They assemble by beat of drum, each with his musket or firelock, in front of the captain’s door, they have their cloaks on, and place themselves in order, three abreast, and are led by a sergeant without beat of drum. Behind comes the Governor, in a long robe; beside him on the right hand, comes…
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” said Jesus in his sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew 5:9. Though peace had been ratified with the Pilgrims’ closest neighbors and their great king, Massasoit, due to past injuries by the English, and also due to the challenge of…
The first winter was devastating. Nearly half their number had perished by the end of May, 1621. 28 men, 13 women and 7 children had died leaving only 56 people alive. By the fall only half of the 104 (102 on the voyage, and two born before landing) would remain. Yet they still saw the…
William Bradford wrote under the title of “Anno 1621”: “They now began to dispatch the ship away which brought them over, which lay till about this time, or the beginning of April.” Though there are practical reasons Bradford states as to why the Mayflower had stayed so long through the winter of 1620-21, even after…
Beginning in January, 1621, after enduring a very difficult voyage, one of the most remarkable testimonies in the midst of suffering by the Pilgrim church began to take place. They had already elected John Carver as Govervor after the Compact had been signed. Now that they settled on a spot to establish their Colony, however,…
Forefathers Day, the day the Pilgrims stepped on Plymouth Rock, is an original American holiday. It predates the official celebration of Independence, Thanksgiving and Christmas as a part of American culture. The landing of the Pilgrims in Plymouth, however, was the culmination of a month of exploration on Cape Cod.
Mayflower Compact Day is hardly heard of these days. It used to be on the calendar years ago, but now it is not taught or remembered in most schools in America though we have benefited from it as a legacy of self-government All it takes, however, is for a few to commemorate its significance to…
The historic voyage of the Mayflower began on Wednesday, September 6 (new style the 16th) as it departed Plymouth harbor in England. There was now one ship, the Speedwell having been sold and twenty remaining in England, probably returning to London or Leyden. Bradford writes: “These troubles being blown over, and now all being compact…
The persecution, hardships, suffering and discouragement that accompanied the Pilgrims before they even began their journey has caused many to wonder how their conviction to continue remained so constant. Consider first, not all of the congregation could depart in 1620, so a remnant had to volunteer. Second, the change in their contract was a huge…
Members of the Leiden Congregation knelt in prayer on the deck of the Speedwell on Wednesday, July 22nd in Delftshaven, Holland. This was captured by artist Robert Weir and shows Pastor John Robinson (with hands outstretched) and William Brewster (holding the open Geneva Bible) and several parents and children in prayer.
Upon their departure from Leiden in the Speedwell, Bradford relates “So they left that goodly and pleasant city which had been their resting place near twelve years; but they knew they were pilgrims, and looked not much on those things, but lift up their eyes to the heavens, their dearest country, and quieted their spirits.”
Almost immediately after their conversion, the Pilgrims were persecuted by “the profane multitude.” Bradford then writes “Seeing themselves thus molested, and that there was no hope of their continuance there, by a joint consent they resolved to go into the Low Countries, where they heard was freedom of religion for all men.” Persecution, and eventually…
The Pilgrim or Separatist church began in the home but focused on the exaltation and presence of Christ. The revival of “hearth and home” in England was nurtured by families who had access to own the Geneva translation of the Bible in their own tongue. Fathers would read from the Scriptures in the morning and…
In the United States which has benefited so much from the legacy of the Pilgrims who came in 1620, it is hard to imagine being forced to go to the parish church or face dire consequences. We have taken for granted that the State does not enforce religious belief and thus people are free to…
Conversion, or spiritual liberty, was the origin and root of why the Pilgrims came to the shores of New England. Conversion is an act of God whereby He regenerates the heart and puts His Spirit into the believer. It is an act of surrender on our part, choosing to follow the risen Lord Jesus Christ…