good; to fave them from the hands of fuch as would bereave them of their lands, &c.-But they fhould always have his counfel, inftruction, and management in their Ecclefiaftical affairs, as they hitherto had; that he would die in the service of Chrift; and that the praying Indians, both of the Vineyard and Nantucket depend on him, as the great inftru. ment of God for their good."

The fettlement of a church, with paftors among them, does not produce an abatement of his minifterial care, or pains for these aboriginal natives; but this honorable, and ancient gentleman pro

ceeds in the laborious work.

A few years before his death, he experienced very great pleafure, and much affiftance, by the introduction of his grandfon, Mr. John Mayhew, into the gospel fervice among the Indians.

This gentleman was the youngeft fon of Rev. Thomas Mayhew deceased. He was born in the beginning of the year 1652. Having applied himself diligently to the study of divinity; and fupporting an amiable character for piety and benevolence, as well as knowledge, about the year 1673, when he was but twenty-one years of age, he was firft called to the ministry among the English, at a place called Tifbury, near the middle of the island, where he preached to great acceptance, not only of the people under his care, but of very good judges, who accidentally heard him.

Understanding the Indian language well, even when he was a youth; and being arrived at the age abovementioned, the natives would not be contented, till he became a public teacher of them likewife: So earneft and urgent were their defires, that he could

not withstand their importunity, even tho' his much honored grandfather wasa laborious, acceptable, and fuccefsful preacher among them. He began his miffionary labors foon after his pastoral relation to the church in Tisbury commenced; and continued in the work of the gofpel among them, till his death; laboring, in connection with his grand-father, to their mutual fatisfaction, and indeed with great joy to the venerable old gentleman, who, when his grandfon was affociated with him, as a preacher to the Indians, was probably, at leaft, 85 years of age.

Mr. Mayhew, fen. proceeds in his toilfome, but, in one most important view, pleasant work among the Indians, even to the ninetythird year of his age, and twentythird of his Ministry. He departed this life in 1681, to the fincere grief, both of the Englifh and Indians.

Not long before his death, he had fevere illness, which his relations thought would prove fatal: But he told them, "The time was not yet come, and he should not die with that ficknefs." He recovered, and again preached feveral times.

After this, he told one of his defcendents, "That the time of his departure was near at hand; but he earnestly defired that God would give him one opportunity more in public, to exhort the English of the town where he lived, whom he had been obliged, for fome time to teach, for want of a regular, fixed minifter. God granting his defire, he taught them the following Lord's day; and then took an affectionate and folemn leave of them; and falling ill, the fucceeding evening, he affured his friends, that his ficknefs would

now be to death, and he was well contented with the profpect before him, being full of days, and fatisfied with life, &c. He gave many excellent counfels and exhortations to all about him. Like Mofes, he had a vigorous old age; his memory continued unufually tenacious; and all his intellectual powers uncommonly good.

Justice Mayhew was a gentleman of ftrong powers of mind, of an accurate knowledge of human nature, of diftinguished prudence, and of a commanding addrefs. The general tenor of his conduct thro' a life protracted to an uncommon length, discovered, as far as we learn, a lively and deep fenfe of the infinite importance of Chriftianity-that part of his life efpecially, which was fpent upon the Ifland.

As a magiftrate he was juft, and impartial. The Indians, tho' naturally a jealous people; yet after fome acquaintance, had full confidence in the goodnefs and integrity of his heart; that he had no difpofition to injure them in their perfons, property, or liberty; but, on the contrary, was intent upon promoting their intereft: They revered, and loved him as a father. In fome things which he propofed, tho they might for the prefent, thwart their inclinations; yet they were willing to allow, that even in them, he aimed at their good: And after fome time, were generally fenfible, that he not only intended their benefit, but propofed wife measures to accomplish it. Before he entered upon his miffionary career, he was very helpful to his fon by his advice, by removing prejudices from the minds of the Indians, by his private converfation with them upon the fubjects

of religion and morality, and in other ways.

And when he commenced his miffionary labors, which he viewed himself as specially called in Providence to undertake, with what wisdom, Christian zeal, and ardor did he profecute them? The toils and hardships attending the work, were no difcouragements. Animated with a glow ing love to his bleffed Saviour, and with fervent affection to the poor natives, many of whom were perithing for lack of vifion, he purfued the work with vigor at an age, which he might have pleaded as an excufe for omitting to carry on fuch extenfive, weari fome, and hard fervices. But God fupported him under all; and long before his departure, gave him the unfpeakable fatisfaction of feeing that his labor of love was crowned with great fuccefs. His zeal in the bleffed caufe, continued unimpaired to the laft; and with aged Polycarp, who fuffered matyrdom at Smyrna, in the fecond century, A. D. 167, could declare, "That tho' I have long ferved Chrift, I have always found him a good mafter, and therefore I cannot forfake him." He continued full of faith, confolation, and holy joy to the laft.

