Humiliations followed with Deliverances.  
A Brief Discourse On the MATTER and METHOD, Of that HUMILIATION which would be an Hopeful Symptom of our Deliverance from Calamity.  
Accompanied and Accommodated WITH A NARRATIVE Of a Notable Deliverance lately Received by some English Captives, From the Hands of Cruel Indians. And some Improvement of that Narrative.  
Whereto is added A Narrative of Hannah Swarton, containing a great many wonderful passages, relating to her Captivity and Deliverance.  
Boston in N. E. Printed by B Green, & J. Allen for Samuel Phillips at the Brick Shop. 1697.   

Humiliations, followed with Deliverances.  
At Bost●n Lectu●e; 6 d. 3. m. 1697. The Week before a General FAST.  2 Chron XII. 7. 
When the Lord saw, that they Humbled themselves, the Word of the Lord came unto Shemajah, saying, They have Humbled themselves, I will not Destroy them, but I will grant them some Deliverance.  
WHen the Punishment of Spurging was used upon a Criminal in Israel, it was the O der and Usage, that while the Executioner was Laying on his Thirteen (and therein Forty save one) Blows, with an Instrument, every s●●oke whereof gave Three Lashes to the Delinquent, there were still present Three Judges, whereof, while one did Number the Blows, and another kept crying out, Smite him! a Third Read Three Scriptures, during the Time of the Scourging: and the Scourging Ended with the Reading of them: The first Scripture was That in Deut. 28.58. If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this Law, that be written in this Book that thou mayst Fear this Glorious and ●earful Name, THE LORD THY GOD; then the Lord will make thy Plagues wonderful. The second Scripture was That in Deut. 29 9 Keep therefore the words of this Covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that ye do. The last Scripture was That in Psal. 78 38. But He, being full of Compassion, forgave their Iniquity, and destroyed them not. This was done, partly for the Admonition, partly for the Consolation of the Chastised Criminal.  
Christians, We are all sensible, That the Scourges of Heaven, have long been Employed upon us, for our Crimes against the Holy and Just and Good Laws of the Lord our God: Alas, our Plagues have been wonderful! We have been sorely Lashed, with one Blow after another, for our Delinquencies. Who is there to Number the Blows? Yea, The Anger of God, is not for all this Turned away, but His Hand stretched out still! It is but proper, while we are thus under our Punishment, for us, to have a Text of the Sacred Oracles, agreeable unto our present State, Read unto us. Behold, an Agreeable Text, now singled out, for our Entertainment; & I do the rather single it out because the next Week, a General HUMILIATION is to be attended among us; for which, I cannot easily do a more Useful Thing, than to give you a Praeparative; while I am speaking unto the Christians of many Churches, here come together, in One Great Assembly.  
In our Context, we sinned the People of God, beginning to Forsake the Law of the Lord: They many ways Transgressed against Him. Sad Calamity overtook them, for this their Iniquity, and Apostasy; But God blessed the Preaching of His Prophet Shemajah unto them, under this Calamity to produce a Notable Humiliaiion in them. The Clauses now before us, represent a blessed Effect of that Humiliation; a gracious Promise of some Deliverance from Destruction, was, by that Prophet of the Lord, when they Humbled themselves, brought from the Lord unto them.  
The Truth which Lies plainly before us, is, That when a Sinful People Humble themselves before the Almighty God, it is an Hopeful and an Happy Symptom, that He will not utterly Destroy such a People.  
Now, The CASE, which this Encouraging Truth, does at this Time Encourage us, to speak unto, is,  
After what manner is the Self-Humiliation of a Pe●ple that would ●scape a Sore Destruction, to be Expressed and Excited?  
Which to speak yet more pertinently and profitably, is to say.  
After what manner are we ourselves, O our Dear People, to Humble ourselves before the Lord?  
Give your Attention.  
I. When we Paenitently Confess our Sins, and much more, when we vigorously ficform our Sins, we Then do to good purpose Humble ourselves, before the God, against whom we have Sinned. More distinctly;  
First, A Penitent Confession of Sin, is that Self Humiliation which our God expects from such a people as ourselves. Thus, in Luk. 18.13, 14. He that said, God be merciful to me a Sinner, is, He that Humbleth himself. Thus, Leu. 26.40, 41. They that Confess their iniquity, and the Iniquity of their Fathers, have their Uncircumcised Hearts Humbled in their doing so.  
Accordingly, First, In our Humiliations, we ought seriously to Confess out Provocations to the Most Holy God, and the Iniquities that we have done, before Him who is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquities. But, what a sad Catalogue of Provocations, have we to b●ing forth before the Lord.  
When we Humble ourselves,  
I. Let us Humbly Confess, That th● People of this Land, in a growing Apostasy from that Religious Disposition that Signalised the first Planting of these Colonies, have with multiplied Rebellions against the Almighty, Sinned exceedingly.  
II. Let us Humbly Confess, That the Spirit of this World, hath brought an Epidemical Death, upon the Spirit, and Power of Godliness.  
III. Let us Humbly Confess, That the Glorious Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, here Enjoyed, with much Plenty as well as Purity, hath not been Thankfully and Fruitfully Entertained by those that have been Blessed with the Joyful Sound.  
iv Let us Humbly Confess, That the Covenant of Grace Recognized in our Churches, hath been by multitudes not submitted unto; and of them that have submitted unto it, multitudes have not walked according to the Sacred Obligations thereof.  
V Let us Humbly Confess, That the Unreasonable Vices of Rash and Vain Swearing, with Hellish Cursing in the Mouths of many, have rendered them Guilty Sinners.  
VI Let us Humbly Confess, That a Flood of Excessive Drinking, hath begun to Drown much of Christianity, yea, and of Civility itself, in many places among us.  
VII. Let us Humbly Confess, That some English, by Selling of Strong Drink unto the Indians, have not only prejudiced among them, the Successes of the Word of Life, but also been the Faulty & Bloody Occasions of Death unto them.  
VIII. Let us Humbly Confess, That a Vanity of Apparel, hath been affected by many persons, who have been so vain, as to Glory in their Shame.  
IX. Let us Humbly Confess, That wicked Sorceries have been practised in the Land; and yet in the Troubles from the Devils, thereby brought in among us, those Errors on both Hands were committed, which, Who can understand?  
X. Let us Humbly Confess, That the Days of Sacred Rest among us, have been disturbed with so many Profanation●● that we may not wonder if we See no Rest.  
XI. Let us Humbly Confess, That the woeful Decay of good Family Discipline, hath opened the Flood Gates, for Innumerable, and almost Irremediable Woes, to break in upon us.  
XII. Let us Humbly Confess, That Magistrates Ministers, and others that have served the Public, have been but great Sufferers by their Services, and met with Unrighteous Discouragements.  
XIII. Let us Humbly Confess, That the Piracies, which, 'tis to be feared, some who belong to these, have perpetrated in other parts of the World, are Scandals, that call for much Lamentation.  
XIV. Let us Humbly Confess, That we have in former years used Unjustifiable Hardships, upon some that have Conscientiously Dissented from our persuasions in Religion.  
XV. Let us Humbly Confess, That we have treated one another, very Ill, in the Various Temptations, Cententions, and Revolutions, which have been upon us.  
XVI Let us Humbly Confess, That the Sins of the most Filthy Uncleanness, have horribly Defiled the Land.  
XVII Let us Humbly Confess, That the Joy of Harvest, hath been filled with Folly, and Lewdness, and Forgotten the Glad Service of God, whom we should have Served in the Abun●lance of all things.  
XVIII Let us Humbly Confess, That much Fraud hath been used in the Deal of many, and the Spirit of Oppression hath made a Cry.  
XIX. Let us Humbly Confess, That Falsehood and Slander hath been commonly carrying of Darts through the Land and the Wounded have been many!  
XX. And, Let us Humbly Confess, That the Successive and Amazing Judgements of God upon us, for our thus Trespassing, have not Reclaimed us, but we have prodigiously Gone on still in our Trespasses.  
In our Humiliations, Let these things be Reflected on; and with our most Humble Reflections, Let us do like them, in 1 Sam. 7.6. Gather together, and Draw water, and pour it out, [in a Shower of Tears] before the Lord, and Fast on that Day, and say, we have Sinned against the Lord.  
