as we love beft, and it will be a I might be obedient to the counsels good facrifice." and commands of their rulers. Fifthly, That they might have their fins done away by the redemption of Jefus Chrift; and might walk in the good ways of the Lord."* "God fmelt a fweet favor in Noah's facrifice; and fo will God receive our facrifices, when we worship him aright. But how did God manifeft his acceptance of Noah's offering? It was by promifing to drown the world no more, but give us fruitful feafons. God has chaftifed us of late, as if he would utterly drown us. And he has drowned, and fpoiled, and ruined a great deal of our hay, and threatens to kill our cattle. 'Tis for this, that we faft and pray this day. Let us then offer a clean and pure facrifice, as Noah did: So God will smell a fweet favor of rest; and he will withhold the rain, and blefs us with fuch fruitful feafons as we are defiring of him."- To obferve fuch things among the Indians, together with a correfpondent practice, muft have given great pleafure to pious perfons at that day. A brief account has been given in the preceding number of the ftate of the Indian churches, and many of the congregations in 1670. A general account of them in 1687, will now be exhibited from a letter written by Rev. Dr. Increase Mather of Boston, Rector of Harvard College, in Cambridge, to Dr. John Leusden, Hebrew Profeffor in the Univer fity of Utrecht. The letter was written in latin; but long fince tranflated into English. The contents of it were extremely pleafing to many good people in Europe: It was tranflated into different languages there.+ Tho' fome paffages of the letter are only a reca. Mr. Eliot taught the Indians to fet apart days both for fafting and prayer, and for thanksgiving and prayer, when the providence of God feemed to point out fpecial occafions for them: And they performed the duties of thofe days with great apparent devotion. One party of the Indians, in ear-pitulation of fome parts of the ly times, of their own accord, preceding history; yet, for parkept a day of fupplication togeth- ticular reafons it may be proper to er, at which time one of them publish the whole, as far as it redifcourfed upon Pfalm lxvi. 7. lates to the concerns of the InHe rules by his power forever: His dians. eyes behold the Nations; let not the rebellious exalt themselves. when one afked them afterwards, what was the reason of their keeping fuch a day! They replied, "It was to obtain five mercies of And God: Firft, That God would flay the rebellion of their hearts. Next, That they might love God and one another. Thirdly, That they might withftand the temptations of wicked men, fo that they might not be drawn back from God. Fourthly, That they "Worthy and much honored Sir," "Your letters were very grate your fa ful to me, by which I understand, them in a few words. was an Englishman [Mr. Richard Bourne] who being skilful in the American language, preached the gofpel to them in their own tongue. The English paftor is dead, and inftead of him, that church has an Indian preacher." "There are befides that, five affemblies of Indians, profeffing the name of Christ, not far diftant from Mafhippaug, which have Indiau preachers: John Cotton, paftor of the church at Plimouth, (fon of my venerable fatherin-law, John Cotton formerly the famous teacher of the church at Bofton,) both made very great progrefs in learning the Indian tongue, and is very fkilful in it. He preaches in their own language to the laft mentioned five congre that truly godly man, Mr. John Eliot, paftor of the church at Roxbury (about a mile from Bofton, in New England) being warmed with a holy zeal of converting the Indians, fet himself to learn the Indian tongue, that he might more eafily and fuccefsfully open to them the mysteries of the gofpel; upon account of which he has been, (and not undefervedly) called the apoftle of the American Indians. This Reverend perfon, not without very great labor, tranflated the whole bible into the Indian tongue : He tranflated alfo feveral English treatifes of practical divinity, and catechifms into their language. A bove 26 years ago he gathered a church of converted Indians in a town called Natick : Thefe In-gations, every week. Moreover diansconfeffed their fins with tears, and professed their faith in Chrift, and afterwards they and their children were baptized, and they were folemnly joined together in a church covenant: Mr. Eliot was the first that administered the Lord's fupper to them. The paftor of that church now is an Indian, his name is Daniel. Befides the church at Natick, among our inhabitants in the Maffachusetts colony, there are four Indian affemblies, where the name of the true God and Jefus Chrift is folemnly called upon. Thofe affemblies have fome American preachers. Mr. Eliot formerly used to preach to them once every fortnight; but now he is weakened with labors and old age, being in the 84th year of his age, and preaches not to the Indians oftener than once in two months. "There is another church, confifting only of converted