this end, and to their having a comfortable livelihood; have been more pressing to my mind, and cost me more labour and fatigue, for several months past, than all my other work among them.

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“Their wandering to and fro in order to procure the necessaries of life,' is another difficulty which attends my work. This has often deprived me of opportunities to discourse to them. It has thrown them in the way of temptation; either among Pagans further remote where they have gone to hunt, who have laughed at them for hearkening to Christianity; or, among white people, more horribly wicked, who have often made them drunk; then got their commodities-such as skins, baskets, brooms, shovels, and the like, with which they designed to have bought corn, and other necessaries of life, for themselves and families,- for, it may be, nothing but a little strong liquor; and then sent them home empty. For the labour, perhaps, of several weeks, they have thus got nothing but the satisfaction of being drunk once; and have not only lost their labour, but, which is infinitely worse, the impressions of some divine subjects that were made upon their minds before.--But I forbear enlarging upon this head. The few hints I have given may be sufficient to give thinking persons some apprehensions of the difficulties attending my work, on account of the inconvenient situations and savage manners of the Indians, as well as of their unhappy mode of living.

IV." The last difficulty I shall mention, as having attended my work, is, what has proceeded from the attempts which some ill-minded persons have designedly made, to hinder the propagation of the gospel, and a work of divine grace among the Indians.'-The Indians are not only of themselves prejudiced against Christians, on the various accounts which I have already mentioned; but, as if this were not enough, there are some in all parts of the country where I have preached to them, who have taken pains industriously to bind them down in pagan darkness; neglecting to enter into the kingdom of God themselves, and labouring to hinder others.'

"After the beginning of the religious attention among the Indians in New-Jersey, some endeavoured to prejudice them against me and the truths I taught them, by the most base, unmanly, and false suggestions of things which had no foundation but in their own brains. Some particulars of this kind I formerly took notice of in one of the remarks made upon my Diary, concluded the 20th of November last; and might have added more, and of another nature, had not delicacy forbidden me to mention what was too obscene. But, through the mercy of God, they were never able, by all their abominable insinuations, flouting jeers, and downright lies, to create in the Indians those jealousies with which they desired to posses them;

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and so were never suffered to hinder the work of grace among them.—When they saw that they could not prejudice the Indians against me, nor hinder them from receiving the gospel, they then noised it through the country, that I was undoubtedly a Roman catholic; that I was gathering together, and training up the Indians in order to serve a Popish interest; and that I should quickly head them, and cut people's throats.' "What they pretended gave them reason for this opinion, was, that they understood I had a commission from Scotland. Whereupon they could with great assurance say, All Scotland is turned to the Pretender; and this is but a Popish plot to make a party for him here.' Some, I am informed, actually went to the civil authority with complaints against me; but only laboured under this unhappiness, that when they came, they had nothing to complain of, and could give no colour of reason why they attempted any such thing, or desired the civil authority to take cognizance of me, having not a word to allege against my preaching or practice, only they surmised that because the Indians appeared so very loving and orderly, they had a design of imposing upon people by that means, and so of getting a better advantage to cut their throats. With what temper they would have had the Indians appear, in order to have given no occasion, nor have left any room for such a suspicion, I cannot tell. I presume if they had appeared with the contrary temper, it would quickly have been observed of them, that they were now grown surly,' and in all probability were preparing to cut people's throats.'-From a view of these things, I have had occasion to admire the wisdom and goodness of God in providing so full and authentic a commission for the undertaking and carrying on of this work, without which, notwithstanding the charitableness of the design, it had probably met with molestation.

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"The Indians, who have been my hearers in New-Jersey, have likewise been sued for debt, and threatened with imprisonment more since 1 came among them, as they inform me, than in seven years before. The reason of this, I suppose, was, they left frequenting those tippling houses where they used to consume most of what they gained by hunting and other means. These persons, seeing that the hope of future gain was lost, were resolved to make sure of what they could. Perhaps some of them put the Indians to trouble, purely out of spite at their embracing Christianity.

"This conduct of theirs has been very distressing to me; for I was sensible, that if they did imprison any one that embraced, or hearkened to Christianity, the news of it would quickly spread among the Pagans, hundreds of miles distant, who would immediately conclude that I had involved them in this difficulty, and thence be filled with prejudice against Christiani

ty, and strengthened in their jealousy, that the whole of my design among them, was to ensnare and enslave them. I knew that some of the Indians upon Susquehannah had made this objection against hearing me preach, viz. That they understood that a number of Indians in Maryland, some hundreds of miles distant, who had been uncommonly free with the English, were after a while put in jail, and sold. Whereupon they concluded, it was best for them to keep at a distance, and have nothing to do with Christians. The method I took in order to remove this difficulty, was, to press the Indians with all possible speed to pay their debts, and to exhort those of them that had skins or money, and were themselves in good measure free of debt, to help others that were oppressed. Frequently upon such occasions I have paid money out of my own pocket, which I have not as yet received again.

"These are some of the difficulties which I have met with from the conduct of those who, notwithstanding their actions so much tend to hinder the propagation of Christianity, would, I suppose be loth to be reputed Pagans. Thus I have endeavoured to answer the demands of the Hon. Society in relation to each of the particulars mentioned in their letter.-If what I have written may be in any measure agreeable and satisfactory to them, and serve to excite in them, or any of God's people, a spirit of prayer and supplication for the furtherance of a work of grace among the Indians here, and the propagating of it to their distant tribes I shall have abundant reason to rejoice, and bless God in this as well as in other respects."

