he lived feveral years after it, and as he thinks, till 1690; but, for fome years before his death was not able to discourfe publicly to the congregation. This gentleman further fays, I faw him frequently when I was a youth, and ftill remember the gravity of his countenance, fpeech and deportment: He feemed always to fpeak with much thought and deliberation. I was prefent, fays this gentleman, when he impofed hands on Japhet, who fucceeded Tackanafh; he prayed and gave the charge to him; which fervices he performed with great folemnity; and as a good judge, who was prefent, obferved, with very pertinent, and fuitable expreffions. In his last fickness he uttered many pious expreffions, and gave good exhortations to all about him; and, as was firmly believed, went into eternal reft. "Bleffed are the dead, who die in the Lord, from henceforth: yea faith the fpirit, that they may reft from their labors. and their works do follow them." er fuch English perfons as took care of the Indians, for their inftruction in those things, in which he apprehended, that his own knowledge was deficient. By fuch means he so increased in knowledge as to be esteemed inferior to none of his own nation that fucceeded him: And for a preacher, no Indians in those parts were thought to equal him. Nor was he only esteemed a perfon of good knowledge; but he was, in his converfation blamelefs-was looked upon, by all that knew him, to be a very ferious, and pious man-very devout and zealous in prayer, preaching, and adminiftering the facraments of baptism, and the Lord's fupper. When there was no English pafter upon the island, fome ferious profeffors among the English very cheerfully received the Lord's fupper adminiftered by him; and it is fuppofed none would have fcrupled it, had they understood the Indian language. During the time of his miniftry he upheld, and maintained good Christian difcipline in the Church; fenfible of its importance to re A brief account of JOHN TACKANASH, who was ordained teach-claim offenders-prevent viceof the first Indian church on promote circumfpection-keepreMartha's Vineyard, in conjunc- ligion from being evil fpoken of tion with Hiacoomes as paftor, and to accomplish other weighin the year 1670. ty purposes. HE was esteemed a perfon In the beginning of his last fickof good abilities, and of a very nefs he had a very grievous conexemplary converfation. His men-fict with Satan, the great adver tal powers were efteemed fuperior, not only by the Indians, but by thofe English, who were in any measure capable of judging of then. He ufed great diligence to increase his knowledge: To this end he not only applied his mind with affiduity to ftudy, and allowed himself but a very fmall fhare of time for relaxation; but alfo frequently had recourfe to fary of mankind: But having obtained the victory over this enemy, his mind was ever after calm, and ferene to the end of his life. His mind being thus quieted, he expreffed a steadfast hope in the mercy of God, through the only Saviour Jefus Chrift-Gave good inftructions and exhortations to his own family, and fuch as came to visit him-nominated perceive, by an impartial attenthree perfons to the church, one tion to facred and profane history. of whom he defired might fucceed Moreover, we may have further him in the office, which he was convincing evidence of the truth about to lay down; and one of of the gofpel, if we confider the them accordingly did fo. admirable change which the Holy Spirit appears to have wrought in the hearts and lives of fome, who profefs they have experienced its convicting and converting influences. He departed this life, January 22, 1684. A great number of people affembled to pay their refpects to the remains of fuch a pious and useful man. Many appeared to lament his death. His colleague, and Japhet Hannit, in their speeches at the grave, difcovered the high fenfe they had of his worth, and the great lofs the natives fuftained by his removal. (To be continued.) FOR THE CONNECTICUT EVAN- A Differtation on the inward fealing, But, there is another kind of evidence, which may, emphatically, be termed internal; and which is peculiarly adapted to convince and fatisfy true believers, by whom it is experienced. "He who believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himfelf." (1 John v. 10.) This inward Witness is, as I conceive, the fame thing as the inward Sealof which St. Paul fpeaks, "In ing and the Earnest of the Spirit or the Earneft of the Spirit. whom" (i. e. in Chrift) "after Ephefians i. 13, 14. "In whom that ye believed, ye were fealed alfo after that ye believed, ye with that Holy Spirit of promife, were fealed with that Holy Spirit which is the earneft of our inherof promife, which is the earnest itance, until the redemption of the of our inheritance, until the re-purchafed poffeffion unto demption of the purchafed poffef-praife of his glory." Eph. i. 13, fion, unto the praise of his glory." 