How the Protestant Reformers are Still Changing the World

Tag: Plymouth Plantation

A Dramatic Example of God’s Providencial Will

Mayflower II – Here is an immaculately detailed replica of the original ship that the Pilgrims traveled in across the Atlantic Ocean

“Whatever the LORD pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places.” Psalm 135:6

Written by Dr. Marcus J. Serven

When you celebrate Thanksgiving day this year with your family, take time to reflect upon the many ways that the Lord preserved and protected the Pilgrims. One fine example of this is the life of John Howland (c.1592-1672). We don’t know all of the details of his life. We do, however, have a stirring testimony of how the Lord protected him when he fell off the deck of the Mayflower in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean! Here is William Bradford’s account of this dramatic example of God’s providence and the circumstances of his rescue: 

Once, as they lay at hull in a terrible storm, a strong young man, called John Howland, coming on deck was thrown into the sea; but it pleased God that he caught hold of the top-sail halliards which hung overboard and ran out at length; but he kept his hold, though he was several fathoms under the water, till he was hauled up by the rope and then with a boat-hook helped into the ship and saved; and though he was somewhat ill from it he lived many years and became a profitable member both of the church and the commonwealth.

— William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, Ch. IX, page 63

“John Howland Overboard” (a print by Mike Haywood): This picture certainly captures the high drama of being thrown off the ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!

Without the intervention of the Lord, the life of John Howland surely would have ended that stormy day in the mid-Atlantic. But, the Lord did intervene and preserved his life! I am certain that dangerous event caused John Howland to reflect on his own mortality and how God spared him from a certain death. He probably also considered what the Lord would have him do with the rest of his life. Here are a few details about what he did over the years:

John Howland (c.1592-1672)
  • He served as the secretary to Gov. John Carver (who died in the sickness of 1621).
  • He was the 13th signer of the Mayflower Compact that brought law and order to Plymouth Colony.
  • He married Elizabeth Tilley (whose father and mother died in the sickness of 1621).
  • He and Elizabeth were blessed with ten children. Here are their names: Desire, John, Hope, Elizabeth, Lydia, Hannah, Joseph, Jabez, Ruth, and Isaac.
  • He became a prosperous businessman and landowner in Plymouth.
  • He oversaw the Kennebec River Trading station and promoted the fur trade with England. 
  • He held several offices in Plymouth Colony throughout his life—a Freeman, Deputy to the General Court, Assistant Governor, and a Selectman of Plymouth Colony.
  • He was a faithful member of the church in Plymouth.

Finally, on his tombstone, surrounded by the graves of his many descendants, are the following words: 

Here ended the Pilgrimage of 

JOHN HOWLAND

who died February 23, 167_

aged above 80 years.

He married Elizabeth daughter of

JOHN TILLEY

who came with him in the 

Mayflower Dec. 1620.

From them are descended a

numerous posterity  

The life of John Howland is a wonderful example of God’s involvement in the lives of his people. The Bible teaches that the Lord providentially oversees and orders all of our actions (See: Gen. 50:20; Prov. 16:33; Matt. 10:30; Rom. 8:28). This fact can give us confidence in knowing that all the events of our life—both the good and bad—are used by God to accomplish his holy will. Life is full of challenges and difficulties, but as Christians we can know that the Lord is thoroughly involved in the details of our life. Let us trust Him in all that comes our way.

Here are three books on the Pilgrims that I have in my personal library–“The Landing of the Pilgrims” is especially good as an out-loud-reader for young children!

Sources: 

Beale, David. The Mayflower Pilgrims: Roots of Puritan, Presbyterian, Congregationalist, and Baptist Heritage. Greenville, SC: Ambassador-Emerald International, 2000. 

Bradford, Wiliam. Of Plymouth Plantation: Bradford’s History of the Plymouth Settlement (1608-1650). Bulverde, TX: Vision Forum and Mantle Ministries, 1998. 

