spoken by him who had preached to them in their owne language, borrowing now and then some small helpe from the Interpreter whom wee brought with us, and who could oftentimes expresse our minds more distinctly then any of us could; but this wee perceived, that a few words from the Preacher were more regarded then many from the Indian Interpreter. 2 Quest. One of them after this answer, replyed to us, that hee was a little while since praying in his Wigwam, unto God and Jesus Christ, that God would give him a good heart, and that while hee was praying, one of his fellow Indians interrupted him, and told him, that hee prayed in vaine, because Jesus Christ understood not what Indians speake in prayer, he had bin used to heare English man pray and so could well enough understand them, but Indian language in prayer hee thought hee was not acquainted with it, but was a stranger to it, and therefore could not understand them. His question therefore was, whether Jesus Christ did understand, or God did understand Indian prayers. |