Q

I I to the hills lift up mine eyes, from whence shall come mine aid 2 Mine help doth from Jehovah come, which heav'n & earth hath made. 3 Hee will not let thy foot be mov'd, nor slumber; that thee keeps. 4 Loe hee that keepeth Israell,

hee slumbreth not, nor sleeps. 5 The Lord thy keeper is, the Lord on thy right hand the shade.

6 The Sun by day, nor Moone by night, shall thee by stroke invade.

7 The Lord will keep the from all ill: thy soule hee keeps alway,

8 Thy going out, & thy income, the Lord keeps now & aye.

JOHN COTTON

[John Cotton, perhaps the most famous in his day of the early New England ministers, was born in 1585. He was educated at Cambridge, where he first entered Trinity College, and afterward became a fellow of Emanuel. Here he became a Puritan, and when, later, he settled as minister of a congregation in Boston, Lincolnshire, he refused to conform to parts of the Church ritual. His influence was such, however, that he held his pastorate for over twenty years, and became famous among Puritans everywhere. It was in honor of the town in which he ministered that the new Boston was named. When he was finally ousted by Archbishop Laud, he fled to America. From his arrival in 1633 to his death in 1652 he was connected, as teacher and pastor, with the First Church of Boston.

John Cotton was a profound and diligent student, and a voluminous writer, though to the reader of to-day his writings seem less interesting and less valuable than those of many of his contemporaries. He was the author of the classic catechism, "Milk for Boston Babes," and of many sermons and controversial writings. One of the most interesting controversies in which he was engaged was that with Roger Williams respecting persecution for cause of conscience. Something of his method in this discussion may be inferred from the selection from Williams's reply on a later page.

The first of the following selections is from a sermon delivered at Southampton before Winthrop's expedition, some three years before his own emigration. The text follows the reprint in Old South Leaflets, Number 53The second selection, from "The Way of Congregational Churches cleared,” Cotton's famous defence of the policy and method of New England Congregationalists, follows the reprint in the publications of the Prince Society, edited by Charles Francis Adams. The subject of this selection is of interest because Mrs. Hutchinson had placed Cotton in an embarrassing position by praising him above the other ministers. The third selection is the first part of a letter to Roger Williams, printed in London in 1643, but written some years earlier. The text is that of the reprint in the Publications of the Narragansett Club, 1866.]

1 The full title is "Milk for Babes, drawn out of the Breasts of both Testaments, chiefly for the Spiritual Nourishment of Boston Babes in either England, but may be of use for any Children."

GOD'S PROMISE TO HIS PLANTATIONS

"God's Promise to his Plantations"]

[From a sermon, The placing of a people in this or that Countrey is from the appointment of the Lord.

This is evident in the Text,' and the Apostle speakes of it as grounded in nature, Acts 17. 26. God hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of our habitation. Dut. 2 chap. 5. 9. God would not have the Israelites meddle with the Edomites, or the Moabites, because he had given them their land for a possession. God assigned out such a land for such a posterity, and for such a time.

Quest. Wherein doth this worke of God stand in appointing a place for a people?

Answ. First, when God espies or discovers a land for a people, as in Ezek. 20. 6. he brought them into a land that he had espied for them: And that is, when either he gives them to discover it themselves, or heare of it discovered by others, and fitting them.

Secondly, after he hath espied it, when he carrieth them along to it, so that they plainly see a providence of God leading them from one Country to another: As in Exod. 19. 4. You have seene how I have borne you as on Eagles wings, and brought you unto my selfe. So that though they met with many difficulties, yet hee carried them high above them all, like an eagle, flying over seas and rockes, and all hindrances.

Thirdly, when he makes roome for a people to dwell there, as in Psal. 80. 9. Thou preparedst roome for them. When Isaac sojourned among the Philistines, he digged one well, and the Philistines strove for it, and he called it Esek. and he digged another well, and for that they strove also, therefore he called it Sitnah: and he removed thence, and digged an other well, and for that they strove not, and he called it Rohoboth, and said, For now the Lord hath made roomee for us, and we shall be fruitfull in the Land. Now no Esek, no Sitnah, no quarrel or contention, but now he sits downe in Rohoboth in a peaceable roome.

