were ten Indian preachers, and six meetings every Lord's day. Mr. John Mayhew laboured, with great diligence and zeal, about sixteen years, when he was removed by death. But the mantle which had fallen on him from his ancestors now descended upon his eldest son. Mr. Experience Mayhew, though only sixteen years old at the death of his father, soon succeeded him in the mission. The Indians were at this time diminished in number; but of one hundred and eighty families that remained, there were only two individuals, who continued heathens.

Mr. Mayhew, being well versed in the Indian language, made a new version of the book of Psalms and of St. John's Gospel. He also published a small volume entitled "Indian Converts," in which he gave a particular account of thirty Indian ministers, and fifty other native Christians who appeared to adorn their profession. He continued to labour among the Indians, sixty years, and died in 1754, aged eighty one.

At the close of the eighteenth century, the missionary on Martha's Vineyard was one of the Mayhew family. He was a venerable old man, descended from a long line of ancestors, who, for upwards of a century and a half, had been distinguished by their labours and zeal for the conversion of the heathen; an honour which perhaps no other family has enjoyed since the first promulgation of the Gospel. The Indians among whom they laboured, are now nearly blended with the whites and blacks, by frequent intermarriages.

Of

dians this carefulness was carried to a very great extent. The converts were required to remain several years as catechumen, and then, before admission to the Church, to give in writing, an account of their conversion, which was to be circulated, read and approved by the different churches in the connexion. Hence the disparity which here appears between the number of praying Indians, and those in full communion. We are not, however, to suppose that in this, and the succeeding accounts all, and perhaps not even a majority, of those who come under the general denomination of "praying Indians," were Christians; as this included all who submitted to be catechised, and attended public worship, read the scriptures, and prayed morning and evening in their families.

pure and mixed blood there may be four or five hundred on Martha's Vineyard, of whom many are nominal Christians; but it is feared, the power of godliness is little known among them.

CHAPTER II.

LABOURS OF ELIOT-First interview with the Indians, -Second-Succeeding-Indians offer their children for instruction-Build a town-Mr. Eliot's exertions --Fortitude--Natick built-Church formed-Bible printed-Schools-Number of "Praying Indians". Their present state--Death of Mr. Eliot.

MR. ELIOT, a native of England, was born in 1604, and educated at Cambridge. He emigrated to America in the year 1631, and settled in the ministry at Roxbury, near Boston. He here found himself in a heathen land, and was affected with the miserable condition of the Indians. The sentiment expressed on the seal of the Massachusetts Colony, a poor Indian with a label in his mouth, "Come over and help us ;" and the clause of the Royal charter declaring it to be a principal design of the plantation to instruct the natives in the Christian faith, both excited his benevolent interest. He commenced the study of the Indian language. a few months, notwithstanding its extreme difficulty, he was able to speak it intelligibly; and soon published an Indian grammar, at the end of which he added "Prayers and pains through faith in Christ Jesus will do any thing;" a motto which should be written on the heart of every missionary.

In

In 1646, the General Court of Massachusetts Colony passed an act, for encouraging attempts to Christianize the Indians. Mr. Eliot readily entered into their views, and being encouraged by his brethren in the ministry, who promised to supply his pulpit in his absence, he

immediately entered on his labours among the heathen. He had but a short distance to travel before he entered the wildest scenes of uncivilized life, as the settlers had done little more than to establish themselves in a few places on the coast.

His first interview with the Indians was near Roxbury. He was there received in a very friendly manner, and listened to with great attention for more than three hours, while he prayed and explained the leading truths of Christianity. After the discourse the Indians proposed some questions, such as "How may we come to know Jesus Christ ?"—" Were Englishmen ever so ignorant as ourselves ?"--" How came the world so full of people, if they were all once drowned in the flood?"

"Can Jesus Christ understand prayers in the Indian tongue ?"-These being answered to their satisfaction, the Indians departed, much gratified, and desiring Mr. Eliot to come again.