But that this our Confession of our Provocations, may be Penitent, we must, Secondly, Incorporate thereinto, a Confession of what we have Deserved by these Provoking Evils. Particularly.  
We have seen many Troubles: but on our Day of Humiliation, concerning all our Troubles, Let us Humbly make that Confession, in Ezra 9.13. Thou, our God, best punished us, less than our Iniquities Deserve.  
Have we lost many Thousands of Pounds, by the Disasters of the Sea? Let us Humbly Confess, our Sins have Deserved, that instead of making one Good Voyage, we should have been stripped of all the Little that is left unto us.  
Hath one bad harvest after another, diminished our Ordinary Food? Let us Humbly Confess, our Sins have Deserved, that the Earth which hath been thereby Defiled, should have yielded us n●thing at all.  
Have Bloody, Popish, and Pagan Enemies, made very dreadful Impressions upon us, and Captived and Butchered multitudes of our Beloved Neighbours? Let us Humbly Confess, our Sins have Deserved, that we should be all of us, altogether given up, unto the will of our Enemies, to Serve our Enemies in the want of all things, and have our Lives continually hanging in Doubt, under their turious Tyrannies.  
Have we been Broken sore in the place of Dragons, and Covered with the Shadow of Death? Say Humbly before the Lord, with them, in Lam. 3.39. Why should a man Complain, for the punishment of his Sin?  
And yet, we have had Comforts, to mitigate and moderate, our Troubles: In the midst of wrath, God has Remembered Mercy. Now concerning all our Comforts, on our Day of Humiliation, Let us Humbly make that Confession, in Lam. 3.22. It is of the Lords mercies, that we are not Consumed.  
Have we not the Tidings of Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Preaced unto us, to sweeten the Bread of Adversity, and the Water of Affliction, which the Lord hath given us? Let us Humbly Confess, 'Tis of the Lords Mercies, that this Country has the Bread of Life, and the Waters of Life, yet continued unto it, and that it is not become a Region of the Valley of the Shadow of Death.  
Are our Poor, though greatly Increased and Afflicted, yet more Comfortably provided for, than in many other parts of the World? Let us Humbly Confess, 'Tis of the Lords Mercies, that we are not all Seattered, and famished, and perished in our Poverty.  
Do we see less of the Distress of Nations, and Perplexity, with the Sea, and the waves thereof Roaring, than they do in a great part of Europe 8. Let us Humbly Confess, 'Tis of the Lords Mercies, that all the Things, which the fainting Hearts of men any where do fear, coming on the Earth, are not come upon ourselves.  
Why do not our Adversaries use the Advantages which they have to Confound us, but are themselves in such Confusion, that we Endure not an Hundred part of the Disturbance from them, which they might give unto us? Humbly say before the Lord, with him, in Gen. 32.10. We are not worthy of the least of all these Mercies!  
This, This would be the Language of a True Humiliation.  
But a Second Admonition, must be added unto This. What Signifies Confession, without Reformation? 'tis all but Hypocrisy, all but Impiety. We are told in Prov. 28.13. 'tis he that Confesseth & Forsaleth, who shall have Mercy.  
The Ancients, would well call the Confession of Sin, The Vemit of the Soul. But now, if we return, and proceed, unto the Commission of the Sins, which we have by our Confession, as it were Vomited up; what are we, but the Dogs that Return unto their Vomit? When Sins are Sincerely Confessed, the Repenting Sinners, will say, as in Hos. 14.8. What have we any more to do with them?  
Come then; We have now and then, that which we call, A Day of Humiliation. But, Sirs, A Day of Reformation; Oh! when shall we see such a Day? When shall it once be! Behold, an Essential Piece of work, to be attended, when, A Day of Humiliation, arrives unto us. Let every one of us, Earnestly Inquire with ourselves, What is there, that I am now to Reform in my own Heart and Life, and in the Family which I belong unto? and importunately implore, the Help of the Spirit of Grace, to pursue such a Reformation. But then, l●et all that Sustain any Public Office, whether Civil, or Sacred, further carry on the Enqui●y: What shall we do to Reform any spreading Evils in the Public? Lei the Pastors of the Churches, in their severat Charges, Labour Watchfully to prevent, all growth of Sin in their Vicinities; and the Churches join with their Pastors, in Sharpening their Discipline against Offences that may arise, and in preserving the Liberty, and Purity, which they have heretofore been clothed withal.  
And Let Justices, Grand Jury men, Constables, Tythingmen, have their mutual Consultations, to procure the Executions of Good Laws, and Remember the Oath of God upon them.  
Were such an Humiliation once obtained, Then would our God say, I see, they have Humbled themselves, I will not utterly Destroy them! The Land of Canaan, is as much as to say, in English, The Land of the Humbled. Oh! if we were universally thus Humbled, our Land would soon be a Canaan, for the Rest, the Peace, the Plenty, which would be therein vouchsafed unto us.  
II. The Exercises of a Sacred Fast have a particular and peculiar Character of Humiliation in them, and we are to Humble ourselves with Fasting before the Lord. Thus the Psalmist of old manifested his Humiliation, in Psal. 35.13. I Humbled my Soul, with Fasting.  
There is that Call Now, and Often [perhaps not often enough!] herd, through the Province, in Joel 1.14. Sanctify a Fast, Call a Solemn Assembly, Gather the Elders; and all the Inhabitants of the Land, into the House of your God, and Cry unto the Lord. And I persuade myself, that we generally concur in the General Principle, hitherto Espoused, by the Church of God, in every Generation, That a Religions Fast, is a Needful Duty, (pro Temporibus et Causis, as Tertullian long since well stated it,) on Just and Great Occasions for it. That Merry Sect, who Explode Fasting, as a thing not Agreeable to our Gospel Times, appear not among us. We know, that Fasting hath, in all Age's, been esteemed, a Duty incumbent on the People of God. We find such Fasting used in Elder Times, [Judg. 20.26. and 1 Sam. 7.6.] Both more publicly, [2 Chron. 20.30. and Ezr. 8 21.] And more privately; [2 Sam. 12.16 & Neb. 1.4.] What tho' these things were in the Days of the Old-Testament? I hope, the Old Testament is not become Apocryphas, with any of us. But in the New-Testament also, we have a Predication, of our Fasting, [Math. 9.15.] Yea, and a Praescription for it, [M●th. 6.16.] For d●ing it more publicly, we have 〈◊〉 Warrant, [Act. 14.23.] and more privately too. [1 Cor. 7.5.] Yea, we are told, that there are certain Blessings, which cannot now be obtained, but in such a way. [Mar. 9.29.] And I am sure of one thing more; when the Apostles, and the Believers in the Primitive Times, were most Filled with the Holy Spirit of Christ, than it was that they were most in Fasting before the Lord!  
Now, if our Fast, be such a Fast as the Lord hath chosen, we shall therein Humble ourselves, most acceptably, most profitably, most efficaciously. And because, the Right Performance of this Duty, is a thing of great Consequence in Christianity; 'tis what is frequently required, and much Weal or Woe will follow upon the management of it; I will set before you, the Rules of that Sacred Fast, wherein we are to Humble our Souls.  
Having first, Praepared ourselves for our Fast, as one would for an Extraordinary Sabbath, we have these things to do.  
First; There is the Internal Humiliation of our Fast; The Duties of Praying, Repenting and Believing, are the Soul of that Fast wherein we are to Humble our Souls; and we are to Labour in those Duties. The Duties of a Fast, are those, in 2 Chron. 7.14. My People shall then Humble themselves, and Pray, and Seek my Face, and Turn from their wicked ways. For men to think, that they Serve God, by a Fast wherein they do nothing but Fast from Corporal Sustenance, and they draw not near to God in Devotions all the Day long, 'tis a plece of Ignorance; yea, more than one Commandment of God is broken, by this piece of Ignorance.  