Now God makes room for a people 3 wayes:

1 [2 Sam. vii, 10.]

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First, when he casts out the enemies of a people before them by lawfull warre with the inhabitants, which God cals them unto: as in Ps. 44. 2. Thou didst drive out the heathen before them. But this course of warring against others, & driving them out without provocation, depends upon speciall Commission from God, or else it is not imitable.

Secondly, when he gives a forraigne people favour in the eyes of any native people to come and sit downe with them either by way of purchase, as Abraham did obtaine the field of Machpelah; or else when they give it in courtesie, as Pharaoh did the land of Goshen unto the sons of Jacob.

1

Thirdly, when hee makes a Countrey though not altogether void of inhabitants, yet voyd in that place where they reside. Where there is a vacant place, there is liberty for the sonne of Adam or Noah to come and inhabite, though they neither buy it, nor aske their leaves. Abraham and Isaac, when they sojourned amongst the Philistines, they did not buy that land to feede their cattle, because they said There is roome enough. And so did Jacob There was roome enough pitch his tent by Sechem, Gen. 34. 21. And in this case if as Hamor said, Let them sit down amongst us. the people who were former inhabitants did disturbe them in their possessions, they complained to the King, as of wrong done unto them: As Abraham did because they took away his well, in Gen. 21, 25. For his right whereto he pleaded not his immediate calling from God, (for that would have seemed frivolous amongst the Heathen) but his owne industry and culture in digging the well, verse 30. Nor doth the King reject his plea, with what had he to doe to digge wells in their soyle? but admitteth it as a Principle in Nature, That in a vacant soyle, hee that taketh possession of it, and bestoweth culture and husbandry upon it, his Right it is. And the ground of this is from the grand Charter given to Adam and his posterity in Paradise, Gen. 1. 28. Multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it. If therefore any sonne of Adam come and

1 This sojourning was a constant residence there, as in a possession of their owne; although it be called sojourning or dwelling as strangers, because they neither had the soveraigne government of the whole Countrey in their owne hand, nor yet did incorporate themselves into the Commonwealth of the Natives, to submit themselves unto their government.

finde a place empty, he hath liberty to come, and fill, and subdue the earth there. This Charter was renewed to Noah, Gen. 9. 1. Fulfill the earth and multiply: So that it is free from that comon Grant for any to take possession of vacant Countries. Indeed no Nation is to drive out another without speciall Commission from heaven, such as the Israelites had, unless the Natives do unjustly wrong them, and will not recompence the wrongs done in peaceable sort, & then they may right themselves by lawfull war, and subdue the Countrey unto themselves.

This placeing of people in this or that Countrey, is from Gods soveraignty over all the earth, and the inhabitants thereof: as in Psal. 24. 1 The earth is the Lords, and the fulnesse thereof. And in Jer. 10. 7. God is there called, The King of Nations: and in Deut. 10. 14. Therefore it is meete he should provide a place for all Nations to inhabite, and have all the earth replenished. Onely in the Text here is meant some more speciall appointment, because God tells them it by his owne mouth; he doth not so with other people, he doth not tell the children of Sier, that hee hath appointed a place for them: that is, He gives them the land by promise; others take the land by his providence, but Gods people take the land by promise: And therefore the land of Canaan is called a land of promise. Which they discerne, first, by discerning themselves to be in Christ, in whom all the promises are yea, and amen.

Secondly, by finding his holy presence with them, to wit, when he plants them in the holy Mountaine of his Inheritance: Exodus. 15. 17. And that is when he giveth them the liberty and purity of his Ordinances. It is a land of promise, where they have provision for soule as well as for body. Ruth dwelt well for outward respects while shee dwelt in Moab, but when shee cometh to dwell in Israel, shee is said to come under the wings of God: Ruth 2. 12. When God wrappes us in with his Ordinances, and warmes us with the life and power of them as with wings, there is a land of promise.

This may teach us all where we doe now dwell, or where after wee may dwell, be sure you looke at every place appointed to you, from the hand of God: wee may not rush into any place, and never say to God, By your leave; but we must discerne how God appoints us this place. There is poore comfort in sitting down