At the second interview many were much affected. An old man stood up, and with tears in his eyes, inquired whether it was not too late for one so near death to repent, or seek after God. Another, whose conscience perhaps was touched, asked, "If a man has committed adultery, or stolen any goods, and the Sachem doth not punish him, neither by any law is he punished, if also he restore the goods he hath stolen, what then, whether is not all well now?" In answer to this Mr. Eliot exhibited the strict justice of God, and the impossibility of pardon, except through the merits of Christ. Upon hearing this he drew back and hung down his head, as a man smitten to the heart, and a little after broke out with sobbing "Me little know Jesus Christ."

During the succeeding interviews, the word continued to take effect. At the fourth, the Indians offered all their children for Christian instruction. Many expressed a desire to be brought out of their vagrant way of life, and to be civilized, as well as instructed in Christianity. The Court of Massachusetts, therefore, granted them some land, and they built a town called

Noonanetum, or Rejoicing. Here they adopted regulations to promote cleanliness, good order, and habits of industry. The common houses in this place were superior to those of the chiefs in other places; and the comfortable state of the Christian Indians could not but recommend itself to the surrounding savages. Others therefore followed their example. The Indians in the neighbourhood of Concord, requested Mr. Elliot to come and preach to them, expressing a desire to learn the arts of civilized life. By these a town was soon built on a plan similar to that of Noonanetum.

Nor did Mr. Eliot confine himself to these two places. Though he still retained his pastoral charge at Roxbury, he usually made a missionary excursion, once a fort night, through different parts of Massachusetts. In these journeys, he encountered many toils and dangers. "I have not," says he at one time in a letter, "been dry, night nor day, from Tuesday to Saturday, but have travelled from place to place in that condition; and at night I pull off my boots, wring my stockings, and on with them again, and so continue. But God steps in and helps me. I have considered the exhortation of Paul to Timothy, "Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." That he had considered it, and that it was not to him a dead letter, his life indeed gave abundant evidence. When travelling in the woods alone, he was often treated cruelly by the savages, and sometimes was in danger of his life. The sachems, whose authority was weakened by the progress of Christianity, entertained the deepest malice against him, and would have murdered him, had they not feared the English. When he came where they were, they thrust him out, saying, "It is impertinent for you to trouble yourself with us, or our religion. If you return again it shall be at your peril." To such threats, he was accustomed to reply, "I am in the service of the Great God, and neither fear you, nor all the sachems in the country. am resolved to go on with my work, and touch me if you dare." On such occasions, the stoutest among

them slunk away from his presence, feeling doubtless, "how awful goodness is."

Undismayed by opposition, Mr. Eliot proceeded vigorously in his work. Numerous Indians, in various parts of the country, embraced the gospel. Of these à considerable body united and built a town called Natick, on Charles River, about eighteen miles south west from Boston. It became a pleasant village, having two long streets on one side of the river, and one on the other, with a lot of land attached to each house. Most of the buildings were in the Indian fashion. One large house was in the English style. The lower part was occupied as a school room and a place of worship, the upper part as a kind of wardrobe for the Indians, save one corner, in which was an apartment with a bed and bedstead for good Mr. Eliot. Besides this building, there was a large fort, palisadoed with trees, and a small bridge over the river.*

Here, in 1660, was formed the first Christian church among the Indians. Eight years before a great assembly was held, attended by many ministers, to hear the confessions of the hopeful converts. Fifteen then gave very satisfactory relations of their experience. But they were continued in the character of catechumens until now, when several were baptized and incorporated into a church. Ten years afterwards the members were between forty and fifty in number.

Soon after the formation of this church, Mr. Eliot completed the translation of the Bible into the Indian language, a work in which he had long been engaged. It went through two editions in the course of twenty years, and was the first Bible printed in America.t The whole translation was written with one pen, "which," says Dr. Mather," had it not been lost, would certainly have deserved a richer case, than was bestowed upon that pen, with which Holland wrote his translation of Plutarch." Several other books, he Miss. Reg. Vol. iii. p. 170.

+ It is still extant. A copy may be seen in the library of the Theol. Sem. Andover.