Daugherty, James. The Landing of the Pilgrims. New York, NY: Landmark Books, 1950.

Gragg, Rod. The Pilgrim Chronicles: An Eyewitness History of the Pilgrims and the Founding of Plymouth Colony. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing, 2014.

Willison, George F. Saints and Strangers. New York, NY: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1945.  

Rev. Dr. Marcus J. Serven, ThM and DMin

The Genevan Foundation – Copyright 2024 – All rights Reserved

The Pilgrim Fathers: Testimonies of the Providence of God

Following the earnest prayers of their pastor, Rev. John Robinson, the Pilgrims prepare to embark from Delfshaven, Holland to Southhampton, England, and thereafter to the New World.

Written by Dr. Marcus J. Serven

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34

Introduction: 

William Bradford (1590-1657)

There exists a vast trove of eyewitness evidence to show the providential work of God in the life and circumstances of the Pilgrims. Three volumes in particular written during the formative years of Plymouth colony give us the the majority of the details. The first of these volumes is William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation (written in 1651). Bradford joined with the Pilgrim congregation as a young man when they initially began to meet at Scrooby Manor back in England. In 1608 he immigrated along with them to the Netherlands and then in 1620 he made the journey on the Mayflower to the New World. Bradford served as the second Governor of the Plymouth Colony and was an “eyewitness” to all that happened to the Pilgrims. It is due to his personal discipline and his meticulous record-keeping that we know so much about what happened at Plymouth Plantation. His journal, On Plymouth Plantation, is a national treasure and the best known source of information on the Pilgrims and the establishment of their colony.

Edward Winslow (1595-1655)

In addition, Bradford’s friend and assistant, Edward Winslow, penned his own unique testimony about life in Plymouth Colony twenty-nine years before Bradford’s reflective volume. Winslow’s book is entitled Mourt’s Relation (written late in 1621) and it provides a colorful and optimistic report of all the adventures experienced by the Pilgrims in the establishment of their new colony. Winslow wrote his personal “relation” (or testimony) to a fellow-Pilgrim, George Morton. Morton was a passenger on the Speedwell, but had to remain in England when it proved to be unseaworthy. Winslow hoped that his short testimony of all that transpired in Plymouth, would encourage other English Separatists to cross the Atlantic Ocean in order to join the Plymouth Colony. George Morton himself and his entire family did exactly that by sailing from England in the pinnace Ann arriving at Plymouth late in the Fall of 1622.

Here is the title page of New England Memorial by Nathaniel Morton (1669)

The third volume of note is that written by Nathaniel Morton, George Morton’s son. Nathaniel served as the personal secretary to Governor William Bradford. Nathaniel Morton wrote a detailed history of the settlement at Plymouth Colony in 1669. It is simply called New England’s Memorial and has become one of the most quoted sources for assembling all of the details about the people, places, and events in early Plymouth. It records the names of the key residents, the results of local elections, and the outcome of major events–both good and bad–in the fledgling colony. One significant bit of information in New England’s Memorial is that it lists the forty-one names of those men who signed the Mayflower Compact in 1620. That list occurs nowhere else. The Mayflower Compact established the form of civil and legal government in New England. Without it the settlers who insisted they were no longer under any governing authority would have “become a law unto themselves.” But with it, both “Saints” (the Pilgrims) and and “Strangers” (the English settlers) formed a “body politic” that provided order, stability, and law.

 It is clear from reading Bradford, Winslow, and Morton’s writings that these three men firmly believed in the providence of God. In brief, it can be stated that they resolutely affirmed that God was involved in the affairs of men. His “invisible hand” directed them in the multitude of discussions, debates, and decisons that were necessary to set-up a new colony. When difficult circumstances arose, they trusted that God would superintend all of the events of their life and that in the end these trials would prove to be for their benefit. This aspect of their faith gave them personal assurance and an unwavering confidence. The historic Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) defines the doctrine of “God’s Providence” in the following manner:

“God the great Creator of all things doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.”

Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 5, Article 1

The Pilgrims were well-acquainted with this doctrine. They trusted God to “uphold, direct, dispose, and govern” all the circumstances of their life. Below are twelve notable examples of God’s providence in the life of the Pilgrims. These are an amazing display of God’s providential care for the Pilgrims and their colony.

Twelve Testimonies of the Providence of God:

1. The Pilgrims spent nearly twelve years in Leiden living in relative peace and safety (1608-1620). The Lord providentially delivered them from untold misery and death just prior to the resumption of war between the Netherlands and Spain when they determined to move to the New World. 

The City of Leiden proved to be a peaceful location for the Pilgrims–but war was on the horizon!

— “After they had lived here for some eleven or twelve years,—the period of the famous truce between the Low Countries and Spain,—several of them having died, and many others being now old, the grave mistress, Experience, having taught them much, their prudent governors began to apprehend present dangers and to scan the future and think of timely remedy. After much thought and discourse on the subject, they began at length to incline to the idea of removal to some other place; not out of any new-fangled-ness or other such giddy humor, which often influences people to their detriment and danger, but for many important reasons, the chief of which I will touch upon…” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 19)

— “…for the twelve year’s truce was now over, and there was nothing but beating of drums and preparation for war. The Spaniard might prove as cruel as the savage of America, under the famine and pestilence as sore in Holland as across the seas.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 23) 

— “At length the conclusion was reached that they should live as a separate body by themselves, under the general government of Virginia; and that through their friends they should sue his majesty to be pleased to allow them freedom of religion. That this might be granted they were led to hope by some prominent person of rank and influence, who had become their friends. Whereupon, two members of the congregation were sent to England at the expense of the rest, to arrange the matter. They found the Virginia company anxious to have them, and willing to grant them a patent, with as ample privileges as they themselves had or could grant and to give the best assistance they could…With this probability of success they urged that they should trust to God’s providence for the outcome, as they had done in other things.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 25-26) 

— “So they left that good and pleasant city, which had been their resting place for nearly twelve years; but they knew they were pilgrims, and lifted up their eyes to the heavens, their dearest country, and quieted their spirits.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 49)

The Mayflower II is a replica of the original ship which carried the Pilgrims from Southampton, England across the Atlantic Ocean to New England

2. Having left the Netherlands, the Pilgrims went to England to finalize arrangements with the “Merchant Adventurers.” But they were delayed in sailing due to the Speedwell’s leaks (their 2nd hired ship) and some troublesome disputes with the “Merchant Adventurers,” their chief opponent being the contentious Thomas Weston. The Lord providentially protected them in the midst of these trials, reduced their number (like Gideon’s army), and increased their dependance upon Him as they embarked on their journey in the Mayflower. 

The departure of the Mayflower from the quay at Southampton

— “…they set sail from Southampton, about the 5th of August…” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 56)

— “…Mr. Reynolds, the captain of the smaller ship, complained that he found her so leaky that he dare not go farther till she was mended. So the captain of the bigger ship, Mr. Jones, being consulted with, they both resolved to put into Dartmouth and have her mended…” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 57)

— “So with good hope they put to sea again, thinking they would go comfortably on, not looking for any more hindrances of this kind. But after they had gone 100 leagues beyond Land’s End holding together all the while, the captain of the small ship again complained that she was so leaky that he must bear up or sink at sea, for they could scarcely keep her afloat by pumping. So they consulted again, and both ships resolved to bear up again and put into Plymouth, which accordingly was done.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 57)

— “It was afterwards found that the leakiness of the ship was partly caused by being over-masted and too much pressed with sail; for after she was sold and put into trim she made many voyages, to the profit of her owners. But it was partly due to the cunning and deceit of the captain and his crew, who had been hired to stay a whole year at the Settlement, and now, fearing want of victuals, they plotted this stratagem to free themselves, as was afterwards confessed by some of them.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 58)   