When we Celebrate a Fast, we are in more than ordinary Prayers, to Acknowledge our own Sinfulness, and the Greatness and Justice of God, in Chastising our Sinfulness; and we are to Supplicate those Favours of Heaven, which our Sins, our Wants, and our Fears, make Necessary for us. The Thing which we have to do, on a Fast, is what the Praying Daniel did; in Dan. 9.3. I set my Face unto the Lord God, to seek by Prayer, and Supplications, with Fasting. And haing thus Quoted, the Ninth Chapter of Daniel, I may Remark, That there are Three N●nths, which admirably well describe the Task of a Fast unto us; the Ninth Chapter of Ezra, the Ninth Chapter of Nehemiah, and the Ninth Chapter of Daniel. When the Fast comes; Remember, Christians, to consult those Three Chapters, with Lively Meditations thereupon. A Day of Fast, is to be a Day of Prayer. As in Act. 13.3. so elsewhere, Fasting and Praying, are what God has joined, and here, Man may not separate them. Would you hear, what you have to Do, when a Fast is to be kept? The words of an Order for a Fast, once ran so, in Jon. 3.8. Cry mightily unto God. Prayer, 'tis That, whereof the Jews in one of their Ancient Adages, tell us, Nulla est pulchrior virtus hac ipsa; There is no virtue like it. It is beyond all Oblations. But Repenting and Believing as well as Praying, must signalise our Fast. Reconciliation with God, is the End of a Fast; without Repenting and Believing, this Reconciliation is not applied unto us.  
A Fast, is but a Form, an Hungry and Empty Form, if we do not therein hearty Repent of our Miscarriages. Thus we are advised, in Isa. 58.6, 7, 8. Is not this the Fast, that I have chosen? To Lose the Bonds of Wickedness. On a Fast, Let us be those Ephraimites, who shall bemoan themselves; Thou hast Chastised me, O Lord, and I was Chastised, Turn thou me, and I shall be Turned! On a Fast, Let us take those Directions, in the midst of our Lamentations, Let us Search and Try our ways, and Turn again unto the Lord. A Fasting Day must be a Soul grieving Day, and a Sin killing Day, or 'tis nothing. Our Fast, are to Slay our Lusts; those are the Beasts, which are then to be slaughtered. Indeed, when ever a Fast recurrs, we should go the whole Work of Conversion over again! Our Fast will notably be, Ci●us virtutis, if we do so.  
Again; The Satisfaction and Intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ, must on a Fasten ●e Repaired unto; and we must Be●●eve in it for our Atonement. It was the ●ite appointed for a Fast, in Leu. 16.27 ●0. The Blood of the Sin Offering, must be. ●rought in, to make Atonement; On that Day all the Priest make Atonement for you, to ●eanse you, that you may be clean from all ●ur Sins before the Lord. Our Lord Jesus ●hrist is our Priest; What He hath done ●r our Atonement, must be this Day, ●ith a strong Faith Laid hold upon. A Fast is a Day of Expiation; but we know it is only the Lord Jesus Christ, that hath by His Unknown Sufferings (as the Greek Church at this Day express●s it) made Expiation for our Sins. Hence on a Fast, we must Renew the Dependence of our Souls, on the Obedience which our Lord Jesus Christ, our Surety, hath yielded unto God for us. Our Sin has procured the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ; In a Fast, our Faith is to Feed upon it. A Fasting Day, is with Faith, a Feeding Day. In our Fasts, we are to Imitate the Action of the Molossians, who seeking the King's Good will unto them, took the Son of the King into their Arms, and presenting themselves thus before him, said, Sir, For the sake of this your Son, we hope, you'll be favourable to us. Thus, Let us present ourselves before the Eternal King of Heaven, on our Fast, with His Only Begotten, His Dear Beloved Son, in the Arms of our Faith, and plead, Oh! for the Sake of this thy Son, do Good unto us. But then.  
Secondly; There is the External Humiliation of our Fast; when we Humble ourselves in a Fast, we are to Abstain from all our Secular Pleasures and Affairs, that we may the better go through our Duties. Like Silly Children, we know not when to Feed, and when to Forbear Feeding. But our Good God, in His Word has taught us! We are Taught, that we must sometimes have a Day for Fasting, which must be a Day of Restraint upon us; and this Restraint must Extend unto the Dimensions of a Sabbath. Of a Fast, it is prescribed, in Leu. 23.32. It shall be unto you, a Sabbath of Rest, and ye shall Afflict your Souls; from Evening unto Evening shall ye Celebrate your Sabbath. The Design of the Abstinence thus to be used on a Fast, is, not only that we may be more free for the several Spiritual Employments, which are then incumbent on us, (our Lord, like a wife Falconer, will by keeping of us a little Sharp, fit us for the Highest Flights in our Prayers!) but also to Show, and Speak, the Humiliation of our Souls in those Employments. 'tis a Ceremony of God's Appointment, a Symbolical Ceremony, which God Himself hath appointed, and a part of Worship, whereby we are to Signify, That we 〈◊〉 ourselves utterly unworthy of all those Blessings, which we now Deny unto ourselves, and therefore of all other Blessing's whatsoeever. And the First Sin of man, which Lay in Eating, is to be considered, as very particularly herein referred unto.  
Now, First, A Fast is to be kept with an Abstinence from the Pleasures of this Life. Our usual Diet must on a Fast be Abstained from. It was therefore said, in Esth. 4.16. Fast, and neither Eat nor Drink. The very Term of a Fast, implies thus much; and it hath been of old said, They that will not so Fast with the Children of God, must Eat and Drink of the Furious Wrath of God, with the Wicked There are indeed Cases of Necessity, wherein our merciful God call; for, Mercy rather than Sacrifice; and in those Cases, doubtless the Abstinence may be somewhat Abated and Relaxed. Some cannot Encounter a severe and a total Abstinence, it would utterly Disable them, for the Service of the Day: the Severity may then be mitigated. Yet our Abstinence must be such as to produce our Affliction. Of a Fast, it is said, in Isa. 58.5. It is a Day for a man to Afflict his Soul; and it is said, in Leu. 23.29. Whatsoever Soul it be, that shall not be Afflicted in that same Day, he shall be cut off from among his people. We may not Eat or Drink so much, nor may we Eat or Drink so well, on such a Day, as at another Time. In the Fast of a Daniel, we have this Abstinence observed, ch. 10.3. late no pleasant Bread, neither came Flesh nor Wine, into my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all: And in Tertullia's Time, they had their Xerophagiae, a Dry sort of Repast, for such as found that a Rigid Fast, was too hard for them. But by consequence, all other Delights of the Senses, are then also to be avoided. If you read, Joel 2.16. and 〈◊〉 Cor. 7.5. You'll find a particular prohibition of this Importance. Hence likewise, our Sleep is then to be Retrenched. If we are inclinable to Sleep so long on a Fast, as we do on another Day, we are to Awake● ourselves, with such a Call from God, as that, What meanest thou, O Sleeper, Arise, and Ca●l upon thy God And it is not improper here to be noted, That our Alms are to be one Concomitant of our Fasts. It was said, in Isa. 58 7. Is 〈◊〉 this the Fast that I have Chosen? Is it 〈◊〉 to deal thy Bread to the Hungry? When we come to seek Mercy of God, we should, in Thankfulness for our Hope to find what we seek, show Mercy to men. In our Fasting, we Deny to ourselves our usual Nourishments; and we should then Bestow on others at least as much as we Deny to our serves, in Token of our Sense, That we are more Undeserving of the Divine Bounty, than any that we know in our Neighbourhood. Our Alms are to go up with our Prayers, as a Memorial, (we Remember who's did so!) before God. But there is yet one thing more to be added; Fine  must in a Fast, be Abstained from. If there were no Scripture for this, why might not mere Nature teach it unto us, as well as unto the Ninivites? But we have Scripture for it, in Exod 33.4. The people mourned, and no man did put on him his Ornaments. I have see● a Fault in this place, and My Neighbours, 'Tis utterly a Fault among you; That on a Fast, many people, will come to the Worship of God, in as Gay , as if they were going to a Feast. Methinks, I hear, the Holy Angels of God thus uttering their Indignation against such Offenders; What? will those vain people, never have any sign of an Abased, and an Afflicted Soul up●n them? Truly, to be arrayed in Gorgeous Apparel on a Fast, is very offensive unto God. Rags are fit than Robes, for the Children of men therein to appear as Malefactors before God the Judge of all. They that come to the Assembly, in a splendid, and flaunting Attire, on such a Day, do but Affront the God, whom they profess to Humble themselves before. Would you Speed in a Fast? Then be able to say, if not with him, in Psal 35.13. My Clothing was Sackcloth, when I Humbled my Soul with Fasting, yet, My Clothing is Sober, Modest, Proper, and very Humble!  
