"THE Lord has of late made | and is now making furprising manifeftations of his love and power among us, in fubduing the hearts of finners to the fceptre of Jefus. The attention of people is greatly called up to the things of religion. It is fuch a time as I never faw before. We have conferences almoft every evening, in one part of the parish or another. Our meetings are folemn-There are no outeries-but it feems like the ftill, fmall voice." Numbers of thofe who, to appearance, were the fartheft from religion, are now rejoicing in God. Sometimes the work feems as if it would carry all before it. Oppofition has been made in various ways, but, as yet, to appearance, has been totally in vain. In Pittsford, the town north of this, a fimilar work began about fix months ago-fince which time about 100 have made public profeffion of religion, in that place. The first visible appearance of this work among us, was about the middle of November. In January, upwards of 20 joined with the church, and more than a dozen ftand as candidates for admiffion. Thus, after 18 years of deadnefs and darkness, we have really a time of refreshing; for when the Lord builds up Zion he Unmindful of his doom; But one short hour arrefts his course, And hurls him to the tomb. 4. With anguish'd hearts, from earthly joys Sinners reluctant go; 5. But reft in hope, ye pious few! 6. You'll leave these empty, fading fcenes, And fly to worlds above; There ever dwell at God's right hand, Abforb'd in joy and love. Attempts to propagate the gospel among the Indians in New-England, &c. [Continued from p. 370.] NUMBER VIII. CHAPTER II. was given of the first conference of Mr. Eliot, and his companions with an affembly of Indians in the vicinity of Roxbury; and of the encouragement he met with to purfue the work he had begun. This firft vifit was on 28th of October, 1646. Upon the 11th of November following, they gave the Indians. another meeting by appointment, and found a larger company met together than before. Mr. Eliot began firft with the children, and taught them these three queftions and answers: Q. 1. Who made you, and all the world? A. God.-Q. 2. Who do you expect fhould fave you from fin, and hell? A. Jefus Chrift. Q.3. How many commandments has God given you to keep? A. Ten. He afterwards prcached about an hour to the whole company concerning the nature of God, and the neceffity of faith in Jefus Chrift for the procuring his favor. He informed them likewife of what Jefus Chrift had done, and fuffered for the falvation of finners, and what dreadful judgments they must expect, if they now offered to them. The whole company appeared very serious; and after fermon, liberty being given them to ask any questions for their information; an old man prefently stood up, and with tears in his eyes, afked, "Whether it was not too late for fuch an old man, as he, who was near death, to repent, and seek after God ?" Another asked, "how the English came to differ fo much from the Indians in their knowledge of God, and Jefus Chrift, fince they had all, at first, but one Father?" Another enquired, "How it came to pafs, that fea water was falt, and river water fresh ?" Another, "That if the water was higher than the earth, how it comes to pafs, that it does not overflow all the earth?" Mr. Eliot and his friends spent several hours in anKkk fwering these, and fome other plied foon, not only with his queftions, and in the evening re-grammar, but with catechifms, turned home; the Indians telling them, that they did much thank God for their coming, and for what they had heard; they were wonderful things to them." Upon the 26th of the fame month, they met the Indians a third time; but the company was not fo numerous as before, because the Powows had diffuaded them from coming to hear the English minifters, and threatened others with death; but thofe, that were prefent appeared to be very ferious, and feemed to be touched with Mr. Eliot's fermon. Two or three days after this meeting, Wampas, a wife, and fage Indian, with two of his companions, came to the English, and defired to be admitted into fome of their families: He brought his fon, and two or three other Indian children with him, begging they might be educated in the Chriftian faith, which the English granted. At the next meeting all that were prefent, offered their children to be catechifed and inftructed by the English. and other fmall treatifes in their own tongue. Translating the bible was a work of great labor; but great as it was, he was willing to endure it for the fpiritual benefit of his Indians detefting the doctrine of the Romish church, that "ignorance is the mother of devotion"; and fully fenfible, how neceffary it was, that the natives fhould have the holy writings in their hands, that they might make better progrefs in acquiring Chriftian knowledge, and fo be under better advantages of becoming rooted and grounded in the faith. Mr. Neale obferves, that Mr. Eliot tranflated into the Indian language, primers, catechifms, the practice of piety, Mr. Baxter's call to the unconverted, feveral of Mr. Shepherd's compofures, and at length* the bible itself, which There appears to be a difference between Dr. Mather, and Mr. Neale, with refpect to the time of tranflating and publishing the above books. The latter feems to represent, that a number of fmall books were tranflated, and published, before the bible was com pleated and printed. Dr. Mather's words are, "The bible being juftly made the leader of all the reft, a little Indian library quickly followed: For befides primers and grammers, &c. we quickly had the Practice of Piety in the Indian tongue" &c. Mr. Eliot's care for the fpiritual good of the Indians appeared in the clearest point of light by the pains he took, as fpeedily as his other labors would permit, to tranflate the bible, and other books upon religious, and moral fubjects It seems rather improbable, that into their language. I do not when schools were fet up, as they were learn, from any writings in at an early period after Mr. Eliot's hands, at what time he began to eighteen years, or more, to publish for miffion began, he fhould neglect for tranflate the facred fcriptures, or the ufe of fchools, as well as private any other books upon divine fub- families, any fmall books of divinity in jects: But as fchools were infti- the Indian language, as he was fo good tuted at an carly period, after the a commencement of his miffion; it feems probable that they were fup my Neale's hift. of N. England, vol. 1. p. 244. mafter of it, and fo heartily engaged cation. It is rather to be fuppofed, to promote their inftruction and edifithat Dr. Mather, through inadvertence, made a mistaken reprefentation-an