— A letter of Robert Cushman to Edward Southworth: “Our pinnace will not cease leaking, else I think we had been half way to Virginia. Our voyage hither has been as full of crosses as ourselves have been of crookedness…As for Mr. Weston, unless grace is with him he will hate us ten times more than ever he loved us, for not confirming the conditions…Friend, if ever we establish a colony, God works a miracle; especially considering how scanty our provisions will be and most of all how disunited we are among ourselves, and devoid of good leaders. Violence will break all.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 59-60)

— “After they enjoyed fair winds and weather for some time, they encountered cross winds and many fierce storms by which the ship was much shaken and here upper works made very leaky.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 62)

— “So they committed themselves to the will of God, and resolved to proceed.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 63) 

Signing the Mayflower Compact in the New World

3. After a rough crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, the Pilgrims eventually landed at Cape Cod rather than in “Northern Virginia” due to their late sailing and serious storms. The Lord overruled any problems with the weather, and potential plots against them. In the end, He providentially brought the Pilgrims to a place of safety and isolation where they could establish their colony in peace. In New England they were able to live as “free men” and worship according to the Bible.

— “But to be brief, after long beating at sea, on November 11th they fell in with a part of the land called Cape Cod, at which they were not a little joyful…Having found a good haven and being brought safely in sight of land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries of it, again to set their feet upon the firm and stable earth, their proper element…As for the season, it was winter…Summer being done, all things turned upon them a weather-beaten face; and the whole country, full of woods and thickets, presented a wild and savage view.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 64-65)

— “Nevertheless, it is to be observed, that their putting into this place was partly by reasons of a storm by which they were forced in, but more especially by the fraudulence and contrivance of the aforesaid Mr. Jones, the master of the ship; for their intention, as before noted, and his engagement, as to Hudson’s river; but some of the Dutch having notice of their intentions, and having thoughts about the same time of erecting a plantation there likewise, they fraudulently hired the said Jones, by delays, while they were in England, and now under pretense of the shoals, etc, to disappoint them in their going thither: Of this plot betwixt the Dutch and Mr. Jones, I have had late and certain intelligence. But God out-shoots Satan oftentimes in his own bow; for had they gone to Hudson’s River as before expressed, it had proved very dangerous to them; for although it is a place far more commodious, and the soil more fertile, yet then abounding with a multitude of pernicious savages, whereby they would have been in great peril of their lives, and so the work of transplanting the gospel into these parts much endangered to have been hindered and retarded; but God so disposed, that the place where they afterwards settled was much depopulated by a great mortality amongst the natives, which fell out about two years before their arrival, whereby he made way for the carrying on of his good purpose in promulgating the gospel as aforesaid.” (Morton, New England’s Memorial, 13-14)

4. The Pilgrims found fresh water and a large cache of corn and beans at an abandoned Indian village on Cape Cod. Moreover, all sides survived a hostile “1st Encounter” between the Pilgrims and the local Indians. The Lord providentially provided for the needs and protection of His people. 

— “…but they suffered most from want of water. At length they found some, and refreshed themselves with the first New England water they had drunk; and in their great thirst they found it as pleasant as wine or beer had been before.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 68)

— “Proceeding further, they saw stubble where corn had been grown the same year, and also found a place where a house had lately  been, with some planks, and a great kettle and heaps of sand newly banked, under which they found several large baskets filled with corn, some in the ear of various colors, which was a very goodly sight they having never seen any like before.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 68)

— “They also found more corn, and beans of various colors. These they brought away, intending to give them full satisfaction when they should meet with any of them, —as about six months afterwards they did. And it is to be noted as a special providence of God, and a great mercy to this poor people, that they thus got seed to plant corn the next year, or they might have starved; for they had none, nor any likelihood of getting any, till too late for the planting season…But the Lord is never wanting unto His in their great need; let His holy name have all the praise.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 69)

“Thus it pleased God to vanquish their enemies, and give them deliverance; and by His special providence so to dispose that not one of them was hit, though the arrows came close to them, on every side, and some of their coats which were hung up in the barricade were shot through and through. Afterwards they gave God solemn thanks and praise for their deliverance, and gathered up a bundle of the arrows, and later sent them to England by the captain of the ship. They called the place The First Encounter.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 72)

Arrival at Plymouth Harbor–a rough and rocky wilderness!