And, Secondly, A Fast, is to be kept with an Abstinence, from the Affairs of this Life. The Works of our particular Vocations are to be laid aside, when a Fast is Indicted; and All Servile Labour on the said Day is Inhibited. A Fast, is to be kept with the strictness of a Sabbath. It is Enjoined in Leu. 23.28, 30, 32. Ye shall do no work in that same Day, for it is a Day of Atonement. Whatsoever Soul it be, that doth any work in that same Day, the same Soul will I destroy from among his people. It shall be unto you a Sabbath of Rest; from Evening to Evening shall ye Celebrate it. When the Services of the Congregation are over, we are not presently at Liberty to do what we will: Those persons do but help to Debauch the Land, who take such a Liberty. The Edicts of Heaven run so, in Joel 2 14. Sanctify a Fast. The whole Day of the Fast is to be Sanctified, or, set apart, for Communion with God: When we keep a Day, we must keep it unto the Lord. The Expectation of our God, is intimated unto us, in Isa 58.13. Turn away thy Foot from the Sabbath, (take no long Journeys on it) from doing thy pleasure on my Holy Day: Honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words. Indeed, the Weekly Sabbath lays a claim to all the things here spoken of; nevertheless, I suspect that a Fasting Sabbath is here more peculiarly intended. A Fast, is no less than twice in one verse, Leu. 23.32. called a Sabbath: and why may not that be the Sabbath more especially meant throughout the whole fifty eighth Chapter of Isaiah? An Expression twice used in the verse newly quoted, namely, Doi●●● thy pleasure, and Finding thy own pleasure, on the Sabbath, occurs in the third verse, In the Day of your Fast, you find pleasure; which finding of pleasure is opposed unto the Affliction, both of Spirit and of Body, wherein we are to Judge ourselves on such a Solemnity. Because we do not Fast, with a due conformity, to the Edicts of Heaven, therefore as of old, Pompey Siezed the Jewish Temple, on their Fastday, and Sosius on their Fastday took the City, so we in this Land, have on, o● near our fast-days often felt such Rebukes of Heaven, that it has become the just Astonishment of many that have wisely observed it, and it should be the Humiliation of us all. But now, conform to this Expectation of Heaven, on your Fast: Then shalt thou Delight thyself in the Lord, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.  
III. That our Humiliation may b● Quickene●, Let us Humbly, Awfully and Mourn●●ily, Consider the most Humbling Circumstances, which the Mighty Hand of God, hath brought us into. I● was the Counsel, in 1 Pet. 5.6. Humble yourselves under the Mighty Hand of God. Wicked and Hurtful men, have been called, The Hand of God: see Psal. 17.14.] It may be, Nero, a Mighty man Raised by God, for the Vexation of mankind, may be more particularly designed, in that passage, The Mighty Hand of God. And by a French Nero, have we also been so vexed, that we have cause to Humble ourselves under what we have Endured from that Mighty Hand. But indeed, there is the Mighty Hand of God, in all Afflictive Dispensations of His Providence; and now, O Let us Humble ourselves, by Considering, how much the Dispensations of His Mighty Hand have Humbled us.  
The Circumstances of Affliction are Humbling Circumstances. It was said of the Afflicted, in Psal. 107.39. They are brought Low through Affliction. It was said by the Afflicted, in Psal 39 8. We are brought very L●w. An Afflicted people may say, as the Afflicted Paul said, My God Humbles me. Afflictions keep under our Aspiring Spi●its, and make us feel and own our own wretchedness. But Oh! what Afflictions has this poor people, been Humbled withal!  
It was a Prophecy concerning, The Daughter of Zion, in Isa. 3.26. She being Desolate, shall sit upon the Ground. When Zion was Desolate, by the Roman Conquest, (unto which this Prophecy might Extend) there were Coins made in Commemoration of that Conquest, and on those Coins there was a Remarkable Exposition of this Prophecy. On the Reverse of those Medals, which are to be seen unto this Day, there is, A Silent Woman sitting upon the Ground, and leaning against a Palmtree, with this Inscription JUDAEA CAPTA. Nor was any Conquered City or Country, before this of Judaea, ever thus drawn upon Medals, as, A Woman sitting upon the Ground. Alas, If poor New-England, were to be shown upon her old Coin, we might show her Leaning against her Thunderstruck Pine tree, Desolate, sitting upon the Ground. Ah! New England! Upon how many Accounts, mayst thou say with her, in Ruth 1 13. The Hand of the Lord is gone out against me!  
An Excellent Minister, who died among us, a Young Man, Considerably more than Twenty years ago, [It was Mr. John Eliot, the younger,] when he lay on his Deathbed, and was Drawing his Presagious Breath, had these Memorable Expressions. My Lord Jesus Christ, hath been a Great while, preparing a Mansion, which is now ready for me. He will quickly take me, as He did John, by the Right Hand, and present me unto the Father, who has Loved me, with an Everlasting Love. As for New England, I believe, that God will not Unchurch it; but He will make a Poor and Afflicted People in it Boston, and the Massachuset Colony, is Coming Down, Coming Down, Coming Down a pace! Expect sad and sore Afflictions; but Oh! Get an Interest in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you may Live on That, all the World over. So spoke an Eminent Servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, when he was just Entering into the Joy of His Lord. Now this Predication, we have seen very terribly Accomplished; It has been Strangely and Sadly Accomplished, ever since the Time that it was uttered: And in almost all our Concerns, our Story hath been that in Judg. 2.15. Whithersoever they went out, the Hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and they were greatly Distressed.  
We have been Humbled, with an Annual Blast upon our Daily Bread, until at last, the very Staff of the Country has been broken for Two years together, and an horrible Cry, for Bread, Bread, hath been heard in our Streets.  
We have been Humbled, with such Losses by Sea & Land, that Strangers afar off, take notice of it, Concluding, Surely Almighty God is in ill Terms with that Country!  
We have been Humbled by the Angels of Death shooting the Arrows of Death, with direful Repetitions of Mortality, in the midst of us!  
We have been Humbled by a Barbarous Adversary once and again let lose to Wolve it upon us, and an unequal Contest with such as are not a People, but a Foolish Nation.  
We have been Humbled by all Adversity vexing us, in our Going out, & our Coming in, and in the Constant Miscarriages of our most Likely Expeditions.  
We have been Humbled by the Wrath of the Lord of Hosts Darkening our Land, when Evil Angels broke in among us, to do those Amazing Things, of which no Former Ages give a parallel.  
We have been Humbled, by the Ireful, and the Direful Rebukes of Heaven, upon all our Precious and Pleasant Things: But above all, by Spiritual Plagues whereto we are abandoned. The Plagues of a Blind Mind, and an Hard Heart, and an Astonishing Unfruitfulness under all the Means of Grace; and a Stupid Insensibility of the Causes for which, & the Manners in which, the Almighty God is Contending with us, have Siezed upon us. Some of our Seers have a mist before their Eyes; Some of our Churches fall asleep till they are stripped of their Garments; under the Sharpest Chastisements of Heaven, we grow worse and worse, with such a Swift Apostasy, that if we Degenerate the Next Ten Years, as the most Impartial observers do say, that we have done the Last, God be Merciful unto us! What a Swift Destruction are we likely to be overwhelmed withal?  
Now there is a Loud Voice, in all these things; the Voice of them is, Be Humbled, O New-England; Humble thyself, Lest a fiercer Anger of the Lord yet come upon thee! Oh! Let not that be written on our Doors, in Jer 44.10. They are not Humbled unto this Day! Sirs, We are every Day Coming down most wonderfully; But let us then Fall down most Humbly, in the Consideration thereof, and let our Lamentation be That, in Lam. 3.19, 20. Remembering my Affliction and my Misery; my Soul has them still in Remembrance, and is Humbled in me!  
IU. What will our Humiliation Signify, if it carry us not unto our Lord jesus Christ? Wherefore, when we Humble ourselves, Let us Humbly Rely on our Lord jesus Christ alone, for our Acceptance with God. So are we Directed, in Jam. 4.10. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord: That is to say, With an Eye to the Lord Jesus Christ, in all you do.  
