Berkeley saw the sun of empire travelling westward. A contemporary
whose home was made in New England, Samuel Sewall, saw the New Heaven
and the New Earth. He was born at Bishop-Stoke, England, 28th March,
1652, and died at Boston, 1st January, 1730. A child emigrant in 1661,
he became a student and graduate of our Cambridge; in 1692, Judge of
the Supreme Court of Massachusetts; in 1718, Chief Justice. He was of
the court which condemned the witches, but afterwards, standing up
before the congregation of his church, made public confession of error,
and his secret diary bears testimony to his trial of conscience. In
harmony with this contrition was his early feeling for the enslaved
African, as witness his tract, “The Selling of Joseph,” so that he may
be called the first of our Abolitionists.
Besides an “Answer to Queries respecting America,” in 1690, and
“Proposals touching the Accomplishment of Prophecies,” in 1713, he
wrote another work, with the following title:--
“Phænomena quædam Apocalyptica ad Aspectum Novi Orbis
configurata: Or, Some Few Lines towards a Description of the
New Heaven as it makes to those who stand upon the New Earth.
By Samuel Sewall, A. M., and sometime Fellow of Harvard College
at Cambridge in New England.”
The copy before me is the second edition, with the imprint,
“Massachuset, Boston. Printed by Bartholomew Green, and sold by
Benjamin Eliot, Samuel Gerrish, and Daniel Henchman. 1727.” There is
a prophetic voice even in the title, which promises “some few lines
towards a description of the New Heaven as it makes to those who stand
upon the New Earth.” This is followed by verses from the Scriptures,
among which is Isaiah, xi. 14: “But they shall fly upon the shoulders
of the Philistines toward the west”; also, Acts, i. 8: “Ye shall be
witnesses unto me unto the uttermost part of the earth,”--quoting here
from the Spanish Bible, “_hasta lo ultimo de la tierra_.”
Two different Dedications follow,--the first dated “Boston, N. E.,
April 16th, 1697.” Here are words on the same key with the title:--
“For I can’t but think that either England or New England, or
both, (together is best,) is the only bridemaid mentioned by
name in David’s prophetical Epithalamium, to assist at the
great wedding now shortly to be made.… Angels incognito have
sometimes made themselves guests to men, designing thereby to
surprise them with a requital of their love to strangers. In
like manner the English nation, in showing kindness to the
aboriginal natives of America, may possibly show kindness to
Israelites unawares.… Instead of being branded for slaves with
hot irons in the face and arms, and driven by scores in mortal
chains, they shall wear the name of God in their foreheads,
and they shall be delivered into the glorious liberty of the
children of God.… Asia, Africa, and Europe have each of them
had a glorious Gospel-day. None, therefore, will be grieved at
any one’s pleading that America may be made coparcener with her
sisters in the free and sovereign grace of God.”
In the second Dedication the author speaks of his book as “this
vindication of America.”
Then comes, in black letter, what is entitled “Psalm 139, 7-10,”
containing this stanza:--
“Yea, let me take the morning wings,
And let me go and hide:
Even there where are the farthest parts,
Where flowing sea doth slide.
Yea, even thither also shall
Thy reaching hand me guide;
And thy right hand shall hold me fast,
And make me to abide.”