he has hitherto surprisingly carried on, a work of grace among these Indians. May the glory be ascribed to Him, who is the sole author of it!'

On this journey Mr. Brainerd visited his former people at the Forks of the Delaware, and preached to them with encouraging effect. After discoursing from the parable of the sower, he says, I conversed particularly with sundry persons, which occasioned them to weep, and even to cry out in an affecting manner. Some of these persons had been with me to Crosweeksung; and had there seen, and I trust felt, the power of God's Word in an effectual and saving manner. I asked one of them, who had given hopeful evidence of being truly religious, why he now cried. He replied, that when he thought how Christ was slain like a lamb, and had spilt his blood for sinners, he could not help crying, when he was all alone; and thereupon burst out into tears and cries again. I then asked his wife, who had likewise been abundantly comforted, wherefore she cried. She answered, that she was grieved that the Indians here would not come to Christ, as well as those at Crosweeksung. I asked her if she found a heart to pray for them, and whether Christ had seemed to be near to her of late in prayer, as in time past; which is my usual method of expressing a sense of the divine presence. She replied, that he had been near to her; and that, at times, when she had been praying alone, her heart loved to pray so, that she could not bear to leave the place, but wanted to stay and pray longer.'

On proceeding to the Susquehanna, Mr. B. was kindly received and entertained by the Indians, but was unable to produce any serious impression upon them by his ministrations; he returned therefore under much discouragement to his Indians at Crosweeksung. Oh,' says he, what a difference

6

is there between these and the Indians whom I lately treated with on the Susquehanna! To be with those, seemed like being banished from God and all his people; to be with these, like being admitted into his family, and to the enjoyment of his divine presence! How great is the change lately made on numbers of these Indians; who, not many months ago, were many of them as thoughtless and averse to Christianity, as those on the Susquehanna! and how astonishing is that grace that has made this change!'

Here his ministerial labours were accompanied with the same surprising energy, and saving effect:

in

The word of God seemed to fall on the assembly with a divine power and influence, especially toward the close of my discourse. Christians were refreshed and comforted; convictions revived others; and sundry persons newly awakened who had never been with us before and so much of the divine presence appeared in the assembly, that it seemed this was no other than the house of God, and the gate of heaven. All that had savour and relish of divine things were even constrained to say, Lord, it is good for us to be here! If ever there was among my people an appearance of the New Jerusalem, as a bride adorned for her husband, there was much of it at this time; and so agreeable was the entertainment, where such tokens of the divine presence were, that I could scarce be willing in the evening to leave the place, and repair to my lodgings. I was refreshed with a view of the continuance of this blessed work of grace among them; and its influence upon strangers of the Indians that had of late, from time to time, providentially fallen into these parts.

On Sunday November 3, I baptized fourteen Indians; six adults, and eight children. One was near

fourscore years of age, and I have reason to hope God has brought her savingly home to himself. Two were men of fifty years old, who had been singular and remarkable, even among the Indians, for their wickedness: one of them had been a murderer; and both notorious drunkards, as well as excessively quarrelsome but now I cannot but hope that both are become subjects of God's special grace. I deferred their baptism for many weeks after they had given evidences of having passed a great change, that I might have more opportunity to observe the fruits of those impressions under which they had been, and apprehended the way was now clear: and there was not one of the adults whom I baptized, but what had given me some comfortable ground to hope that God had wrought a work of grace in their hearts; although I could not have the same degree of satisfaction respecting one or two of them, as the rest.'

In speaking of the effects produced by a sermon on the Rich Man and Lazarus, (Luke xvi. 19-26.) Mr. B. observes, 'the word made powerful impressions on many in the assembly; especially while I discoursed of the blessedness of Lazarus in Abraham's bosom. This, I could perceive, affected them much more than what I spoke of the Rich Man's misery and torments. And thus it has been usually with them. They have almost always appeared much more affected with the comfortable, than with the dreadful truths of God's word: and that which has distressed many of them under convictions, is, that they found they wanted, and could not obtain, the happiness of the godly; at least they have often appeared to be more affected with this, than with the terror of hell. But, whatever be the means of their awakening, it is plain that numbers are made deeply sensible of their sin

and misery, the wickedness and stubbornness of their hearts, their utter inability to help themselves, or to come to Christ for help without divine assistance; and so are brought to see their perishing need of Christ to do all for them, and to lie at the foot of sovereign mercy.

