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LETTER TO A STUDENT AT YALE COLLEGE

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LETTER TO A STUDENT AT YALE COLLEGE

12 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

To the Rev. Ebenezer Pemberton Forks of Delaware, Nov. 5, 1744

“Rev. Sir:

“Since you are pleased to require of me some brief and general account of my conduct in the affair of my mission among the Indians; the pains and endeavors I have used to propagate Christian knowledge among them; the difficulties I have met with in pursuance of that great work; and the hopeful and encouraging appearances I have observed in any of them; I shall now endeavor to answer your demands, by giving a brief but faithful account of the most material things relating to that important affair, with which I have been and am still concerned. This I shall do with more freedom and cheerfulness, both because I apprehend it will be a likely means to give pious persons, who are concerned for the kingdom of Christ, some just apprehension of the many and great difficulties that attend the propagation of it among the poor Pagans; and consequently, it is hoped, will engage their more frequent and fervent prayers to God, that those may be succeeded, who are employed in this arduous work. Besides, I persuade myself that the tidings of the gospel spreading among the poor Heathen, will be, to those who are waiting for the accomplishment of the “glorious things spoken of the city of our God,” as “good news from a far country”; and that these will be so far from “despising the day of small things,” that, on the contrary, the least dawn of encouragement and hope, in this important affair, will rather inspire their pious breasts with more generous and warm desires, that “the kingdoms of this world, may speedily become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ.” — I shall therefore immediately proceed to the business before me, and briefly touch upon the most important matters that have concerned my mission, from the beginning to this present time.

“On March 15, 1743, I waited on the Correspondents for the Indian mission at New York; and the week following attended their meeting at Woodbridge, in New Jersey, and was speedily dismissed by them with orders to attempt the instruction of a number of Indians in a place some miles distant from the city of Albany. And on the first day of April following, I arrived among the Indians, at a place called by them “Kaunaumeek”, in the county of Albany, nearly twenty miles distant from the city eastward.

“The place, as to its situation, was sufficiently lonesome and unpleasant, being encompassed with mountains and woods; twenty miles distant from any English inhabitants; six or seven from any Dutch; and more than two from a family that came some time since, from the Highlands of Scotland, and had then lived, as I remember, about two years in this wilderness. In this family I lodged about the space of three months, the master of it being the only person with whom I could readily converse in those parts, except my interpreter; others understanding very little English.

“After I had spent about three months in this situation, I found my distance from the Indians a very great disadvantage to my work among them, and very burdensome to myself; as I was obliged to travel forward and backward almost daily on foot, having no pasture in which I could keep my horse for that purpose. And after all my pains, could not be wi.h the Indians in the evening and morning, which were usually the best hours to find them at home, and when they could best attend my instructions.—I therefore resolved to remove, and live with or near the Indians, that I might watch all opportunities when they were generally at home, and take the advantage of such seasons for their instructions.

“Accordingly I removed soon after; and, for some time, lived with them in one of their wigwams ; and, not long after, built me a small house, where I spent the remainder of that year entirely alone; my interpreter, who was an Indian, choosing rather to live in a wigwam among his own countrymen. This way of living I found attended with many difficulties and uncomfortable circumstances, in a place where I could get none of the necessaries and common comforts of life, (no, not so much as a morsel of bread,) but what I brought from places fifteen and twenty miles distant, and oftentimes was obliged, for some time together, to content myself without, for want of an opportunity to procure the things I needed.

“But although the difficulties of this solitary way of living are not the least, or most inconsiderable, (and doubtless are, in fact, many more and greater to those who experience, than they can readily appear to those who only view them at a distance,) yet I can truly say that the burden I felt respecting my great work among the poor Indians, the fear and concern that continually hung upon my spirit, lest they should be prejudiced against Christianity, and their minds imbittered against me, and my labors among them by means of the insinuations of some who, although they are called Christians, seem to have no concern for Christ’s kingdom, but had rather (as their conduct plainly discovers) that the Indians should remain Heathens, that they may with the more ease cheat, and so enrich themselves by them — were much more pressing to me, than all the difficulties that attended the circumstances of my living.

“As to the state or temper of mind in which I found these Indians, at my first coming among them, I may justly say, it was much more desirable and encouraging, than what appears among those who are altogether uncultivated. Their Heathenish jealousies and suspicion, and their prejudices against Christianity, were in a great measure removed by the long-continued labors of the Reverend Mr. Sargeant among a number of the same tribe, in a place little more than twenty miles distant. Hence, these were, in some good degree, prepared to entertain the truths of Christianity, instead of objecting against them, and appearing almost entirely untractable, as is common with them at first, and as perhaps, these appeared a few years ago. Some of them, at least, appeared very well disposed towards religion, and seemed much pleased with my coming among them. “In my labors with them, in order to “turn them from darkness to light,” I studied what was most plain and easy, and best suited to their capacities; and endeavored to set before them from time to time, as they were able to receive them, the most important and necessary truths of Christianity; such as most immediately concerned their speedy conversion to God, and such as I judged had the greatest tendency, as means, to effect that glorious change in them. But especially I made it the scope and drift of all my labors, to lead them into a thorough acquaintance with these two things.—First, The sinfulness and misery of the estate they were naturally in; the evil of their hearts, the pollution of their natures; the heavy guilt they were under, and their exposedness to everlasting punishment; as also their utter inability to save themselves, either from their sins, or from those miseries which are the just punishment of them; and their unworthiness of any mercy at the hand of God, on account of any thing they themselves could do to procure his favor, and consequently their extreme need of Christ to save them—And, secondly, I frequently endeavored to open to them the fulness, all-sufficiency, and freeness of that redemption, which the Son of God has wrought out by his obedience and sufferings, for perishing sinners: how this provision he had made, was suited to all their wants; and how he called and invited them to accept of everlasting life freely, notwithstanding all their sinfulness, inability, unworthiness, etc.