Indians, about 50 miles from hence in an Indian town called Mafhippaug. The first paftor of that church of the inhabitants of Saconet, ia Plimouth colony, there is a great congregation of those, who for diftinction fake, are called praying Indians, because they pray to God, in Chrift." "Not far from a promontory cal led Cape Cod there are fix affemblies, who are to be reckoned as catechumens, among whom there are fix Indian preachers. Samuel Treat, paftor of a church at Eaftham preaches to thofe congregations in theirown language." "There are likewife among the Ilanders of Nantucket, a church with a paftor, who was lately a heathen; and feveral meetings of catechumens, who are inftructed by the converted Indians." "There is alfo another island about feven leagues long, called Martha's Vineyard, where are two American churches planted, which are more famous than the reft; over one of which there prefides an ancient Indian, as paftor, called Hiacoomes: John Hiacoomes fon of the Indian paftor, alfa preaches the gospel to his countrymen. In another church in that place a converted Indian teaches. In thefe churches ruling elders of the Indians are joined to the pastors. The paftors were chofen by the people, and when they had fafted and prayed, Mr. Eliot, and Mr. Cotton laid their hands on them, fo that they were folemnly ordained. All the con. gregations of the converted Indians, both the catechumens, and thofe in church order, every Lord's day meet together. The paftor or preacher always begins with prayer, and without a form : When the ruler of the affembly has ended prayer, the whole congregation of Indians praife God with finging; fome of them are excellent fingers. After the pfalm, he that preaches reads a place of fcripture, one, or more verfes, as he will, and expounds it-gathers doctrines from it proves them by fcriptures and reafons, and infers ufes from them, after the manner of the English, of whom they have been taught; then another prayer to God, in the name of Chrift concludes the whole fervice. Thus do they meet together twice every Lord's day. They obferve no holy days, but the Lord's day, except upon fome extraordinary occafion; and then they folemnly fet apart whole days, either in giving thanks, or fafting and praying with great fervor of mind. "Before the English came into thefe coafts, these barbarous nations were altogether ignorant of the true God; hence it is, that in their prayers and fermons they use English words, and terms; he that calls upon the most holy name of God, fays Je hovah, or God, or Lord; and alfo, they have learned and bor rowed many other theological phrases from us." "In fhort, "There are fix "churches of baptized Indians in New-England, and eighteen "affemblies of catechumens, pro"feffing the name of Christ. Of "the Indians there are four and 66 twenty, who are preachers of "the word of God and befides "these, there are four English " minifters, who preach the gof "pel in the Indian tongue. "One thing I must add, (which I had almoft forgot) that there are many of the Indian children, who have learned by heart the ca techifm, either of that famous di vine, William Perkins, or that put forth by the affembly of divines at Westminster; and in their own mother tongue can answer to all the questions in it." "But I must end. I falute the famous Profeffors in your U. niverfity, to whom I defire you to communicate this letter, as written to them alfo." Farewell, worthy Sir. The Lord preferve your health for the benefit of your country, his church, and of learning. Yours ever, INCREASE MATHER. Bofton, in New-England, July 12, 1687. TO THE EDITORS OF THE CONNECTICUT EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE. Reverend Sirs, I BEG leave to inform you, that I have been folicited by particular friends, (whofe requests it is hard to deny) to explain the prophecy of Daniel for the peru fal of your readers. In contem plating a work fo arduous and difficult, from a confcioufness of incompetency, my mind fenfibly recoils; yet encouraged to hope that it would tend to illustrate the divine authority of the holy fcriptures, and render the perufal of them more entertaining to thofe who confult them, I have concluded to engage in it, and fubmit the firft number to your infpection. If the defign meets with your approbation, I fhall purfue it as circumftances permit, until it fhall be completed. I am, very refpectfully, Reverend Sirs, Yours, &. PEREGRINUS. country, but in a firange land; not by his friends and connections, but by those who carried him away captive, by heathen, the avowed enemies of his religion, Ought not a providential dispen, fation fo very extraordinary to be feriously regarded by us? But for this was there not a very important reafon? Never before had God's people been the captives of thofe who hated them. Never in fo unprotected and defenceless Atate. Never before had they ftood in fuch aid of powerful friends to advocate their cause.