That the Humiliations of men, are of no Account, with God, while the Lord jesus Christ is not therein referred unto, the poor Jewish Nation have given to us, a doleful Experiment: related in a Book Translated by one Paul Isaiah, a Jew, by that among other motives, converted unto the Faith of our Blessed jesus. After many former Humiliations, that the End of their Captivity might be Revealed unto them, they did in the year 1502. make a Public Repentance, through all their Habitations, all over the face of the whole World, and both old and young, men, women and children, spent almost a year together in such marvellous Devotions as were never heard of in the world before. But all signified nothing; why? Because they do as the Prophet Isaiah foretold that they would; they still Reject our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom alone it is, that any of our Humiliations have Acceptance with the God of Heaven. The Great God has promised, That He will be favourable unto that Nation, in Leu. 26 41. When their Uncircumcised Hearts be Humbled, and they then Accept the punishment of their Iniquity. The Sacrifice, upon whom the punishment of our Iniquity does fall, [Isa. 53.6. and 2 Cor. 5.21.] is that of the Messiah; and the Messiah therefore is by that Name intended. When the Jews come to leave off their Thoughts and Hopes, of any other Sacrifice, or their Dreams of making Satisfaction by bearing the punishment of their own Iniquity, but Accept the Messiah, as the only Help of their Souls against all the Gild of their Sins; THAN God will Remember His Covenant. O That they would at Last, and at Least come to such Thoughts, as were in the famous Rabbi Samuel Marochianus, who upon that Prophecy of Amos, where the Lord threatens to punish Israel for Selling the Righteous for Silver, has these Memorable words; The Prophet Amos, Expressly declares the Wickedness, for which we are in our Captivity: It manifestly appears to me, that we are justly punished, for that Sin of Selling the Righteous. A thousand years and more, are spent, in all which Time our condition among the Gentiles is not minded, nor have we any Hopes of mending it. O My God, I am afraid, I am afraid, Lest the JESUS, whom the Christians Worship, should be the Righteous One, whom we have Sold for Silver! In the mean time, Let us that own ourselves Christians, now prove ourselves to be so, by our Humbling ourselves before God, but Looking for the Success of it, only from and through our Lord jesus Christ, our only Mediator. Let the Humiliation of our Lord Jesus Christ, be our Meditation, and our Consolation. Of Him 'tis said, in Psal. 2.8. He Humbled Himself. And let it provoke our Humiliation, when we meditate on what our Lord Jesus Christ suffered, when God Laid not Him the Iniquity of us all. But when we have Humbled ourselves never so much, Let us count that we have cause to be Humbled over again, for the defects of our own Humiliation. As he of old said, Lava meas Lachrymas Domine; Lord, My very Tears want washing! So let us be sensible, There is enough in our best Humiliations, to call for more Humiliations. Fly then to the Lord Jesus Christ, whose Prayers were always perfect, and whose Fasts were ever Faultless, and whose Blood being Sprinkled upon our Humiliations, is that, which alone, can render such Defective Things Acceptable unto the Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. Put all into the Hands of the Great Angel of the Covenant: His Incense persuming of them, they will Ascend before God, with glorious Effects following thereupon. Among some of the Americans, 'tis reported, they have a strange Usage, when they are Humbling themselves before their Gods, to bring their Sheep into their Assemblies, that by the Bleats and Cries of their Sheep they may move the compassion of their Gods. We are better taught than so! when we are Humbling ourselves, we are to bring before our God, that Lamb of God, which takes away the Sins of the world. Sirs, There was a Sacrifice for the Congregation, which was on a Day of Humiliation of old Commemorated. Our Lord jesus Christ, is to be on our Day of Humiliation, Looked unto, as the Sacrifice for our whole Congregation. Our Faith is to Argue it, That God has had more Honour from the Sacrifice of our Lord jesus Christ, than if all our whole Congregation, were destroyed for ever. Our Faith is to Resolve it, That whatever Salvation is vouchsafed unto all our whole Congregation, the Sacrifice of our Lord jesus Christ shall have the Honour and the Merit of it all, ascribed thereunto. Now, who can tell, how far one Humble Soul, may prevail, that shall put in Suit, the Sacrifice for the Congregation? The Faith of one Moses, of one Samuel, yea, of one Amos one, poor, obscure, honest Husbandman, Oh! how far, may it go, to obtain this Answer, from the Great God, They have Humbled themselves, I will not destroy them, but grant them some Deliverance!  
¶ AND, I suppose, there happens to be at this very Time, in this Assembly, an Example, full of Encouragement unto those Humiliations, which have been thus called for.  
In our Solemn Humiliations before the Lord, we have with a very particular Fervency besought His Mercy for our poor Captives, that were become the Prey of the Terrible; Yea, we have done it, with some Assurance, that the Glorious Hearer of Prayer, would Vouchsafe of His Mercy to some of those Miserables.  
Now, I think I see, among you, at this Hour, Three Persons, namely, Two Women, and one Youth, who have just now, Received a Deliverance from a Captivity in the Hands of hovid Indians, with some very Singular Circumstances; And therefore, Let it not seem an Unsuitable or Unseasonable Digression, it I Conclude, this Discourse, with making this unexpected occurrence, to be Subservient unto the main Intention thereof.  

[A Narrative of a Notable Deliverance from Captivity.]  
ON the fifteenth Day, of the Last March, Hannah Dustan, of Haverhil, having Lain in about a Week, attended with her Nurse, Mary Neff, a Widow a Body or Te●●i●le Indians, drew near unto the House where she lay, with Designs to carry on the bloody Devastations, which they had begun upon the Neigh bourhood. Her Husband, hastened from his Employments abroad, unto the Relief of his Distressed Family; and first bidding Seven of his Eight Children (which were from Two to Seventeen years of age,) to get away as fast a● they could, unto some Garrison in the Town, he went in, to inform his Wife, of the horrible Distress now come upon them.  she could get up, the fierce Indians were go● so near, that i●tetly despairing to do her any Service, he can out after his Children; Resolving, that on the Horse, which he had with him, he would Ride away, with That, which he should in this Extremity find his Affections to pitch most upon, and leave the Rest, unto the care of the Divine Providence. He overtook his Children, about Forty Rod, from his Door; but then, such was the Agony of his Parental Affections, that he found it Impossible for him, to Distinguish any one of them, from the Rest; wherefore he took up a Courageous Resolution, to Live & Die with them All. A party of Indians came up with him; and now, though they Fired at him, and he Fired at them, yet he manfully kept in the Rear of his Little Army of unarmed Children, while they Marched off, with the pace of a Child of Five years old; until, by the Singular Providence of God, he arrived safe with them all, unto a place of Safety, about a Mile or two from his House. But his House must in the mean Time, have more dismal Tradegies acted at it▪ The Nurse, trying to Escape, with the New born Infant, sell into the hands of the formidable Savages; & those surious Tawnies, coming in to the House, bid poor Dustan, to Rise immediately. Full of Astonishment, she did so; and Sitting down in the Chimney, with an heart full of most fearful Expectation, she saw the Raging Dragons rislle all that they could carry away: and set the House on Fire. About Nineteen or Twenty Indians, now led these away, with about Half a score other, English Captives: but e'er they had gone many Steps, they dashed out the Brains of the Infant, against a Tree, and several of the other Captives, as they begun to Tyre in their sad Journey, were soon sent unto their long Home, but the Savages would presently bury their Hatchets in their Brains, and leave their Carcases on the ground, for Birds & Beasts, to feed upon [Christians, A Joshua would have Rend his Clothes, & fallen to the Earth on his Face, and have Humbled himself Exceedingly upon the falling out of such doleful Ruins upon his Neighbours!] However, Dustan (with her Nurse,) notwithstanding her present Condition, Traveled that Night, about a Dozen Miles; and then kept up with their New Masters, in a long Travel of an Hundred and fifty Miles, more or less, within a few Day's Ensuing; without any sensible Damage, in their Health, from the Hardships, of their Travel, their Lodging, their Diet, and their many other Difficulties. These Two poor Women, were now in the Hands of those, Whose Tender Mercies are Cruelty: but the Good God, who hath all Hearts in His own. Hands, heard the Sighs of these Prisoners unto Him, and gave them to find unexpected Favour, from the Master, who Laid claim unto them. That Indian Family consisted of Twelve persons, Two stout men, three women, and seven Children; and for the shame of many a Prayerless Family among our English, I must now publish what these poor women assure me; 'Tis This; In Obedience to the Instruction which the French have given them, they would have Prayers in their Family, no less than Thrice every Day; In the Morning, at Noen, and in the Evening; nor would they ordinarily let so much as a Child, Eat, or Sleep, without first saying their Prayers. Indeed, these Idolaters, were, like the rest of their whiter Brethren Persecutors, and would not Endure that these poor Women should Retire to their English Prayers, if they could hinder them. Nevertheless, the poor Women, had nothing but fervent Prayers, to make their Lives comfortable ●●●r tolerable; and by being daily sent out, upon Business, they had opportunities together and asunder, to do like another Hannah, in pouring ●ut their Souls before the Lord: Nor did their Praying Friends among ourselves, forbear to pour out Supplications for them. Now, they could not observe it, without some wonder, that their Indian Master, sometimes, when he saw them Dejected, would say unto them; What need you Trouble yourself? If your God will have you Delivered, you shall be so! And it seems, our God, would have it so to be!  
