All Things Become New

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 25, 1856

All Things Become New

"I understand," said John Sunday, the converted Indian chief, to a congregation which he was called to address at Plymouth, England, in the year 1837, "that many of you are disappointed because I have not brought my Indian dress with me. Perhaps if I had it on you would be afraid of me. Do you wish to know how I dressed when I was a pagan Indian? I will tell you. My face was covered with red paint. I stuck feathers in my hair. I wore a blanket and leggins. I had silver ornaments on my breast, a rifle on my shoulder, a tomahawk and scalping-knife in my belt. That was my dress then. Do you wish to know why I wear it no longer? You will find the cause in 2 Cor. v, 17. 'Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away: behold, all things are new.' When I became a Christian, feathers and paint 'passed away.' I gave my silver ornaments to the mission cause. Scalping-knife 'done away.' That, my tomahawk, (holding up a copy of the ten commandments, in the Ojibwa language.) Blanket 'done away.' 'Behold,' he exclaimed in a manner in which simplicity and dignity of character were combined, 'behold, all things are become new!'"