error, from which it may be prefumed, few, or none, who write much, are, that is, as fome interpret it, Re joicing. This was a noted faying of Mr. Eliot, and frequently quoted, "The Indians must be civil was printed the first time, at Cambridge, near Bofton, in the year 1664 and, a little after Mr. Eliot's death, a fecond time, with the corrections of Mr. John Cot-ized as well as if not in order to ton, minister of Plymouth. Mr. Eliot was very fenfible of the importance of schools, to promote the great end he had in view. He quickly procured this benefit for the natives. Many of them made laudable proficiency in reading and writing; and fome of ing and writing; and fome of them applied themselves to the study of the learned languageswere admitted into Harvard College; and one of them was graduated. By the advantage of schools, and the affiftance they obtained from the miffionaries, fundry of them were, after a feafon, qualified to be profitable inftructors of their countrymen. He their being chriftianized." He endeavors therefore to draw them wandering way of life, to civility from their favage, barbarous, and and regular government. brought together as many as were willing to be civilized, who agreed on feveral laws, which prohibited with what they judged fuitable penalties, an idle, fauntering lifeindecency of appearance in refpect to habit-cruelty of men to their wives, and unchastity; and required the contrary good qualities and habits. The general court being willing to encourage the Indians further, made the following order concerning them, dated May 26th, 1647. "Upon information that the Indians dwelling among us are, by the miniftry of the word, brought to fome civility, and are defirous to have a court of ordi Mr. Eliot deemed it neceffary, as foon as might be, to take the Indians off from their wild way of living, and bring them into a fort of civil fociety. The general court therefore, by his application, gave those who were early in-nary judicature fet up among Atructed by him, fome land to them; it is therefore ordered by build a town upon, which they authority of this court, that one thankfully accepted, and called it or more of their magistrates, shall by the name of Noonatomen, or once, every quarter, keep a court as Mr. Hutchinfon writes it, Noo- at fuch place, where the Indians nanetum, or as others, Nonantum,* ordinarily affemble to hear the word of God, to hear and determine all caufes, civil and criminal, Mr. at all times, wholly exempt. Neale appears to have been under good advantages to make a juft ftatement of well converfe together: But being facts in respect to Indian affairs, as he divided into diftinct clans, or tribes, was a gentleman of good ability, and and not having the use of letters, nor had before him, when he wrote, funmuch commerce with each other, they dry compofures upon Indian affairs; formed, as might be expected, different not only thofe of Mr. Eliot, but thofe dialects, in different tribes: E. G. Nupof Meffrs. Shepherd, Whitfield, May-paw, Duppaw, Ruppaw, fignifies the hew, and others, who were original Sun-Attik, Ahtooque, a Deer-Winnit, Wirrit, good-Pum, Pume, oil or fat, in feveral dialects.f writers. The language of the Indians, from Pifcataqua to Connecticut, was so nearly the fame, that they could tolerably + Hutchinson's bift. Maff. v. 1. p. 479. Mat. Maybew's narrative, in Magnal. B. vi. p. 59. t not being capital, concerning the Indians only; and that the Indian fachems fhall have liberty to take orders, in the nature of fummons, or attachments to bring any of their people to the faid court; and to keep a court of themselves every month, if they fee occafion, to determine fmall causes of a civil nature, and fuch fmaller criminal caufes, as the faid magiftrates fhall refer to them; and the faid fachems fhall appoint officers to ferve warrants, and to execute the orders and judgments of either of the faid courts; which officers fhall, from time to time, be allowed by the faid magiftrates in the quarter courts, or by the governor : And that all fines, to be impofed upon an Indian, in any of the faid courts, fhall go, and be bestowed towards the building of fome meeting houfe, for education of their poorer children in learning, or other public ufe, by the advice of the faid magiftrates, and of Mr. Eliot, or of fuch other elder, as fhall ordinarily inftruct them in the true religion. And it is the defire of this court, that these magiftrates, and Mr. Eliot, or fuch other elders as fhall attend the keeping of the faid courts, will carefully endeavor to make the Indians understand our most useful laws, and the principles of reafon, juftice and equity, whereon they are grounded; and it is defired, that fome care may be taken of the Indians on the Lord's day." The ground, on which their town was to be built, being marked out, Mr. Eliot advifed them to fence it in with ditches, and a ftone wall, promifing that they Thould be fupplied with fhovels, * Shepherd's clear fun-fhine of the gofpel upon the Indians, quoted by Mr. Neale. fpades, mattocks and crows of iron for this purpose. He excited them to induftry by giving money to those, who wrought the hardeft; by which means their town was foon enclosed; and the wigwams of the meaneft were equal to thofe of the fachems in other places; they divided them into feveral apartments; whereas before, they had but one room, and that in common to the whole family. The women began to learn to fpin, and to find fomething to fell at market all the year round. They employed part of their time in collecting, and carrying to market, thofe indigenous, or natural fruits of the earth, which grow without culture. The game which they caught in hunting and fifhing were articles of commerce; as were alfo fome few manufactures of their own, in the preparing of which they discovered much ingenuity and ac curacy. Some of the men learned fuch trades, as were moft neceffary for them, fo as that they completely built an houfe for public worship fifty feet in length, and twentyfive in breadth, which Mr. Wilfon, in one of his letters, fays, "appeared like the workmanship of an English housewright."* Several of them wrought with the English in hay-time and harveft t; but not being inured to fteady work of any kind, they were neitheir fo induftrious, nor capable of hard labor, as thofe, who had been bred to it. Mr. * Hutchinfon's Hift. V. I. p. 163. Great caution is to be ufed in attempting to reduce the Indians to a regular, ftated purfuit of the arts of civil life. A fudden tranfition from a favage ftate, to that which we term, a state of civilization, could it be effected, might be apt to prey upon the fpirits, ind produce very unhappy confequences, in |