This Indian Family, was now Travelling with these two Captive women, (& an English Youth, taken from Worcester, last September was a Twelve month,) unto a Rendezvous of Savages, which they call a Town, somewhere beyond Penacook; and they still told these poor women, that when they came to this Town, they must be Stripped, & Scourged, and Run the Gauntlet, through the whole Army of Indians. They said, This was the Fashion, when the Captives first came to a Town; and they derided, some of the faint hearted English, which, they said, fainted and swooned away under the Torments of this Discipline. [Sirs, can we hear of these things befalling out Neighbours, & not Humble ourselves before our God] But on this Day Seven-night, while they were yet it may be, about an hundred and fifty miles from the Indian Town, a little before Break of Day, when the whole Crew, was in a Dead Sleep, ('twill presently prove so!) One of these women took up a Resolution, to Imitate the Action of Jael upon Sisera, and being where she had not her own Life secured by any Law unto her, she thought she was not forbidden by any Law, to take away the Life, of the Murderers, by whom her Child had been butchered. She heartened the Nurse, and the Youth, to assist her, in this Enterprise; & they all furnishing themselves with Hatchets for the purpose, they struck such Home Blows, upon the Heads of their Sleeping Oppressors, that e'er they could any of them struggle into any effectual Resistance, at the Feet of those poor Prisoners, They bowed, they fell, they lay down; at their feet they bowed, they fell; where they bowed, there they fell down Dead. Only one Squaw Escaped sorely wounded from them, and one Boy, whom they Reserved Asleep, intending to bring him away with them, suddenly waked and stole away, from this Desolation. But cutting off the Scalps of the Ten Wretches, who had Enslaved 'em they are come off; and I perceive, that newly arriving among us, they are in the Assembly at this Time, to give Thanks unto, God their Saviour.   

[An Improvement of the foregoing Narrative.]  
IF we did now Humble ourselves throughout the Land, who can say, whether the Revenges on the Enemy, thus Exemplified, would not proceed much rather unto the Quick Extirpation, of those B●o●●●y and Crafty men.  
Ho●●●●r, I may not Conclude, until I have sa●●●●mething unto YOU, that I see, now ●●●nd before the Lord, in this Assemblage Subjects of such a Wonderful De 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ce, from your Captivity; a Deliver●●●● ●hich hath been Signalised with such Unusual Circumstances. Words that are spoken in an Ordinance of the Lord Jesus Christ, carry with them a peculiar Efficacy and Authority. The Lord Jesus Christ, hath by a Surprising Providence of His, brought you this Day, to wait upon Him, in that Great Ordinance, which is His Power for the Salvation of our Souls. Hear a Servant of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, in His Name, now Publicly & Solemnly calling upon you, to make a Right use of the Deliverance, wherewith He has Highly favoured you. The Use, which you are to make of it, is, To Humble yourselves before the Lord Exceedingly. As you have had the Extraordinary Judgements of God upon you, to Humble you, so, Except His Extraordinary Mercies do likewise Humble you, you do but Exceedingly Abuse them: The Rich Goodness of God unto you, is to Led you unto Repentance!  
When you were Carried into Captivity, We did not say, That you were greater Sinners, than the rest that yet Escape it. You are now Resened from Captivity, and must not think, That they are greater Sinners, who are Left behind in the most barbarous Hands imaginable. No, you, that have been under the Mighty Hand of God, are to Humble yourselves, under that Hand. But it you do indeed so, I know, what you will do. You will seriously consider, What you shall render to the Lord for all His Benefits? And you will sincerely Render your very Selves unto the Lord: You are not now the Slaves of Indians, as you were a few Days ago; but if you continue Unhumbled, in your Sins, you will be the Slaves of Devils; and, Let me tell you, A Slavery to Devils, to be in Their Hands, is worse than to be in the Hands of Indians! I beseech you then, by the Mercies of God, that you present yourselves unto the Lord Jesus Christ; Become the sincere Servants of that Lord, who by His Blood has brought you out of the Dungeon, wherein you were lately Languishing; Oh! Deny not the Lord, who has thus Bought you, out of your Captivity. I tell you truly, The Lord Expects great Returns of Humiliation, of Thankfulness, and of Obedience, from you; and I therefore Leave with you, one Sentence of Scripture to be often thought upon; 'Tis That, in Ezra 9.13. 14. After all that is come upon us, for our Evil Deeds, seeing thou, our God, hast given us such Deliverance as this, should we again break thy Commandments, wouldst thou not be angry with us, till thou hadst Consumed us?  
Now, Let all Consider what hath been said, and the Lord give us Understanding ●n all things!    

APPENDIX.  
A NARRATIVE of Hannah Swarton, Containing Wonderful Passages, relating to her Captivity, and her Deliverance.  
I Was taken by the Indians, when Casco Fort was taken, (May) 1690. My Husband being slain, and Four Children taken with me. The Eldest of my Sons they killed, about two Months after I was taken, and the rest Scattered from me I was now left a Widow, and as Bereft of my Children; though, I had them alive, yet it was very seldom that I could see them, and I had not Liberty to Discourse with them, without Danger either of my own Life, or theirs; for our Condoling each others Condition, and showing Natural Affection, was so displeasing to our Indian Rulers, unto whose Share we fell, that they would threaten to kill us, if we cried each to other, or discoursed much together. So that my Condition was like what the Lord threatened the Jews, in Ezek. 24.22, 23. We durst not Mourn or Weep, in the sight of our Enemies, lest we lost our own Lives. For the first Times while the Enemy feasted on our English Provisions, I might have had some with them: but then I was so filled with Sorrow and Tears, that I had little Stomach to Eat; and when my Stomach was come, our English Feed was spent, and the Indians wanted themselves, and we more: So that then I was pined with want. We had no Corn, or Bread, but sometimes Groundnuts, Acorns, Purslain, Hogweel, Weeds, Roots, and sometimes Dog's Flesh, but not sufficient to sa●i●●y Hunger with these; having but little at a Time. We had no success at Hun●ing; save that one Bear was killed, which I had part of; and a very small part of a Tittle I had another time, and once an Indian gave me a piece of a Mooses' Liver, which was a sweet Morsel to me; and Fish, if we could catch it. Thus I continued with them, hurried up and down the Wilderness, from May 20. till the middle of February; Carrying continually, a Great Burden in our Travels; and I must go their pace, or else be killed presently; and yet was pinched with Cold, for want of Clothing, being put by them into an Indian Dress, with a sleight Blanket, no Stockings, and but one pair of Indian-Shoes, and of their Leather Stockings for the Winter: My Feet were pricked with sharp Stones, and prickly Bushes sometimes; and other times Pinched with Snow, Cold, and Ice, that I traveled upon, ready to be frozen, and faint for want of Food; so that many times I thought I could go no further, but must lie down, and if they would kill me, let them kill me. Yet then, the Lord did so Renew my Strength, that I went on still further, as my Master would have me, and held out with them. Though many English were taken, and I was brought to some of them, at times, while we were about Casco Bay and Kennebeck River, yet at Norridgawock, we were Separated, and no English were in our Company, but one John York and myself, who were both, almost Starved fo● want, and yet told, that if we could not hold up to travel with them, they would kill us. And accordingly, John York, growing Weak by his wants, they killed him, and threatened me with the like. One time, my Indian Mistress, and I, were left alone, while the rest went to look for Eels; and they left us no Food from Sabbath day Morning, till the next Sature-day; save that we had a Bladder (of Moose I think) which was well filled with Maggots, and we boiled it, and drank the Broth▪ but the Bladder was so tough, we could not eat it. On the Saturday, I was sent by my Mistress, to that part of the Island, most likely to see some Canoe, and there to▪ make Fire and Smoke, to invite some Indians, if I could spy any, to come to Relieve us; and I espied a Canoe, and by Signs invited them to come to the Shore. It proved to be some Squaw's; who understanding our wants, one of them gave me a Roasted Eel, which I eat, and it seemed unto me, the most Savoury Food, I ever tasted before. Sometimes we lived on Wortle burries; sometimes on a kind of Wild Cherry, which grew on Bushes; which I was sent to gather, once in so bitter a Cold season, that I was not able to bring my Fingers together, to hold them fast: yet under all these Hardships, the Lord kept me from any Sickness, or such Weakness as to disenable me from Travelling, when they put us upon it.  