"The sweet remembrance of the ju "Shall flourish, when hefleeps in daf.”

death of his pious grandfathers Rev. John Mayhew, after the the Indians, with unwearied ap purfués the evangelic work among the Indians, with unwearied application. He taught alternately in all their affemblies every week, and affifted them in their ecclefiaf

tical affairs.

And having both the English and Indians under his care, his dili gence was now to be doubled.--His

labor was much increased, by reafon of certain erroneous opinions, which were likely to take root in the Ifland, unless proper measures were adopted to preyent. After they were fown in fome minds, and pains were taken to fow them in others; he exerts himself, in all suitable ways, to prevent the evil from fpreading; to check the growth of thofe errors that were implanted, and, if poffole, to eradicate them. Like a rational and candid Chriftian, he attempts their extirpation by fpiritual inftruments. Being a perfon of fuperior abilities, and acquaintance with the fcriptures, he used to defire fuch as began to receive these principles, to produce their reafons; and, thofe, who wanted to be refolved in their difficulties, to give him the advantage to refolve them in public, that others alfo might receive light and fatisfaction; whereby they came to be more clearly inftructed, and more fully convinced and fatisfied, than in the ordinary way of preaching, which yet always preceded the other. He had fuch an excellent talent for the defence of the truth, against gainfayers, that they, who would have fpread their errors, found themselves fo effectually oppofed and baffled by the power of his knowledge and piety, and the strength of his argumentative genius, that they could make no progrefs in their defigns on the Ifland; and the churches and people, and in them their pofterity, were happily faved from the fpreading of thofe erro. neous opinions, and the disturbance and troubles they would have produced among them.*

He pursued a plan of inftruct

* Matthew Mayhew's Triumphs of Grace-Indian Converts,

ing the Indians very fimilar to that of his grandfather, and father. His cuftom was to tarry fome time with them, after the public exercises of prayer, pfalm ody, and preaching were concluded; allowing them to put queftions to him for their own inftruction; and also trying their knowledge, by putting questions to them. This way of tarrying after fermon, and anfwering queftions was generally practifed by the ancient miffionaries, and found, by experience, a very profitable mode of inftruction. The Indians would oftentimes ask questions, which naturally occured to their minds from the fubject of the fermon they had just heard: Sometimes other questions, which had no relation to the discourse which had just been delivered. The queftions which the Indians fometimes afked, were of fuch a nature, that no fmall degree of theological and philofophical knowledge was requifite to refolve them. The other method of asking them questions might be very profitable, as it would put them upon more clofe thinking; and the obferva tions made by the miffionaries upon their anfwers, might fix the truth more strongly in their minds.

Mr. Mayhew was fo well acquainted with their language, that he was able to difcourfe freely with them upon any kind of fubject; and to preach and pray in their tongue with the greatest readiness; which he must have found of fingular advantage in the various inftructions he gave them.

Like the great apostle of the Gentiles, he took special pains with them more privately; which, we doubt not, he found, by hapPy experience, eminently to fub.

ferve the bleffed cause he had undertaken.*

Mr. Mayhew conftantly preached to the English at Tilbury for the space of 15 years to his death; and about as long once every week to one or other of the Indian affemblies on the Island.

And having finished what God, in his Providence, faw meet to employ him in, he deceased on February 3, 1689, in the 37th

This, without fcruple, was a wife ftep, whether the Indians, whom he called upon, and vifited, were converted to Christianity, or not, and only willing to pay attention to the evidences of it Suppofe fome of them to have been ftill in a state of heathenifma, but yet poffeffed of fo much candor, as to be willing to hear what might be faid in fupport of Chriftianity, great benefit might refult from these private interviews. In this way, a missionary may engage the affections of those he vifits; gaining this point may be of fpecial benefit to the heathen-Their prejudices may, in fome degree, be foon removed better attention may be given to gofpel truth, and the evidences, by which it is established. In oral conferences in private, a missionary may oftentimes have a more favorable opportunity to explain the leading doctrines of religion more fully to the understanding of people, than in public discourses; to answer objections, remove doubts, and prepare them to attend upon public exercises to better advantage.

And when heathens have received the Christian faith, much good may refult from fuch private vifits; and it is a point of prudence to make them, when circumftances allow, and they do not interfere with public fervices, private ftudies, and devotional exercises.