'These observations deserve the serious attention of every minister and missionary of Christ. It should be remembered, that all the alarming truths of Scripture are to be insisted on, in order to drive men from sin, and self, and the world, and to endear Christ to them; and it is by the full display of his unsearchable riches, the soul is, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, brought to a vital union with, and an increasing conformity to him.'

Mr. Brainerd's life and journals abound with most striking instances of the effects produced on the poor Indians by the preaching of the gospel. On one occasion he remarks:

A divine influence,' he says, 'I am persuaded, accompanied the word. The power of God appeared in the assembly; not by producing any remarkable cries, but by shocking and rousing at heart, as it seemed, several stupid creatures that were scarcely ever moved with any concern before. The power attending divine truths seemed to have the influence of the earthquake, rather than of the whirlwind, upon them. Their passions were not so much alarmed, as has been common here in times past; but their judgments appeared to be powerfully convinced, by the masterly and conquering influence of divine truths. of divine truths. The impressions made upon the assembly in general seemed not superficial, but deep and heart-affecting. Oh how ready did they now appear universally to embrace and comply with every thing they heard and were convinced was duty! God was in the midst of us of a truth, bowing

and melting stubborn hearts! How many tears and sobs were then to be seen and heard among us! What liveliness and strict attention! what eagerness and intenseness of mind appeared in the whole assembly, in the time of divine service! They seemed to watch and wait for the dropping of God's word, as the thirsty earth for the former and latter rain.'

'On another occasion, after a sermon on the new birth, many of the Indians followed Mr. B. to his lodgings, and begged to be further instructed in the way of salvation; but he had not spoken long, when they were so affected with what he said, that the house was filled with their cries and groans. Almost all whom he apprehended to be still in an unconverted state, were seized with concern for their souls; it seemed as if none, whether old or young, would now be left. No pen can describe the interesting scene. Numbers might be seen rejoicing, that God had not taken his Holy Spirit from them, and delighted to behold so many of their countrymen "striving to enter in at the strait gate." Others, both men and women; both old and young, might be seen dissolved in tears, some of them so overwhelmed with anguish, that they seemed like malefactors on the way to execution. The whole scene exhibited a striking emblem of the day of judgment; of heaven and hell; of infinite joy and of inexpressible misery.

'Here it may not be improper to remark that the concern of the Indians about their souls, was not only very great, but perfectly scriptural and rational. Though some like the jailor, were made to tremble under a sense of their sinfulness; though others were forced to cry out from a view of their perishing condition; though many were for a time, deprived in a great measure of their bodily strength, through the anguish of their minds;

yet the awakening among them was singularly free from those disorders corporeal and mental, which often accompany remarkable revivals of religion. For a considerable time there was no appearance of convulsions, screamings, swoonings ; no pretence to visions, trances, revelations; no symptoms of censoriousness, ostentation, or spiritual pride; no tendency, in short, to any thing like display. Afterwards, indeed, when the awakening became so general, and acquired such universal credit among the Indians, that Satan could have little hope of counteracting it, in the garb of the spirit of darkness, he transformed himself into an angel of light, and made some vigorous efforts to introduce turbulent commotions of the passions, in the room of genuine convictions of sin, and imaginary notions of Christ appearing to the mental eye in particular forms and postures, instead of spiritual discoveries of his glory and excellence. Some individuals, who had been deeply impressed with divine things, wished on that account to be thought truly converted, and manifested considerable resentment against Mr. Brainerd, when he expressed his doubts and apprehensions about their spiritual state. There were one or two persons whose concern seemed in a great measure affected; or who discovered an undue disposition to become teachers of others. But though some disagreeable things of this kind made their appearance, they never acquired any footing among the Indians. Mr. Brainerd, than whom few men were ever more free from enthusiasm, was careful to observe the first symptoms of these evils, and to check them in their commencement.'

Mr. B. now commenced a series of catechetical lectures among the Indians, examining them at some times on the most important points of divinity, and at others on the Assembly's Shorter Catechism.

It was truly surprising to see

how readily and scripturally the Indians answered the questions proposed to them: their knowledge of the principles of religion was found on trial far more extensive and correct, than could reasonably have been expected. When Mr. Brainerd began this exercise, he was apprehensive it would necessarily prove of so doctrinal a nature, as merely to enlighten the understanding, without impressing the conscience, or affecting the heart. But in this he was mistaken, for it was remarkably blessed for promoting their progress in experimental, as well as in theoretical knowledge. The serious attention, the tender affection, the many tears which often appeared at these catechetical meetings, would have been deemed very extraordinary, had not these things been now so common, that they ceased to excite surprise.