My Indian Mistress, was one that had been bred by the English at Black point, and now Married to a Canada Indian, & turned Papist; and she would say, That had the English been as careful to instruct her in our Religion, as the French were, to instruct her in theirs, she might have been of our Religion: and she would say, That God delivered us into their Hands to punish us for our Sins; And, This I knew was true as to myself. And as I desired to consider of all my Sins, for which the Lord did punish me, so this Lay very heavy upon my Spirit, many a Time, that I had Left the Public Worship and Ordinances of God, where I formerly Lived, (viz. at Beverley) to Remove to the North part of Casco-Bay, where there was no Church, or Minister of the Gospel; and this we did, for large Accommodations in the World, thereby Exposing our Children, to be bred Ignorantly like Indians, and ourselves to forget what we had been formerly instructed in; and so we turned our Backs upon God's Ordinances to get this World's Goods. But now, God hath stripped me of these things also; so that I must Justify the Lord, in all that has befallen me, and acknowledge that He hath punished me less than my Iniquities deserved. I was now Bereft of Husband, Children, Friends, Neighbours, House, Estate, Bread, , or Lodging suitable; and my very Life did hang daily in Doubt, being continually in danger of being killed by the Indians, or pined to Death with Famine, or tired to Death with hard Travelling, or pinched with Cold, till I died in the Winter season. I was so amazed with many Troubles, and hurried in my Spirit from one Exercise 〈◊〉 ●●other, how to preserve myself in da●●●● and supply my s●lt in the want that was present; that I had not time or leisure so composedly to consider of the great Concernments of my Soul, as I should have done; neither had I any Bible or Good Book to look into, or Christian Friend to be my Counsellor in these Distresses. But I may say, The Words of God, which I had formerly heard or read, many of them came oft into my mind, and kept me from perishing in my Afflictions. As, when they threatened to Kill me many times, I often thought of the words of our Saviour to Pilate, Joh. 19.11. Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. I knew they had no power to kill me, but what the Lord gave them; and I had many times Hope, that the Lord would not suffer them to slay me, but deliver me out of their Hands, and in His Time, I hoped, return me to my Country again. When they told me, that my Eldest Son was killed by the Indians, I thought of that in Jer. 33.8. I will cleanse them from all their Iniquities whereby they have sinned against me, and I will pardon all their Iniquities. I hoped, though the Enemy had barbarously killed his Body, yet that the Lord had Pardoned his Sins, and that his Soul was safe. When I thought upon my many Troubles, I thought of Jobs complaint, chap. 14 16, 17. Thou numbrest my steps, and watchest over my Sin; my Transgression is sealed up in a Bag, and thou sowest up my Iniquity. This was for my Humiliation, and put me upon Prayer to God, for His Pardoning Mercy in Christ; and I thought upon David's complaint, Psalm 13.1, 2 and used it in my Prayers to the Lord; How Long wilt thou forget me, O Lord for ever! How long wilt thou hid thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my Soul, having sorrow in my Heart! How long shall my Enemy be Exalted over me? I sometimes bemoaned myself, as Job; chap. 19.9, 10. He hath stripped me of my Glory, and taken my Crown from my Head; He hath destroyed me, on every side, and I am gone, and my Hope hath he removed like a Tree. Yet sometimes Encouraged from Job 22.27. Thou shalt make thy Prayer to him, and He shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy Vows. I made my Vows to the Lord, that I would give up myself to Him, if He would accept me in Jesus Christ, and pardon my Sins; and I desired and endeavoured to Pay my Vows unto the Lord. I Prayed to Him, Remember not against me the Sins of my Youth; and I besought Him, Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an Ungodly Nation; deliver me from the Deceitful and Unjust man: Why go I mourning because of the Oppression of the Enemy? And by many other Scriptures, that were brought to my Remembrance, was I instructed, directed and comforted.  
I Traveled over steep and hideous Mountains one while, and another while over Swamps and Thickets of Fallen Trees, lying one, two, three foot from the ground, which I have stepped on, from one to another, nigh a thousand in a day; carrying a great Burden on my Back. Yet I dreaded going to Canada, to the French, for fear lest I should be overcome by them, to yield to their Religion; which I had Vowed unto God, That I would not do. But the Extremity of my Sufferings were such, that at length I was willing to go, to preserve my Life. And after many weary Journeys, through Frost and Snow, we came to Canada, about the middle of February, 1690. and Travelling over the River, my Master pitched his Wigwam in sight of some French Houses Westward of us, and then sent me to those Houses to beg Victuals for them: which I did, and found the French very kind to me, giving me Beef, and Pork, and Bread, which I had been without, near nine months before; so that now, I found a great Change as to Diet. But the Snow being knee deep, and my Legs and Hams very sore, I found it very tedious to Travel; and my sores bled, so that as I Traveled, I might be Tracked by my Blood, that I left behind me on the Snow. I asked leave to stay all Night with the French, when I went to beg again; which my Master consented unto, and sent me Eastward, to Houses, which were toward Quebeck, (though then I knew it not:) So, having begged Provisions a● a French House, and it being ma● night, after I was Refreshed my s●l, and had Food to carry to the In●i●●s, I signified, as well as I could make the French Woman understand, That I desired to stay by her Fire, that Night. Whereupon she laid a good Bed on the Floor, and good Cover for me, and there I Lodged comfortably; and the next Morning▪ when I had breakfasted with the Family, and the men kind were gone abroad, as I was about to go to my Indian Master, the French Woman stepped out, and left me alone in her House; and I then stayed her Return, to give her thanks for her kindness; and while I waited, came in two men, and one of them spoke to me in English, I am glad to see you Country woman! This was exceedingly Reviving, to hear the voice of an English man; and upon Enquiry, I found, he was an English man, taken at the North West Passage; and the other was a French Ordinary Keeper. After some Discourse he asked me to go with him to Quebeck, which he told me, was about four miles off: I answered, my Indian Master might kill me for it, when I went back. Then, after some Discourse in French, with his Fellow Traveller, he said; This French man Engaged, that if I would go with them, he would keep me, from Returning to the Indians, and I should be Ransomed: and my French Hostess being now Returned in a doors, persuaded me to go with 'em to Quebeck; which I did, and was conveyed unto the House of the Lord Intendant, Monsieur Le Tonant, who was Chief Judge, and the Second to the Governor; and I was kindly Entertained by the Lady, and had French  given me, with good Diet and Lodging, & was carried thence unto the Hospital; where I was Physicked and Blooded, and very courteously provided for. And some time after, my Indian Master and Mistress coming for me, the Lady Intendant paid a Ransom for me, and I became her Serv●nt. And I must speak it to the Honour of the French, they were exceeding kind to me at first, even as kind as I could expect to find the English: so that I wanted nothing for my Bodily Comfort, which they could help me unto.  