Every inftrumental duty of religion has its particular benefits. "Tho' faith comes by hearing, by the public difpenfation of the divine word; yet private addreffes are a good preparative for the reception of the gofpel preached by the ambaffadors of Chrift. In private interviews a minifter may speak more. particularly, and adapt himself, with greater precision to the fate and con

year of his age, and 16th of his ministry. He furvived his grandfather about eight years. He left the Indians in a very orderly way of affembling on the Lord's day for public worship, in four, or five feveral places. Their congregations were fupplied with well inftructed teachers of their own nation, who ufually began with prayer, and after finging

dition of particular perfons, than he can do in his public discourses. In this way he may become better acquainted with the fpiritual ftate of profeffors, than in any other. He may know better what fubjects may be most profitable to them in public. He may fometimes have a favorable opportunity of convincing the erroneous reproving offenders-removing the doubts of the fcrupulous-animating the timorousand repreffing the confidence of overforward profeffors.

Private, perfonal addreffes, when managed with wifdom, will sometimes make a deeper impreffion upon the mind, than public difcourfes, tho' they may contain the fame fentiments, and be delivered with becoming animation.

Such private conferences fometimes give a minister a fair opportunity of removing prejudices against himself; and of conciliating the minds of con-tending people to each other. Difcreetly managed, they tend to cement friendship, and to render his public administrations more ufeful. They will give people a better opinion of him; that he is heartily engaged to promote their best interefts: He may alfo, in this way, obtain a more extensive acquaintance with human nature, which is of great moment, in every branch of his duty.

However, fuch vifits, tho' ufeful, must have their limits, and not intrench upon other duties, whether public, or private.--Whether upon preaching, which is the prime duty of a miffionary; or application to ftudy, in the neglect of which he will be but poorly qualified to difcharge the public, and private offices of his profeffion. In the feveral duties of his station, circumstances muft determine what proportion of time is to be allotted to each.

part of a pfalm, fpake to the auditors from fome portion of faced fcripture. He alfo left an Indian church confifting of one hundred communicants, walking according to the rule of the fcriptures.* Rev. John Mayhew was a perfon of a clear judgment, great prudence, and of an excellent fpirit: And the Indians very much reforted to his houfe for advice and inftruction, and alfo for relief in their wants: And as he was perfuaded that many of them were truly religious, he would fometimes fay, "That tho' he had but little reward from men (having but about five pounds a year for his labors among them, excepting the two laft years) yet if he might be inftrumental in faving any, he fhould be fully fatisfied, and think himself to be fufficiently recompenfed." The whole of what was allowed him for his inceffant labors both among the Indians and English, put together, would fcarcely amount to ten pounds a year, except the two laft years of his life. With juftice he could adopt the words of the apoftle, and addrefs the people of his charge, "I feek not yours, but you." After the honorable commiffioners came to be acquainted with him, and the eminent fervices he did, they fet tled upon him thirty pounds a year, the two laft years of his life.

He walked in his houfe with a perfect heart, having his children and domeftics in all fubjection, they both loving and revering him; and being frequently and feriously inftructed by him.

In his laft ficknefs, he expreffed a defire, if it were the Divine will, that he might live a while

* Matthew Mayhew, and Indian

Converts.

longer to have feen his childrenmore ripened in age before he died; and to have done more fervice for Chrift on the earth: But with respect to his own ftate before God, he enjoyed a great fe renity of mind, having a lively apprehenfion of the mercy of God, thro' the merits of Chrift: Far from being afraid to die, having hopes, thro' grace, of obtaining eternal life, by Jefus Chrift our Lord. He counfelled, exhorted, and encouraged his relatives, and others, who came to vifit him: And with refpect to himself, among other things, faid, "He was perfuaded, that God would not place him with thofe after his death, in whofe company he could take no delight in his life time."

Thus expired this third fuccef five preacher to the Indians of this worthy family, after he had fet another illuftrious example of fervent zeal for the glory of God, a lively faith in the invifible and eternal world, and a generous, great, and unremitting concern for the falvation of all about him.

It is needlefs to fay, that the lofs of him in the meridian of life, and efpecially fo foon after his grandfather's decease, was deeply regret. ted both by English and Indians.

If we meafure life by a man's piety, benevolence, great activity, and eminent usefulness, we may fay, with ftrict propriety, that Mr. Mayhew lived to an advanced period. The words of an ancient Jewish writer may be applied to him, with as much juf tice, as to moft men of a fimilar age; "Honorable age is not that, which standeth in length of time; or that is measured by a number of years: But wifdom is the grey hair unto man; and an unspotted life is old age.'

(To be continued.)..