Hitherto Mr. B. had not called upon his people to partake of the Lord's Supper; but being now fully satisfied that several of them were in every respect proper subjects for the reception of that ordinance, he proceeded to instruct them more particularly in its nature and design, and having appointed in the preceding week a special day for solemn fasting and prayer, proceeded on the Lord's Day to administer the holy communion, to twenty-three Indians.

During the administration of the sacrament, especially in the distribution of the bread, they were affected in so lively a manner, that it seemed as if "Christ Jesus had been set forth crucified among them." Mr. Brainerd afterwards walked from house to house to converse with the communicants; and he was happy to find that almost all of them had been refreshed 66 as with new wine." Never did he witness such an appearance of Christian love among any people: even among primitive Christians, there could

the

scarcely be greater tokens of mutual affection, than what appeared among these poor people. In the evening, he he preached on the design of Christ's death, "that he might redeem his people from all iniquity." On this occasion, many of the Indians were much refreshed. So delightful was their frame of mind; so full were they of love, and peace, and joy ; so ardently did they long to be delivered from the power of sin, that some of them declared, they had never felt the like before. It seemed almost grievous to them to conclude the exercise; and even when it was closed, they appeared loath to leave a place which had been so endeared to them by the sacred services of that day.

'What a sweet and blessed season was this,' says Mr. Brainerd, God himself, I am persuaded, was in the midst of his people, attending his own ordinances ! And I doubt not but many, in the conclusion of the day, could say with their whole hearts, 'Verily, a day thus spent in God's house, is better than a thousand elsewhere.' There seemed to be but one heart among the pious people. The sweet union, harmony, and endearing love and tenderness subsisting among them, was, I thought, the most lively emblem of the heavenly world that I had ever seen.'

begun to make provision for it, and to contrive means for furthering it. My heart was somewhat pleased with the prospect, hoping I might then be in more comfortable circumstances than before; yet I was never fully determined, never quite satisfied with the thought of being confined to one place.

Neverthe

less, I seemed to have some freedom in that respect, because the congregation I thought of settling with, was one which God had enabled me to gather from amongst pagans for never since I began to preach, could I feel any liberty to "enter into other men's labours," and settle in the ministry where the gospel was preached before; but God having made me instrumental in gathering a church from among the Indians, I was ready to think it might be his design, to grant me a quiet settlement and a stated home of my own. This, consider ing the late frequent depression of my spirits, the need I had of some agreeable society, and my great desire of enjoying opportunities of useful study, was not altogether disagreeable to me; and though I still wished to go about far and wide, spreading the gospel among the benighted Pagans, yet I never had been so willing to settle in any one place for more than five years past as of late. But now this prospect seemed wholly dashed in pieces, not of necessity but of choice; for it appeared to me, that the dispensations of providence towards me, had fitted me for a life of solitude and hardship; it seemed to me I had nothing to lose, nothing to do with earth, and consequently nothing to sacrifice by a total renunciation of it; it appeared to me quite right, that I should be destitute of house and home, and many comforts of life, which I rejoiced to see others of God's people enjoy. I saw, at the same time, so much of the excellency of Christ's kingdom, and the infi

nite importance of its extension in the world, that it swallowed up every other consideration, and made me not only willing, but even rejoice, to be a pilgrim or a hermit in the wilderness to my dying moment, if I might by this means promote the interest of the Redeemer. The language of my heart was, 'Here am I, Lord, send me; send me to the ends of the earth; send me to the rough, the savage Pagans of the wilderness; send me from all that is called comfort on earth; send me even to death itself, if it be but in thy service, and to extend thy kingdom.' At the same time, I had as strong and lively a sense of the value of worldly comforts as ever I had, only I saw them infinitely surpassed by the worth of Christ's kingdom, and the propagation of his gospel. The quiet settlement, the certain place of abode, the tender friendship I had the prospect of enjoying, appeared as valuable to me as ever before, considered absolutely in themselves, but, comparatively, they seemed as nothing, they vanished like the stars before the rising sun. I was constrained, yea chose to say, Farewell, friends and earthly comforts, the dearest of them all, the very dearest, if the Lord calls it. Adieu, adieu! I'll spend my life to my latest breath in caves and dens of the earth, if the kingdom of Christ may thereby be advanced.' Oh! with what reluctance did I find myself obliged to consume time in sleep! I longed to be a flame of fire, continually glowing in the service of God, and extending the kingdom of Christ to my latest, my dying moment.'

While such ardent desires occupied the mind of Mr. Brainerd, earthly labours were rapidly approaching to their close. The conclusion however of this brief narrative, must be postponed to our next number.