488 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. Babel.. But Mr. Elliot's zeal surmounted all these difficul- ties. He hired a native Indian, who understood English; to assist him; and after some time, by his own indefatigable pains and industry, he became a complete master of the lanomage. He afterwards reduced it to a method, and pub- . fished a grammar, entitled, " The Indian Grammar." At the endof this laborious production he thus wrote : " Prayers and pains, through faith in Christ Jesus, will do any thing." In addition to this grammar ' he compiled two catechisms in the Indian language ; and translated into that language Baxter's Call to the Unconverted," " The Practice of Piety," and the whole Bible. The translation of the Bible, a work of immense labour, says our author, he wrote with one pen. Itwas printed at Cambridge in New England, and was the first Bible that was ever printed in America.t When he was properly furnished for the work, he entered upon it in the year 1646. - Having called together a number of the Indians, at a fixed time and place, he flaid them a visit, accompanied by several of his friends. After offering up fervent prayers to God, he preached to them about a quarter of an hour, from Ezek. xxxvii. 9, 10. That by prophesying: to the wind, the wiral came, and. the dry bones lived. He introduced into his-sermon a:short account of the principal articles of the christian faith, and applied. the whole to the Indians before him. Having finished his discourse, he inquired whether they understood ; when they said they understood all. He then desired, as was his usual method ' afterwards, that they would ask him whatever questions they pleased. These qucstioa4 generally referred to the sermon they had heard, and discovered what advantage they had derived. It is almost incredible what hardships .he endured in the prosecution of this great work ;, how many wearisome days and nights went over his head; how many tiresome journies he travelled ; and how many terrible dangers he encountered. Some idea of the trials he endured, and of the supports he experienced, may be gathered from the following extract of his letter to Governor Winslow :-" I have not been dry, " night nor day," says he, " from the third day of the week " to the sixth, but so travelled ; and at night pull off' my " boots, wring my stockings, and on with them again, and so * The two following words may serve s, a specimen of their length. Nummatcheko ltantam000nganunnonash, signifies, Our lusts. Kummogkod- onattoottummooetneaongsnunnonash,signifies,Our question,-Mather's New England, b. Hi, p. 193. t Ibid. p. 197.
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