EE having perused the ensuing Narration, written by Master Eliot, doe conceive it fit to be Printed, That thereby the Servants of God in be England may be further enlarged in their Praises to God for his free Grace wonderfully manifested in beginning and so successfully carrying on the hoped for Conversion of the Indians. And also that they may much encouraged to continue their Prayers, and liberall Contributions for the finishing and perfecting of this blessed and glorious undertaking, so much conducing to the Glory of God, the Salvation of soules, and the Inlargement of the Kingdome of Christ upon May 13. 1655. Earth. To all that pray and wait for the increase of the Kingdome of our Lord Grace and Peace be multiplied. Beloved Brethren, A S, The One thing which ye have desired of the Lord, and which yee have sought after, is, that your selves might dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of your lives, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his Temple: So, I am much assured that the next thing which yee have desired of the Lord, and which ye have earnestly sought after, is, that they who have hitherto been strangers to, might dwell also in the house of the Lord all the dayes of their lives, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his Temple; yea, that they might be a house and a Temple of the Lord. This being the gratious designe of your holy breathings unto God, and of your liberall contributings unto men, ye cannot but rejoyce to hear of any thing which looketh like, much more which really is a fruit and return of such breathings and contributings. Holy prayers and zealous endeavours are very sweet in their acts, but they are much more sweet in their effects and issues. It should mightily encourage the seed of Jacob to pray, because God hath said, that he hath not said to the seed of Jacob, seeke yee me in vaine. But how should it provoke the seed of Jacob to give thanks, when they find that they have not sought the Lord in vaine? and that their labours have not been in vaine in the Lord? Beloved Brethren, yee may now see and tast the fruit of those Prophecies, which ye have been helping to the birth. The Wildernesse and solitary places are glad, the desert rejoyceth and blossometh, as the Rose it blossometh abundantly, and rejoyceth even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon is given to it, the excellency of Carmell and Sharon, these see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. This little Book of Observations and Experiences gives you a brief and faithfull Narrative of the increasing glory of Christ by the Progresse of the Gospel in NewEngland: It tells you how Christ hath there led captivity captive, and given gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Where the strong man Armed kept the house (for many Ages and Generations, and all was in peace :) there now (Christ) A stronger then he, hath come upon him, and hath (in many examples) overcome him and taken from him all his Armour wherein he trusted, and divided his spoyles: Now Christ keeps the house, which Satan formerly kept; yea, they who were kept by Satan as his house, are now ready and earnestly desire to be built up as a house for Christ. The poor, naked, ignorant Indians who lately knew no civill Order, now beg to be brought into Church Order, to live under the Government, and enjoy the holy Ordinances of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the purest way of Gospel-worship. May we not now (Beloved) make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know Christ? Behold Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia, this man was borne there; and of Sion (in New-England) it may be said, this and that man (of the wild, rude, and barbarous Indians) was borne there. Read this short discourse, and it will tell you that the Lord hath blessed the labours of the Messengers of Sion in New-England, with the Conversion of some (I may say, of a considerable number) of the Indians, to be a kind of first fruits of his (new) Creatures there. O let |