* And God in his tender care and pity provided for them Daniel, and endowed him with thofe rare accomplishments which procured An explanation of the prophecy of him favor in the fight of kings Daniel. NUMBER I. NTRODUCTORY to the propofed explanation, permit the following general remark refpecting the prophet Daniel, that among them who spoke as they were moved by the holy ghoft, the prophet Daniel appears to occupy a pre-eminent place. 1. When a youth, for the extraordinary wifdom which appear ed in him, he was elevated to very honorable offices in the court of Nebuchadnezzar, (chap. ii. 48) which he continued to exercite through the reigns of his fucceffors, (chap. viii. 27) until the empire of Babylon was fubdued by the Medes and Perfians, and .then, instead of experiencing the terrible fate of his king and the .court by the Perfian fword, he was preferred to the higheft office under the king Darius, (chap. vi. 2, 3) which he probably continued to exercife till his death. Thefe eminent offices were conferred upon him, not in his native and princes, and a feat in councils, to advocate the cause of his people in their defenceless ftate. How great the benefits they derived from his influence, it is dif ficult for us to conceive. What + Daniel it is reafonable to conclude, was not only eminently useful to the Jews in Babylon, but the great inftrument of procuring their reftoration to their own land. When Cyrus and his generals took the city of Babylon, and flew Belshazzar and his princes, they must have found Daniel, probably in the palace, a venerable old man (for he muft now have been ninety years of age) wearing the tokens of great refpectability and authority, a fearlet robe, and a chain of gold about his neck, they muft naturally have enquired, Who is this? And on being inform ed that it was DANIEL, the fame of his“ an evidence this of God's pity and tender care of his people? What an occafion of gratitude and joy? And what an argument for cheerful truft and confidence in him in times of darknefs and diftrefs? 2. No one of all the other prophets appears to have had fuch auguft and awful views of divine objects as the prophet Daniel. Other prophets realized them, as Ifaiah, &c. but in them they do not appear to have been fo folemn and affecting. In Daniel they were fo profound and impreffive that he not only fainted under them, but for a feafon, they difqualified him for the duties of his office, (chapters 8, 9, 10.) Neither was any other prophet fo affectionately and repeatedly addreffed with, O man greatly beloved. Nor did any experience fuch divine refreshments and confolations. But it is perhaps more directly to the prefent purpose to obferve, wisdom and the gravity of his appearance, must have infpired them with a high veneration for his perfon, with confidence in his ability and fidelity, and introduced him to their councils. 3. That no one of all the other prophets realized fuch connected and extenfive prophetic views and vifions. The other prophets indeed, prophefied of the fame general fubjects, yet they delivered their prophecies as fo many dif tinct and difconnected predictions; but the prophecies of Daniel are predictions of a connected feries of events, and conftitute an extenfive and univerfal fyftem, compre. hending all the great events to be effected in divine providence, from his own time to the end of the world. Add to this, Daniel prefcribed particular periods, in fome inftances, at least, from which correct calculations might be made, and the time when the events fhould be accomplished previously known. introductory obfervations let us proceed to the great fubjects of his prophecy. With thefe I. Nebuchadnezzar's dream, chapter ii. The mind of king Nebuchad nezzar, in his flumbering moments, view of an extraordinary image, was divinely impressed with the which fo troubled his fpirit, that it awoke him from fleep. in his wakeful hour, he retained the recollection of a wonderful Tho, In his interviews with the king, Daniel, from his affection for the houfe of God, and the profperity of his people, would fhew him the prophecy of Ifaiah, chapters 44, 5, in which he is exprefs-dream, yet the thing was gone from ly named as the Lord's anointed, to fet his people at liberty,execute his purpofeand fulfil his pleafure in rebuilding his city, and restoring his worship. Cyrus made acquainted with this, would feel under a divine obligation, to fay to Je rufalem, Thou fhall be built, and to the temple, Thy foundation fhall be laid. This fuggefts a direct reafon for the peculiar terms of his celebrated proclamation. Thus faith Cyrus, all the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given unto me, and commanded me to build him an him. Anxious to recover the dream, and obtain an explanation of it, he fummoned all the wife men of Babylon, communicated to them the fubject, and demanded of them the dream and the interpretation, annexing a fevere threatening if they did not fulfil his demand. They remonstrating against the unreasonableness and feverity of this requifition, the house in Jerufalem, who is there a-king in the fire of refentment mong you, &c. Ez. 1. commanded all the wife men to be |