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them, and the change which is among them, is this: They have utterly forsaken all their powaws, and given over that diabolical exercise, being convinced that it is quite contrary to praying unto God; yea, sundry of their powaws have renounced their wicked employment,-have condemned it as evil,-and resolved never to use it any more.

"They pray unto God constantly in their families, morning and evening, and that with great affection, as hath been seen and heard by sundry that have gone to their wigwams at such times; as also, when they go to meat, they solemnly pray and give thanks to God, as they see the English do. When they come to English houses, they desire to be taught; and, if meat be given them, they pray and give thanks to God; and usually express their great joy that they are taught to know God, and their great affection to them that teach them. They are careful to instruct their children, and they are also strict against any profanation of the Sabbath, by working, fishing, hunting, &c.—

"In my exercise among them, we attend four things beside prayer unto God. First, I catechize the children and youth,—wherein some are very ready and expert. Secondly, I preach unto them

out of some texts of Scripture, wherein I study all plainness and brevity, unto which many are very attentive. Thirdly, If there be any occasion, we in the next place go to admonition and censure, unto which they submit themselves reverently and obediently, and confess their sins with much plainness, and without shiftings and excuses. Fourthly, The last exercise we have among them, is their asking us questions, and very many they have asked, which I have forgotten; but some few that come to my remembrance I will briefly touch. Before I knew God,' said Cutshamoquin, 'I thought I was well, but since I have known God and sin, I find my heart full of sin, and more sinful than ever it was before, and this hath been à great trouble to me; and at this day my heart is but very little better than it was, and I am afraid it will be as bad again as I have been. Now my question is, whether is this a sin or not?' Another great question was this: When I preached out of 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10, 11. old Mr Brown, being present, observed them to be much affected, and one especially did weep very much; and after that there was a general question, Whether any of them should go to heaven, seeing they found their hearts full of sin?' The next meeting being at Dorchester-Mill, they did there propound it,

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expressing their fears that none of them should be saved; which did draw forth my heart to preach and press the promise of pardon to all that were weary and sick of sin; and this doctrine some of them, in a special manner, did receive in a very reverend manner. This very day I have been with the Indians, and one of their questions was, to know what to say to such Indians as oppose their praying to God, and believing in Jesus Christ. What get you,' say they,' by praying to God, and believing in Jesus Christ? you go naked still, and you are as poor as we, and our corn is as good as yours, and we take more pleasure than you. Did we see that you got any thing by it, we would pray to God and believe in Jesus Christ also. I answered them, First, God giveth unto us two sorts of good things: one sort are little things,-the other sort are great ones. The little mercies are riches, as clothes, food, sack, houses, cattle, and pleasures; these are little things which serve but for our bodies a little while in this life. The great mercies are wisdom, the knowledge of God,-Christ,-eternal life,repentance, faith; these are mercies for the soul and for eternal life. Now, though God do yet give you the little mercies, he giveth you that which is a great deal better, which the wicked

Indians cannot see. And this I proved to them by this example:-When Foxun, the Mohegan counsellor, who is counted the wisest Indian in the country, was in the Bay, I did on purpose bring him unto you,-and when he was here, you saw he was a fool in comparison of you; for you could speak of God and Christ, and heaven and repentance, and faith, but he sat and had not one word to talked of hunting, wars, &c. Secondly, you have some more clothes than they; and the reason why you have no more, is, because you have but a little wisdom. If you were more wise, to know God, and obey his commandments, you would work more than you do, for God commandeth, Six days shalt thou work.—

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"There do sundry times fall out differences among them, and they usually bring their cases to me, and sometimes such as it is needful for me to decline. Their young men, who of all the rest live most idly and dissolutely, now begin to go to service. They moved for a school, and through God's mercy a course is now taken, that there be schools at both places where their children are taught.”

"Dear brother, I can go no further; a weary body, and sleepy eyes, command me to conclude, and desiring your prayers for God's grace and blessing upon my spirit, and poor endeavours, I

take leave at this time, and rest your loving brother in our Saviour Christ.f

JOHN ELIOT.

Though Mr Eliot," to use the words of one of his brethren in the ministry, when he referred to the letter from which the preceding extracts are taken," writes as his spirit is, modestly and sparingly, and speaks the least in sundry particulars;" yet he adduces very satisfactory proofs that the divine blessing had accompanied his labours. As illustrative of this interesting subject, however, we shall here subjoin a few facts related on the authority of the Rev. Thomas Shepard.

On the 3rd of March, 1647, Messrs Shepard, Wilson, Allen, and Dunstar, four of the ministers in New-England, accompanied by many Christian friends, went to Nonanetum with the view of attending Mr Eliot's Indian lecture. They had the pleasure of witnessing this interesting service, and engaging in conversation with the converts who were present. The questions proposed on this occasion, both by the men and the women,* evinced a progress in the divine life,

Shepard's Clear Sun-Shine of the Gospel, p. 18-29. • Because we knew how unfit it was for women so

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