Before I proceed, I would make a few remarks.
And 1st, It is remarkable that God began this work among the Indians at a time when I had the least prospect of seeing a work of grace among them. My bodily strength being then much wasted by a tedious journey to Susquahannah, my mind exceedingly depressed with a view of the unsuccessfulness of my labours, I had little to hope that God would make me instrumental of the saving conversion of any of the Indians, whence I was ready to look upon myself as a burden to the society that employed me. I began to entertain serious thoughts of giving up my mission; and almost resolved I would, at the conclusion of the year, if I had no better prospect in my work than I had hitherto had.
In this frame of mind I first visited these Indians at Crosweeksung, apprehending it was my duty to make some attempts for their conversion, though I cannot say, I had any hope of success.
And yet this was the very season that God saw fit to begin this glorious work in! And thus he “ordained strength out of weakness,” by making bare his almighty arm at a time when all hopes and human probabilities failed.—“Whence I learn that it is good to follow the path of duty, though in the midst of darkness and discouragement.”
2dly, It is remarkable how God, in a manner almost unaccountable, called these Indians together and how he [♦]seized their minds with the most solemn concern as fast as they came to the place where his word was preached. When I first came into these parts, I found not one man at the place, but only four women, and a few children: but before I had been there many days, they gathered from all quarters, some from more than twenty miles distant: and when I made them a second visit, some came more than forty miles to hear me.
[♦] “seised” replaced with “seized”
And many came without any intelligence of what was going on here, and consequently without any design, so much as to gratify their curiosity; so that it seemed as if God had summoned them together from all quarters for nothing else but to deliver his message to them.
Nor is it less surprising that they were one after another affected with a solemn concern, almost as soon as they came upon the spot [♦]where divine truths were taught them. I could not but think, their coming to this place was like Saul and his messengers coming among the prophets; they no sooner came but they prophesied: and these were almost as soon affected with a sense of their sin and misery, and with an earnest concern for deliverance, as they made their appearance in our assembly.——After this work of grace began with power among them, it was common for strangers of the Indians, before they had been with us one day, to be deeply convinced of their sin and misery, and to inquire with great solicitude, “What they should do to be saved?”
[♦] “were” replaced with “where”
3dly, It is likewise remarkable how God preserved these poor ignorant Indians from being prejudiced against me, and the truths I taught them. There were many attempts made by some of the white people to prejudice them against, or fright them from Christianity. They sometimes told them, the Indians were well enough already:—that there was no need of all this noise about Christianity:—that if they were Christians, they would be in no better, no safer, or happier state, than they were already.