5. After searching for a suitable location, the Pilgrims set-up their colony at Plymouth Bay which was formerly the site of the Patuxant Indian village. The Lord providentially brought them to a place of safety where the local Indians were reluctant to go (due to a severe plague that wiped-out the Patuxant Indian tribe a few years before). 

— “On the 15th day of December they weighed anchor to go to the place they had discovered, and came within two leagues of it, but had to bear up again. On the 16th day the wind came fair, and they arrived safe in the harbor. Afterwards, they took a better view of the place, and resolved  where to erect the first house for common use, to receive them and their goods.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 73-74)

— “This harbor is a bay greater than Cape Cod, compassed with a goodly land; and in the bay two fine islands, uninhabited, wherein are nothing but woods, oaks, pines, walnuts, beech, sassafras, vines, and other trees, which we know not. This bay is a most hopeful place; innumerable store of fowl, and excellent good; and cannot but be of fish in their seasons; skate, cod, turbot, and herring, we have tasted of; abundance of mussels, the greatest and best that ever we saw; crabs and lobsters, in their time, infinite. It is in fashion like a sickle, or fish-hook…We went a land, manned with the master of the ship and three or four of the sailors. We marched along the coast in the woods some seven or eight miles, but saw not an Indian house; only we found where they had planted their corn.” (Winslow, Mourt’s Relation, 35-36)

— “So in the morning, after we had called on God for direction, we came to this resolution, to go presently ashore again, and to take a better view of two places which we thought most fitting for us; for we could not now take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being much spent, especially our beer, and it being now the 19th of December. After our landing and viewing of places, so well as we could, we came to a conclusion, by most voices, to set on the main land, on the first place, on a high ground, where there is a great deal of land cleared, and have been planted with corn three or four years ago; and there is a very sweet brook runs under the hill side, and many delicate springs of good water as can be drunk, and where we may harbor our shallops and boats exceedingly well; and in this brook much good fish in their seasons; on the further side of the river also much ground cleared. In one field is a great hill, on which we point to make a platform, and plant our ordinance, which will command all round about…What people inhabit here we yet know not, for as yet we have seen none. So there we make our rendezvous, and a place for some of our people, about twenty, resolving in the morning to come all ashore and to build houses.”  (Winslow, Mourt’s Relation, 37-38)

6. The Pilgrims suffered greatly through a terrible illness when “half of their company” died. The Lord providentially sustained them through this difficult affliction (a “dark providence”) and bountifully strengthened them to build their colony despite their great loss. 

— “But soon a most lamentable blow fell upon them. In two or three months’ time half of their company died, partly owing to the severity of the winter, especially during January and February, and the want of houses and other comforts; partly to scurvy and other diseases, which their long voyage and their incommodious quarters had brought upon them. Of all the hundred odd persons, scarcely fifty remained, and sometimes two or three persons died in a day. In the time of the worst distress, there were but six or seven sound persons, who, to their great commendation be it spoken spared no pains night or day, but with great toil and at the risk of the their own health, fetched wood, made fires, prepared food for the sick, made their beds, washed their infected clothes, dressed and undressed them; in a word did all the homely and necessary service for them which dainty and queasy stomachs cannot endure to hear mentioned; and all this they did willingly and cheerfully, without the least grudging, showing their love to the friends and brethren; a rare example, and worthy to be remembered.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 76-77)

— “The spring now approaching, it pleased God the morality began to cease among them, and the sick recovered apace, which put new life into them all; thought they had borne their sad afflictions with as much patience and contentedness as I think any people could do. But it was the Lord who upheld them, and had beforehand prepared them, many having long born the yoke, yea, even from their youth.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 82-83)

7. In the Spring of 1621 the sudden appearance of Samoset, an enterprising and friendly Indian from the Northeast, greatly surprised the Pilgrims! He proved to be a blessing to the Plymouth Colony by introducing them to Massasoit, king of the Wampanoag Tribe, and more significantly to Squanto. This was a great providence of God! 