Here was a great and comfortable Change, as to my Outward man, in my Freedom from my former Hardships, and Hard hearted Oppressors. But here began a greater Snare and Trouble to my Soul and Danger to my Inward man. For the Lady my Mistress, the Nuns, the Priests, Friars, and the rest, set upon me, with all the strength of Argument they could, from Scripture, as they interpreted it, to persuade me to Turn Papist; which they pressed with very much Zeal, Love, Entreaties, and Promises, if I would Turn to them, and with many Threaten, and sometimes Hard Usages, because I did not Turn to their Religion. Yea, sometimes the Papists, because I would not Turn to them, Threatened to send me to France, and there I should be Burned, because I would not Turn to them. Then was I comforted from that in 2 Cor. 1.8, 9, 10. We were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of Life; but we had the sentence of Death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the Dead; who delivered us from so great a Death, and doth deliver; in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us. I knew, God was Able to deliver me, as He did Paul, and as He did the Three Children out of the Fiery Furnace; and I believed, He would either Deliver me from them, or Fit me for what He called me to suffer, for His Sake and Name. For their Praying to Angels, they brought the History of the Angel, that was sent to the Virgin Mary, in the First of Luke. I answered them, from Rev. 19.10. and 22.9. They brought Exod 17.11. of Israel's prevailing, while Moses held up his Hands. I told them, we must come to God only by Christ, Joh. 6 37, 44. For Purgatory, they brought Mat. 5.25. I told them, To agree with God while here on Earth, was, to Agree with our Adversary in the way; and if we did not, we should be Cast into Hell, and should not come out until we Paid the utmost Farthing, which could never be paid. But it's bootless for me a poor Woman, to acquaint the World, with what Arguments I used, if I could now Remember them; and many of them are slipped out of my memory.  
I shall proceed to Relate, what Trials I met with, in these Things. I was put upon it, either to stand to the Religion I was brought up in, and believed in my Conscience to be True; or to Turn to another, which I believed was not Right. And I was kept from Turning, by that Scripture, Mat. 10.32, 33. Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father which is in Heaven, and whosoever denies me before men, him also will I deny before my Father which is in Heaven. I thought that if I should Deny the Truth, and own their Religion, I should Deny Christ. Yet upon their persuasions, I went to see, and be present at their Worship, sometimes: but never to Receive their Sacrament. And once, when I was at their Worship, that Scripture, 2 Cor. 6.14. to the end, came into my mind: What Communion hath Light with Darkness! What Concord hath Christ with Be●●●l! What part hath he that believeth with an ●●sidel? and what Agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols? Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye Separate, and touch not the Unclean Thing, and I will Receive you, and I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my Sons and Daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. This Scripture was so strong, upon my Spirit, that I thought I was out of my way to be present at their idolatrous Worship, and I Resolved never to come unto it again. But when the time drew nigh that I was to go again, I was so Restless that Night, that I could not sleep; thinking, what I should say to them when they urged me to go again, and what I should Do. And so it was in the morning, that a French woman of my Acquaintance, told me, if I would not be of Their Religion, I did but mock at it, to go to their Worship, and therefore bid me, That if I would not be of their Religion, I should go no more. I answered her, That I would not be of their Religion, and I would go no more to their Worship: and accordingly, I never went more, and they did not force me to it.  
I have had many Conflicts in my own Spirit; fearing that I was not truly Converted unto God in Christ, and that I had no Saving Interest in Christ I could not be of a False Religion, to please men; for it was against my Conscience: And I was not fit to suffer for the True Religion, and for Christ; for I then feared, I had no Interest in Him. I was neither fit to Live, nor f●● to Die; and brought once to the very pit of Despair, about what would become of my Soul In this Time I h●d gotten an English Bible, and other Good Books, by the Help of my Fellow Captives. I Looked over the Scripture, and settled on the Prayer of Jonah, and those Words, I said, I am cast out of thy sight, yet will I Look again towards thy Holy Temple. I Resolved, I would do as Jonah did: And in the Meditation upon this Scripture, the Lord was pleased, by His Spirit, to come into my Soul, and so fill me with Ravishing Comfort, that I cannot Express it. Then came to mind, the History of the Transfiguring of Christ, and Peter's saying, Math. 17.4. Lord, It is Good for us to be here! I thought, it was Good for me to be here; and I was so full of Comfort and Joy, I even Wished I could be so always, and never sleep; or else Die in that Rapture of Joy, and never Live to Sin any more against the Lord. Now I thought God was my God, and my Sins were pardoned in Christ; and now I thought, I could Suffer for Christ, yea, Dye for Christ, or do any thing for Him. My Sins had been a Burden to me: I desired to see all my Sins, and to Repent of them all, with all my Heart, and of that Sin which had been especially a Burden to me, namely, That I Left the Public Worship and Ordinances of God, to go to Live in a Remote Place, without the Public Ministry; depriving ourselves & our Children, of so great a Benefit for our Souls, and all this, for Worldly advantages. I found an Heart to Repent of them all; and to lay hold of the Blood of Christ, to cleanse me from them all.  
I found much Comfort, while I was among the French, by the Opportunities I had sometimes to Read the Scriptures, and other. Good Books, and Pray to the Lord in Secret; and the Conference that some of us Captives had together, about things of God, and Prayer together sometimes; especially, with one that was in the same House with me, Margaret Stilson Then was the Word of God precious to us, and they that feared the LORD, spoke one to another of it, as we had Opportunity. And Coloned Ting, and Mr. Alden, as they were permitted, did speak to us, to Conf●●m and Strengthen us, in the ways of the Lord. At length, the French debatred our coming together, for Religious Conference, or other Duties: And Word was sent us, by Mr. Alden, That this was one kind of Persecution, that we must suffer for Christ.  
These are some of the Scriptures, which have been my Support and Comfort, in the Affliction of my Captivity, among the Papists. That in Ezek. 16.6.— 8. I applied unto myself; and I desired to Enter into Covenant with God, and to be His; And I Prayed to the Lord, and Hoped the Lord would Return me to my Country again, That I might Enter into Covenant with Him, among His People, and Enjoy Communion with Him, in His Churches, and Public Ordinances. Which Prayers the Lord hath now heard, and graciously Answered; Praised be His Name! The Lord Enable me to Live suitably unto His Mercy, and to those Public and Precious Privileges, which I now Enjoy. So, That in Ezek 11.16, 17. was a Great Comfort unto me, in my Captivity; Although, I have cast them far off among the Heathen, yet will I be a little Sanctuary to them;— I will gather you from the People,— where you have been Scattered. I found, that God was a Little Sanctuary to me there, and hoped, that the Lord would bring me to the Country from whence I had been Scattered. And the Lord hath heard the Prayer of the Destitute, and not despised my Prayer, but granted me the Desire of my Soul, in bringing me to His House, and my Relations again. I often thought on the History of the man Born Blind; of whom Christ, when His Disciples asked, Whether this man had Sinned, or his Parents? answered, Neither this man, nor his Parents; but this was, that the works of God might be made manifest in him. So, tho' I had deserved all this, yet I knew not, but one Reason, of Gods bringing all these Afflictions and Miseries upon me, and then Enabling me to bear them, was, That the Works of God might be made manifest. And in my Great Distress, I was Revived by that, in Psal 118.17, 18. I shall not Die but Live, and Declare the works of the Lord: The Lord hath chastened 〈◊〉 sore, but He hath not given me over to Death. I had very often, a secret persuasion, That I should Live to Declare the Works of the Lord. And, 2 Chron. 6.36, 37, 38, 39 was a precious Scripture to me, in the Day of Evil. We have Read over, and Prayed over, this Scripture together, and Talked together of this Scripture, Margaret and I; How the Lord hath Promised, Though they were Scattered for their Sins, yet there should be a Return, if they did Bethink themselves, and Turn, and Pray. So we did Bethink ourselves in the Land where we were Garried Captive, did Turn, did Pray, and Endeavour to Return to God with all our Hearts: And, as they were to Pray towards the Temple, I took it, that I should Pray towards Christ; and accordingly did so, and hoped the Lord would Hear, and He hath Herd from Heaven, His Dwelling Place, my Prayer and Supplication, and mentained my Cause, and not Rejected me, but Returned me. And Oh! how affectionate was my Reading of the Eighty Fourth Psalms in this Condition.  
The means of my Deliverance, were by reason of Letters that had passed between the Governments of New-England and of Canada. Mr. Cary was sent with a Vessel, to fetch Captives from Quebeck, and when he came, I among others, with my youngest Son, had our Liberty to come away: And by God's Blessing upon us, we Arrived in Safety, at Boston, in November, 1695. our Desired Haven. And I desire to Praise the Lord for His Goodness, and for His Wonderful Works to me. Yet still I have left behind, Two Children, a Daughter of Twenty Years old, at Mont Royal, whom I had not seen in Two years before I came away; and a Son of Nineteen years old, whom I never saw since we parted, the next morning after we were taken. I earnestly Request the Prayers of my Christian Friends, that the Lord will deliver them.  What shall I render to the Lord for all His Benefits? 
FINIS.