14. In Chrift their head and Saviour, true believers are fealed, i. e. confirmed in their faith, and affured of their interest in the heavenly inheritance; which confirmation and affurance are wrought in their fouls by the immediate teftimony, or witness of the Holy Spirit. This, I conceive, is the true import of the term Sealing, as it is occurs in the above paffage, and in 2 Cor. i. 22. "God hath fealed us, and given the earneft of the Spirit in our hearts." T HE account which the fcriptures give of the being, perfection and providence of God, and of the depraved temper and character of man, tends to confirm us in the belief, that they were written by divine infpiration: Because the account coincides fo well with the knowledge we may obtain concerning these things, by a careful obfervation of the works of nature, and the conduct of mankind. To this kind of evidence may be added thofe fcripture paffages which relate to the common affairs of human life, and thofe prophetical predictions, the accomplishment of which we may That the Sealing of the Spirit is fome teftimony or evidence which confirms and increases the believer's faith, and affures to him a part in the heavenly inheri tance, will more fully appear, if we confider the expreffion as an al- | words. Nevertheless, I fhall at lufion to the practice of Sealing as tempt to explain it as perfpicuouf it refpects things in natural and ly as I can. civil life. One principal defign of fealing a letter is to fecure its contents from the knowledge and ufe of perfons, to whom it is not inferibed. A legal covenant, tranfact. ed between one man and another, is fealed, to confirm and fecure the contract. In allufion alfo to this practice of fealing, Jefus Chrift faid, that "God the Father had fealed him." John vi. 27. The defcent of the Holy Spirit upon Chrift, and the voice from heaven, which faid, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; (Matth. iii. 16, 17.) together with Chrift's divine doctrines, and the miracles which he wrought in the prefence of the people, were a fufficient evidence and confirmation of his being the true Meffiah; whom it was their duty to reverence and obey, and in whom they might, with the greatest safety, put their truft. I conceive it is an impreffive and enlightening operation of the Holy Spirit upon the heart of the believer; by which he is delightfully entertained with a fpecial manifestation of the glory and ex. cellency of God and Chrift, and with a glimpfe of that heavenly light and felicity which enliven and entertain the bleffed fociety of the Spirits of just men made perfect: So that he is made to rejoice with unfpeakable, or glorified joy. This delightful experience tends greatly to difengage his affections from fenfual things; it eftablishes him in the love of God, and in the belief of the truths of the Christian religion; affures him of his spiritual adoption, and union to Chrift, and, confcquently, of his future admiffion into the prefence and full enjoyment of God. This manifeftation being given by the fpirit of truth, after believing in Chrift, it differs effentially from all delufive experiences; and is as fure a token that he isthe true Saviour, who will receive thofe to glory who believe in his name, as the brightest dawning of day in the east, is of the approaching fun. The Apostle faith of the believing Corinthians, "The feal of mine Apoftlefhip are ye in the Lord." 1 Cor. ix. 2. They were an evidence of his divine call: For, the grace of God had accompanied his preaching, fo that they were converted from their ftate of heathenifm and idolatry, to the knowledge and fervice of the one true God. Thus his apoftolical office had a confirmation into excite and encourage the bethem, by the effea of his miniftry, liever to walk in newness of life, as a written agreement is confirmed and to confirm and fecure him by a feal. againft infidel principles, and the alluring temptations of the prefent evil world. But what the inward fealing, or earneft of the Spirit is, and how it is wrought in the foul, and difcerned by the underftanding of the perfon fealed, is more fully known by experience, than expreffed by This I confider as the inward fealing, carneft, or witness of the Spirit. And it feems to be directly and immediately adapted Through the rebellion of their own depraved hearts, and the oppofition of the wicked world around them, Christians have ma ences. "Thou art my God; early will I feek thee: My foul thirfteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is: To fee thy power and thy glory, fo as I have feen thee in the fanctuary." But, though these seasons of fweet delight do not often occur to the best Christians; nor, ufu ny trials with which they muft | the continuance of fuch expericonflict. Their experience leads them to expect much tribulation in their way to heaven. And left their hearts faint and be difcouraged under the profpect of evil before them, God mercifully favors them with fome fpecial difplays of his excellence, and with prelibations of future glory. In thofe feafons of experience they have the moft refined and fatisfying de-ally, continue long when they do; light, which the rational foul is capable of enjoying on earth. And, hereby, they moft clearly perceive that the fpiritual and holy joys of true believers differ widely and effentially from those fenfual pleafures which the impenitent fo eagerly purfue. Therefore, when they are under preffing affliction, the recollection of their former fweet enjoyment, and the pledge of their future felicity, will excite their humility and patience to endure, and will ftrengthen their hope of obtaining