From Mr. BENJAMIN COLMAN to Dr. WATTS.

LETTER I.

REVEREND SIR,

Boston, Feb. 12, 1735-6.

IN N one of your laft to me, you express yourfelf as greatly pleased with the account I gave you of the great and good disposition found in a tribe of Indians on our fouth-western borders, at Hanftatonock, to receive the gospel. I send you by this ship, and to Dr. Harris, Dr. Guise, Mr. Neal, and others, the fermon preached at Mr. Sargent's ordination, to which is fome account of this work of God prefixed, and therein two letters to me, to which I refer you. Since which I have a third letter, in which Mr. Sargent expreffes him felf thus to me :

"SIR, I doubt not but God in his infinite mercy hears the prayers of good men, daily put up to him for fuccess in the cause of Chrift, in which I have the honour to be engaged. In their favour, next to the bleffing of God on my endeavour, I seem to enjoy the pleasures of fociety in the deepest folitude.

"I wish I were worthy the love of fo excellent a man as the Rev. Dr. Watts, whom all the world.

admire and love. And if I may be thought to deserve in any measure the good opinion of the world, it is not a little owing to the Doctor's ingenious writings; which have the force to charm minds to the love of piety and virtue, and infuse something of his own spirit into his readers.

"I have always endeavoured to lead our Indians, by the easiest steps, into knowledge. I had no thoughts of my firft difcourfe to them, that it would be ever read by any but myself; but had I tried to mend it, it may be I should have made it worse.

"God pleases to crown our endeavours with unexpected and furprising fuccefs. I have baptized almost forty persons, infants and adults. I hope the adult have a pretty good understanding of the main and fundamental doctrines of the holy religion into which they have been baptized. I always endeavour to poffefs their minds with a most serious sense of what they are about, when they enter themselves, the difciples of Chrift. Their whole hearts feem to be engaged in the matter; and I have reason to think, that the imperfection of their knowledge is made up by the zeal and integrity of their intentions. Thofe that have been baptized, have behaved themselves very well, though they have feveral times been tempted to exceed the rules of temperance with the offers of Arong

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frong drink, which used to be their beloved deftruction. They seem to be furprised with the change they find in themselves; and, after their manner, exprefs the difference between their former and prefent ftate, by infancy and manhood, dreaming and being awake, darkness and light, and the like metaphors. I pray God that the day-ftar, that feems rifen in their hearts, may fhine more and more to the perfect day. I have two Indian lads live. with me, and have 3 l. in money, which I defign to spend on them, (i. e. by fubfifting them) and by their affiftance to get the language. Pray for me, and for our new profelytes, and the whole tribe, and may the bleffing of the charitable defcend on you, &c,

December 26, 1735.

JOHN SARGENT.”

Mr. Sargent had not been ordained four months when he wrote this letter. I have fent him fome of Mr. Holden's money for his fubfifting the Indian lads, ten pounds; and he fhall have more if he needs. His work and prayers are a good You fee, Sir, how you are loved up in our woods, and what excellent men live there, and what good things are doing there. As it rejoiced Mr. Sargent there to hear of your joy in them, fo it will refresh you, Sir, in the midst of London, to hear from him.

return.

My

My packet now comes to Mr. Coram at the Navy Office; he will fafely, and without charge, convey it to you. He is one of the truftees for Georgia, and has brought me into fome correfpondence with the Earl of Egmont, and the Rev. Mr. Smith of Aldgate; and now alfo with the Rev. Mr. Winder of Liverpool, who by his letter appears to me to be a very fuperior perfon. Mr. Coram has a vast zeal for our miffionaries in the Eaft, on Dr. Williams's foundation. But the prospect is poor there. If it continue fo unprofitable, and the door opens above Honftatonock, as feems likely, I tell our Governour we muft needs remove thofe miffionaries thither.

And now I have named his Excellency, I will add, that he never has faid any thing of your leaving your poem to him out of your Miscellaneous Thoughts. I am forry you thought there was reafon to do it. If I am able to judge, he is an upright and fervent man to do good. He is the father of the Honftatonocks, and tender of Mr Sargent as of his eye. His heart is much with God and for him. I will take leave to communicate to you fome lines he has lately wrote to me, that I may restore him in your thoughts if need be.

January, 1735-6.

"GREAT are my defires to ferve my Creator and Redeemer in my public and private life.

Dear

Dear Sir, I entreat, I charge and require you to wreftle with God, that I may be always faithful and upright before him.""

February 7,

"AS the recefs of the General Affembly and the winter feafon gives me fome little eafe, I cannot employ myfelf better to my fatisfaction than to enquire into the duty I owe to my God and Saviour. These are admirably fet before me in your letters, &c. But, O Sir, in what a glaring light has God fet me! How has he encompaffed me with innumerable bleffings, health, affluence, honour, &c.! And now to be taken from the fheepfolds, &c. How grateful, vigilant, and proftrate ought I to lie at his feet, on whofe fhoulders the government is laid; that in the whole of my administration I may advance his glory! wherein I am fure I fhall beft of all honour the king and ferve this people, &c. &c."

I thought, Sir, there could be no like effectual way, to fhew you the true worth and fpirit of our excellent Governour, than by fuch a tranfcript, which I fend you in a confidence of fecrecy, that can only excufe, if it may at all juftify, what I do. And after all, my heart fmites me, as David's did him, when he cut off the fkirt and faved his father's life.

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