e had reign'd without any
controul for many Ages; and it is a vexing _Eye-sore_ to the Devil, that
our Lord Christ should be known, and own'd, and preached in this
_howling Wilderness_. Wherefor he has left no _Stone unturned_, that so
he might undermine his Plantation, and force us out of our Country.

First, The Indian _Powawes_, used all their Sorceries to molest the
first Planters here; but God said unto them, _Touch them not!_ Then,
_Seducing Spirits_ came to _root_ in this Vineyard, but God so rated
them off, that they have not prevail'd much farther than the Edges of
our Land. After this, we have had a continual _blast_ upon some of our
principal Grain, annually diminishing a vast part of our _ordinary
Food_. Herewithal, wasting _Sicknesses_, especially Burning and Mortal
Agues, have Shot the Arrows of Death in at our Windows. Next, we have
had many Adversaries of our own Language, who have been perpetually
assaying to deprive us of those _English Liberties_, in the
encouragement whereof these Territories have been settled. As if this
had not been enough; The _Tawnies_ among whom we came, have watered our
Soil with the Blood of many Hundreds of our Inhabitants. Desolating
_Fires_ also have many times laid the chief Treasure of the whole
Province in Ashes. As for _Losses_ by Sea, _they_ have been multiply'd
upon us: and particularly in the present _French War_, the whole English
Nation have observ'd that no part of the Nation has proportionably had
so many Vessels taken, as our poor _New-England_. Besides all which, now
at last the Devils are (if I may so speak) _in Person_ come down upon us
with such a _Wrath_, as is justly _much_, and will quickly be _more_,
the Astonishment of the World. Alas, I may sigh over _this_ Wilderness,
as _Moses_ did over _his_, in _Psal. 90.7, 9._ _We are consumed by thine
Anger, and by thy Wrath we are troubled: All our days are passed away in
thy Wrath._ And I may add this unto it, _The Wrath of the Devil too has
been troubling and spending of us, all our days._

But what will become of this poor _New-England_ after all? Shall we
sink, expire, perish, before the _short time_ of the Devil shall be
finished? I must confess, That when I consider the lamentable
_Unfruitfulness_ of men, among us, under as powerful and perspicuous
Dispensations of the Gospel, as are in the World; and when I consider
the declining state of the _Power of Godliness_ in our Churches, with
the most horrible I