— “About the 16th of March a certain Indian came boldly among them, and spoke to them in broken English, which they could well understand, but were astonished at it. At length they understood by speaking with him that he was not of these parts, but belonged to the eastern country where some English ships came to fish; and with some of these English he was acquainted, and could name several of them. From them he had got his knowledge of the language. He became useful to them in acquainting them with many things concerning the state of the country in the east parts where he lived, as also of the people there, their names and number, their situation and distance from this place, and who was chief among them. His name was Samoset; he told them also of another Indian, whose name was Squanto, a native of this part, who had been in England and our speak English better than himself. After some time of entertainment, being dismissed with gifts, in a little while he returned with five more, and they brought back all the tools that had been stolen, and made way for the coming of their great sachem, called Massasoit, who about four or five days after, came with the chief of his friends and other attendants, and with Squanto.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 79)

8. The timely arrival of Squanto, a friendly, God-fearing, English-speaking Indian, who knew the streets of London better than the Pilgrims, proved to be “a special instrument of God for their good, beyond their expectation” and a means of great blessing at Plymouth Colony. Squanto taught the Pilgrims the “ways of the Indians”–how to plant corn, how to harvest fish in the bay, and how to hunt deer.

— “After this he [Massasoit] returned to his place, called Sowams, some forty miles off, but Squanto stayed with them, and was their interpreter, and became a special instrument of God for their good, beyond their expectation. He showed them how to plant their corn, where to take fish and other commodities, and guided them to unknown places, and and never left them till he died. He was a native of these parts, and had been one of the few survivors of the plague hereabouts.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 80)

— “The settlers, as many as were able, they began to plant their corn, in which service Squanto stood them in good stead, showing them how to plant it and cultivate it. He also told them that unless they got fish to manure this exhausted old soil, it would come to nothing, and he showed them that in the middle of April plenty of fish would come up the brook by which they had begun to build, and taught them how to catch it, and where to get other necessary provisions; all of which they found true by experience. They sowed some English seed, such as wheat and pease, but it came to no good, either because of the badness of the seed or the lateness of the season or some other defect.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 84-85)

— “After these things [Massasoit and the peace treaty] he returned to his place called Sowams, about forty miles distant from Plymouth, but Squanto continued with them, and was their interpreter, and proved a special instrument sent of God for their good, beyond expectation; he directed them in planting their corn, where to take their fish, and to procure their commodities; and also was their pilot to bring them to unknown places for their profit, and never left them until his death. He was a native of this place where Plymouth is and scarce any left besides himself. He was carried away (with divers others) by one named Hunt, a master of a ship, who thought to sell them for slaves in Spain, but he got away to England, and was entertained by a merchant in London, and employed to Newfoundland and other parts; and a last brought hither into these parts by one Mr. Dermer, a gentleman enployed by Sir Fernando Gorges and others, for discovery, and other designs in these parts; of whom I shall say something, because it is mentioned in a book set forth ann. 1622, by the president and council for New-England, That he made peace between the savages of those parts and the English, of which this plantation (as it is intimated) had the benefit: And what a peace it was may appear by what befell him and his men.” (Morton, New England’s Memorial, 27-28)

King Massasoit and Edward Winslow smoke a pipe to conclude the peace treaty between the Wampanoags and the Pilgrims

9. In God’s providence a treaty of non-aggression was established between the Indians and the Pilgrims; with the help of Squanto (their interpreter), Edward Winslow, and Massasoit (King of Wampanoags). This pact lasted for over fifty years (1621 until 1675 when King Phillips War began). 

