Besides, he took with him an interpretor, who was frequently able to express his instructions more distinctly than he could himself.

Though the prayer was unintelligible to the Indians, yet, as they knew what the nature of the service was, Mr.Eliot believed it might not be without an effect in subduing their feelings so as to prepare them better to listen to the preaching.
Mr.Eliot then began his sermon, or address, from Ezek.xxxvii.9, 10.
The word wind, in this passage, suggested to the minds of some, who afterwards gave an account of this meeting, a coincidence which might, in the spirit of the times, be construed into a special appointment of Providence.

The name of Waban signified, in the Indian tongue, wind; so that when the preacher uttered the words, "say to the wind," it was as if he had proclaimed, "say to Waban." As this man afterwards exerted much influence in awaking the attention of his fellow savages to Christianity, it might seem that in this first visit of the messengers of the gospel he was singled out by a special call to work in the cause.
It is not surprising that the Indians were struck with the coincidence.
Mr.Eliot gave no countenance to a superstitious use of the circumstance, and took care to tell them that, when he chose his text, he had no thought of any such application.
The sermon was an hour and a quarter long.

One cannot but suspect that Mr.Eliot injudiciously crowded too much into one address.

It would seem to have been better, for the first time at least, to have given a shorter sermon, and to have touched upon fewer subjects.