feasonable relief. Thus, when God caused the waves and billows of affliction to go over the Pfalmift, he, for fupport, feems to recollect fome feafons when, it is likely, God gave him special tokens of his love and power, and gladdened his heart with the light of his countenance. "O my God, my foul is caft down within me: therefore, will I remember thee from the land of Jordan and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. The Lord will command his loving-kindness in the day-time, and in the night fhall his fong be with me. I fhall yet praise him for the help of his countenance." A real believer having tasted that the Lord is good, and been fealed with fpecial manifeftations of his love, the impreffion cannot be crafed from his mind; but he, like David, will be defirous for VOL. III. No. 5. yet, on account of their worth and precioufnefs, they may be confidered as the golden paffages of their lives; and fhould be remembered, and thankfully improved. When Jacob fled from the wrath of his brother Efau, God met him with a wonderful manifestation of his glory and guardian protection. And Jacob faid, "This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of hea." And he took a ftone and fet it up as a pillar of remem brance; and called the name of that place Bethel : i. e. the house of God. Truly, there was much propriety in the name. For, the people of God, while in the ftate of mortality, never feel his prefence fo fenfibly, nor have fo intimate communion with him, as when he approacheth to their fouls, by fpecial manifestations of the excellence of his attributes. ven. If any deiftical perfons call these things imaginary and vain; I would modeftly reply: They fpeak evil of those things which they know not. They have not found the Meffiah, whofe wisdom and glory excel the fame they have heard. How condefcending is the love of God, to approach fo fpecially to their hearts, whom his effica cious and irrefiftible grace converts, enlightens and purifies! A confideration of the mercy fhould | eftablishing experience, which is a pledge and foretafte of the heav enly inheritance, into the full enjoyment of which Chrift will, here after bring his believing people. excite their reverential regard for his name; and humility and feif-abafement with refpect to themselves. When Elijah had an extraordinary view of God's majefty and glory, fo deep was his It is eafy to conceive, that the reverence, that he wrapped his word earnest, ufed as an adjective, face in his mantle before he con- denoting the engagedness of the verfed with him. When Job had mind, or ardor of the affections, a very clear view of the Divine differs in meaning from the character, he faid, "Behold, I term earnest, used as a noun, imam vile I abhor myfelf, and porting a part of the price, or fum repent." When Daniel, a man promised. But yet, giving an greatly beloved of God, had a carneft may and fhould denote enwonderful vifion of the manifefta-gagedefs of mind, and fincerity to tion of God's glory, as difplayed perform, in him by whom it is in the angel of his prefence, "his given. comelinefs was turned into cor- If a man contract with his ruption." His own nature and neighbor, for certain property; character, when viewed in the and to confirm and fecure the barlight of that vifion, appeared very gain, pay him, in hand, a certain defiled and vile. The difcovery fum of money, the part which he and impreffion were fo affecting, pays is called the earnest. And that his bodily ftrength was much it is a pledge and security that the weakened. Similar accounts are whole fhall be paid. In allufion recorded of other eminent faints. to this practice, the fpiritual Having given fome brief de- knowledge, love and joy which fcription of the special fealings and true believers experience in this manifeftations of the Holy Spirit; I life, and more efpecially, unufual may now obferve, that tho' there and extraordinary measures of be times when believers are favor-thefe graces, are termed the eared with fpecial or extraordinary feal-nefts of the immortal felicity, ings in their hearts; yet every impreffive operation of the holy Spirit, which produces in them true evangelical knowledge, love, hope and joy, and hatred to all finful tho'ts and defires, may properly be termed its fealing; provided that the effect or experience of the operation be fo clearly difcerned, as to affure them of their love and union to Chrift. The earnest of the believer's inheritance, of which the apoftle fpeaks, I confider as another phrafe, which implies the fame thing, as the fealing of the Spirit. The word arraban which is rendered the carneft, feems to be applied, to illuftrate that delightful and which Chrift, in his word, hath promifed that they fhall here after inherit. The giving an earnest differs from fealing, as they refpect civil and commercial affairs. But they both are defigned to establish and fecure contracts. And they may, therefore, with propriety be both alluded to, with a view to explain and illuftrate the fame fcriptural doctrine. For the infpired writers fometimes apply different metaphors, figurative expreffions and comparifons, to explain and illuftrate a doctrice, which could not, etherwife, be fo fully explained and illuftrated. Thus, the renewing and fanctifying influences |