“After I had been with the Indians several months, I composed sundry forms of prayer, adapted to their circumstances and capacities; which with the help of my interpreter I translated into the Indian language; and soon learned to pronounce their words, so as to pray with them in their own tongue. I also translated sundry psalms into their language, and soon after we were able to sing in the worship of God.

“When my people had gained some acquaintance with many of the truths of Christianity, so that they were capable of receiving and understanding many others, which at first could not be taught them, by reason of their ignorance of those that were necessary to be previously known, and upon which others depended; I then gave them an historical account of God’s dealings with his ancient professing people the Jews; some of the rites and ceremonies they were obliged to observe, as their sacrifice, etc.; and what these were designed to represent to them: as also some of the surprising miracles God wrought for their salvation, while they trusted in him, and sore punishment he some times brought upon them, when they forsook and sinned against him. Afterwards I proceeded to give them a relation of the birth, life, miracles, sufferings, death, and resurrection of Christ; as well as His ascension, and the wonderful effusion of the Holy Spirit consequent thereupon.

“And having thus endeavored to prepare the way by such a general account of things, I next proceeded to read and expound to them the gospel of St. Matthew (at least the substance of it) in course, wherein they had a more distinct and particular view of what they had before some general notion.—These expositions I attended almost every evening, when there was any considerable number of them at home; except when I was obliged to be absent myself, in order to learn the Indian language with the Rev. Mr. Sargeant.— Besides these means of instruction, there was likewise an English school constantly kept by my interpreter among the Indians: which I used frequently to visit, in order to give the children and young people some proper instructions, and serious exhortations suited to their age.

The degree of knowledge to which some of them attained, was considerable. Many of the truths of Christianity seemed fixed in their minds, especially in some instances, so that they would speak to me of them, and ask such questions about them, as were necessary to render them more plain and clear to their understandings. The children, also, and young people, who attended the school, made considerable proficiency (at least some of them) in their learning; so that had they understood the English language well, they would have been able to read somewhat readily in a psalter.

“But that which was most of all desirable, and gave me the greatest encouragement amidst many difficuilties and disconsolate hours, was, that the truths of God’s word seemed, at times, to be attended with some power upon the hearts and consciences of the Indians. And especially this appeared evident in a few instances, who were awakened to some sense of their miserable estate by nature, and appeared solicitous for deliverance from it. Several of them came, of their own accord, to discourse with me about their souls’ concerns; and some, with tears, inquired “what they should do to be saved?” and whether the God that Christians served, would be merciful to those that had been frequently drunk, etc.

“And although I cannot say that I have satisfactory evidences of their being “renewed in the spirit of their mind,” and savingly converted to God; yet the spirit of God did, I apprehend, in such a manner attend the means of grace, and so operate upon their minds thereby, as might justly afford matter of encouragement, to hope that God designed good to them, and that he was preparing his way into their souls.

“There likewise appeared a reformation in the lives and manners of the Indians. — Their idolatrous sacrifices (of which there was but one or two, that I know of, after my coming among them) were wholly laid aside. And their heathenish custom of dancing, hallooing, etc., they seemed in a considerable measure to have abandoned. And I could not but hope, that they were reformed in some measure from the sin of drunkenness. They likewise manifested a regard for the Lord’s day, and not only behaved soberly themselves, but took care also to keep their children in order.

“Yet, after all, I must confess, that as there were many hopeful appearances among them, so there were some things more discouraging. And while I rejoiced to observe any seriousness and concern among them about the affairs of their souls, still I was not without continual fear and concern, lest such encouraging appearances might prove “like a morning cloud, that passeth away.”

“When I had spent near a year with the Indians, I informed them that I expected to leave them in the spring then approaching, and to be sent to another tribe of Indians, at a great distance from them. On hearing this, they appeared very sorrowful, and some of them endeavored to persuade me to continue with them; urging that they had now heard so much about their souls’ concerns, that they could never more be willing to live as they had done, without a minister, and further instructions in the way to heaven, etc. Whereupon I told them, they ought to be willing that others also should hear about their souls’ concerns, seeing those needed it as much as themselves. Yet further to dissuade me from going, they added, that those Indians, to whom I had’ thoughts of going (as they had heard) were not willing to become Christians as they were, and therefore urged me to tarry with them. I then told them, that they might receive further instruction withput me; but the Indians to whom I expected to be sent, could not, there being no minister near to teach them. And hereupon I advised them in case I should leave them, and be sent elsewhere, to remove to Stockbridge, where they might be supplied with land, and conveniences of living, and be under the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Sargeant: with which advice and proposal, they seemed disposed to comply.

(To be concluded in next issue)

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Bekijk de hele uitgave van zondag 1 juni 1947

The Banner of Truth | 16 Pagina's

LETTER TO A STUDENT AT YALE COLLEGE

Bekijk de hele uitgave van zondag 1 juni 1947

The Banner of Truth | 16 Pagina's