"June 20, 1746.

"DAVID BRAINERD."

P. S. "Since the conclusion of the preceding Journal— which was designed to represent the operations of one year only, from the first time of my preaching to the Indians in New-Jersey -I administered the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, a second time in my congregation, viz. on the 13th of July. At this time there were more than thirty communicants of the Indians, although divers were absent who should have communicated; so considerably has God enlarged our number since the former solemnity of this kind, described somewhat particularly in my Diary. This appeared to be a season of divine power and grace, not unlike the former; a season of refreshing to God's people in general, and of awakening to some others; although the divine influence manifestly attending the several services of the solemnity, seemed not so great and powerful as at the former season

"D. BRAINERD."

SECTION IV.

Attestations of Divine Grace displayed among the Indians.

FIRST ATTESTATION.

"Since my dear and Rev. brother BRAINERD, has at length consented to the publication of his Journal, I gladly embrace this opportunity of testifying, that our altogether glorious Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, has given such a display of his Almighty power and sovereign grace, not only in the external reformation but, [in a judgment of charity,] the saving conversion of a considerable number of Indians, that it is really wonderful to all beholders! though some, alas! notwithstanding sufficient grounds of conviction to the contrary, do join with the devil, that avowed enemy of God and man, in endeavouring to prevent this glorious work, by such ways and means as are mentioned in the aforesaid Journal, to which I must refer the reader for a faithful, though very brief, account of the time when, the place where, the means by which, and manner how, this wished for work has been begun and carried on, by the great Head of the Church. This I can the more confidently do, not only because I am intimately acquainted with the author, but on account of my own personal knowledge of the matters of fact recorded in it respecting the work itself. As I live not far from the Indians, I have been much conversant with them, both at their own place, and in my own parish, where they generally convene for public worship in Mr. BRAINERD's absence; and I think it my duty to acknowledge, that their conversation, hath often, under God, refreshed my soul.

"To conclude, it is my opinion, that the change wrought in those savages, namely, from the darkness of Paganism, to the knowledge of the pure gospel of Christ; from sacrificing to devils, to present themselves, body and soul, a living sacrifice to God,' and that not only from the persuasion of their minister, but from a clear heart-affecting sense of its being their reasonable service; this change I say is so great, that none could effect it but He who worketh all things after the good pleasure of his own will.' I would humbly hope that this is only the first fruits of a much greater harvest to be brought in from among the Indians, by HIM, who has promised to give his Son 'the Heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts ofthe earth for his possession:'-who hath also declared, That the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.' Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen and Amen.

"I am, courteous reader,

Freehold, August 16, 1746.

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"thy soul's well wisher,

"WILLIAM TENNENT."

SECOND ATTESTATION.

"As it must needs afford a sacred pleasure to such as cordially desire the prosperity and advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom and interest in the world, to hear, that our merciful and gracious God is in very deed fulfilling such precious promises as relate to the poor Heathen, by sending his everlasting gospel among them, which, with concurrence of his holy Spirit, is removing that worse than Egyptian darkness, whereby the god of this world has long held them in willing subjection; so this narrative will perhaps be more acceptable to the world, when it is confirmed by the testimony of such as were either eyewitnesses of this glorious dawn of gospel-light among the benighted Pagans, or personally acquainted with those of them, in whom, in a judgment of charity, a gracious change has been wrought. Therefore, I the more willingly join with my brethren Mr. WILLIAM TENNENT, and Mr. BRAINERD, in affixing my attestation to the foregoing narrative; and look upon myself as concerned in point of duty both to God and his people, to do so, because I live contiguous to their settlement, and have had frequent opportunities of being present at their religious meetings; where I have with pleasing wonder, beheld what I am strongly inclined to believe were the effects of God's Almighty power accompanying his own truths; more aspecially, on the 8th day of August, 1745. While the word of God was preached by Mr. BRAINERD, there appeared an uncommon solemnity among the Indians in general; but, I am wholly unable to give a full representation of the surprising effects of God's Almighty power which appeared among them when public service was over. While Mr. BRAINERD urged upon some of them the absolute necessity of a speedy closure with Christ, the holy Spirit seemed to be poured out upon them in a plenteous measure, insomuch as the Indians present in the wigwam seemed to be brought to the jailor's case, Acts xvi. 30, utterly unable to conceal the distress and perplexity of their souls. This prompted the pious among them to bring the dispersed congregation together, who soon seemed to be in the greatest extremity. Some were earnestly begging for mercy, under a solemn sense of their perishing condition; while others were unable to arise from the earth, to the great wonder of those white people that were present, one of whom is by this means, I trust, savingly brought to Christ since. Nay, so very extraordinary was the concern which appeared among these poor Indians in general, that I am ready to conclude, it might have been sufficient to have convinced an Atheist, that the Lord was indeed in the place. I am for my part, fully persuaed that this glorious work is true and genuine, while with satisfaction I behold several of these Indians discovering all the symptoms of inward holiness in their lives and con