— “With him…they made a peace which has now continued twenty-four years. These were the terms: (1) That neither he nor any of his, should injure or harm any of their people. (2) That if any of his did any harm to any of theirs, he should send the offender, that they might punish him. (3) That if anything were taken away from any of theirs, he should cause it to be restored; and they should do the like to his. (4) If any made unjust war against him, they would aid him; if any made war against them, he should aid them. (5) He should send to his neighboring confederates, to certify them of this, that they might not wrong them, but might be likewise comprised in the condition of peace. (6) That when their men came to them, they should leave their bows and arrows behind them. After this he returned to his place, come forty miles off, but Squanto stayed with them…” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 79-80)

10. The untimely death of John Carver [the 1st Governor of the Pilgrims] brought about the providential succession of leadership to William Bradford [the 2nd Governor of the Pilgrims]. Bradford provided steady civil government for the Pilgrims from 1621 until his death in 1657.

— “This April, while they are busy sowing their seed, their Governor, Mr. John Carver, one hot day, came out of the field very sick. He complained greatly of his head and lay down, and within a few hours his senses failed. He never spoke again, and died, a few days after. His death was much lamented, and depressed them deeply, with good cause. He was buried in the best manner possible, with some volleys of shot by all that bore arms; and his wife, a weak women, died five or six weeks after him. Shortly after, William Bradford was chosen governor in his stead, and having not yet recovered from his illness, in which he had been near the point of death, Isaac Allerton, was appointed assistant to him. These two, by renewed election each year, continued several years together. This I here note, once for all.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 85)  

Elder William Brewster leads the Pilgrims and their guests in a prayer of thanksgiving to God

11. The first Thanksgiving Day celebration was observed by the Pilgrims in October, 1621. This feast was due to an abundant harvest and a desire to sincerely thank the Lord for His provision in their time of great need. 

— “Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, so that we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little outside help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their great king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.” (Winslow, Mourt’s Relation, 72)

— “They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to prepare their houses for the winter, being well recovered in health and strength, and plentifully provisioned: for while some had been thus employed in affairs away from home, others were occupied in fishing for cod, bass, and other fish, of which they caught a good quantity, every family having their portion. All the summer there was no want. And now, as winter approached, wild fowl began to arrive, of which there were plenty when they came here first, though afterwards they became more scarce. As well as wild fowl, they got abundance of wild turkeys, besides venison, etc. Each person had about a peck of meal a week, or now, since harvest, Indian corn in that proportion; and afterwards many wrote at length about their plenty to their friends in England,—not feigned but true reports.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 89)

— “And thus thy found the Lord to be with them in all their ways, and to bless their out-goings and in comings: For which let his holy name have the praise forever. Being now well recovered in respect of health (as has been said) they began to fit up their buildings against winter, and received in their harvest, and had great plenty of fowl and fish, to their great refreshing.” (Morton, New England’s Memorial, 36)

12. In November 1621 the providential arrival of a ship in Plymouth harbor, the Fortune, with thirty-five young men provided a much needed boost in physical labor for the Pilgrims. With this increased strength they built a stockade around the colony, soldiers were provided for the militia, and a general momentum increased as these young men began to serve the colony.  

Plymouth Plantation after a stout stockade was built

— “In November about 12 months after their arrival, there came a small ship unexpectedly, bringing Mr. Cushman (so much spoken of before), and with him 35 persons to remain and live in the plantation; at which they rejoiced not a little. And the new arrivals, when they came ashore and found all well, and saw plenty of victuals in every house, were no less glad. Most of them were healthy young men, many of them wild enough, who had little considered what they were undertaking,—till they reached the harbor of Cape Cod, and there saw nothing but a naked and barren place…The plantation was glad of this addition of strength, but could have wished that many of them had been of better class, and all of them better furnished with provisions; but that could not now be helped.” (Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 90)

Concluding Remarks:

In these twelve remarkable events in the life of the Pilgrims, we witness the Providence of God on full display. Without the guidance of God’s “invisible hand” the Pilgrims would surely have perished–by the deceits of men, by the perils of the sea, or by the immense difficulties of settling in a foreign wilderness. The Lord protected them through many challenging circumstances and helped them to prevail in establishing their colony. The Lord surely did “uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things” for the benefit of the Pilgrims. As you reflect on all that the Lord did for the Pilgrims, perhaps you can agree with me in proclaiming, “May God be praised!”

Pilgrim families on their way to worship on the Sabbath Day

Sources of Information: 

Bradford, William. Of Plymouth Plantation: 1608-1650. Harold Paget, ed. Bulverde, TX: Co-Published by The Vision Forum and Mantle Ministries, 1998.

Bradford, William. Of Plymouth Plantation (1620-1647). Samuel Eliot Morison, ed. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006.

Morton, Nathaniel. New England’s Memorial. Originally published in Boston, MA: Congregational Board of Publication, 1669; Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Ecco, Reprint,  2018.

The Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms. London, England: 1647; Reprint, Willow Grove, PA: The Committee on Christian Education of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 2005. 

Winslow, Edward. Mourt’s Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. Jordan D. Fiore ed. Reprint, Plymouth, MA: Plymouth Rock Foundation, 1985.

Here are my three primary sources–thankfully, they are all still in print!
Here are four other books on the Pilgrims that I have used over the years–each one is a treasure!

Dr. Marcus J. Serven, ThM and DMin

The Genevan Foundation – Copyright 2023 – All Rights Reserved

The Pilgrim Colony is Established at Plymouth Bay (Dec. 19, 1620)

The Pilgrims step out onto Plymouth Rock

For they were “…looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” Hebrews 11:10

Written by Dr. Marcus J. Serven

It was four hundred years ago that a group of English Separatists–later known as “the Pilgrims”–arrived in New England. They had just endured an arduous journey across the storm-tossed Atlantic Ocean. They were anxious to establish a new colony where they could worship God as the Bible dictated, raise their children with a minimum of worldly influences, and live as freemen building their own homes and businesses. With a great sense of hope they scouted out the regions around Cape Cod and chose a site for their colony that seemed to present the best situation for building a village. Edward Winslow describes it this way,

Edward Winslow (1595-1655)

“So in the morning, after we had called on God for direction, we came to this resolution, to go presently ashore again, and to take a better view of two places which we thought most fitting for us; for we could not now take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being much spent, especially our beer, and it being now the 19th of December. After our landing and viewing of places, so well as we could, we came to a conclusion, by most voices, to set on the main land, on the first place, on a high ground, where there is a great deal of land cleared, and have been planted with corn three or four years ago; and there is a very sweet brook runs under the fill side, and many delicate springs of good water as can be drunk, and where we may harbor our shallops and boats exceedingly well; and in this brook much good fish in their seasons; on the further side of the river also much ground cleared. In one field is a great hill, on which we point to make a platform, and plant our ordinance, which will command all round about…What people inhabit here we yet know not, for as yet we have seen none. So there we make our rendezvous, and a place for some of our people, about twenty, resolving in the morning to come all ashore and to build houses.”

Edward Winslow, “Mourt’s Relation,” 37-38

Coming ashore they stepped off the shallop onto a large flat rock–which in later years would be remembered as “Plymouth Rock”–and they began the challenging task of carving a village out of the raw wilderness. In God’s providence, this site proved to have been an area which in the past had supported an Indian village. There were cleared fields and abundant resources for their future prosperity all around; but not a single Indian! They now just had to build shelters so that they could get through the cold winter months.

Plymouth Colony (c.1622)

With an abiding hope and every expectation of God’s blessing they set about the work of constructing a stout store house, building a few small cabins, cutting lots of firewood, and stockpiling whatever food they could find for the lean months ahead. Regarding their character, Pastor John Robinson and Elder William Brewster had noted in a letter to one of their financial backers, “We are not like some, whom small things discourage, or small discontents cause to wish themselves at home again.” No, these people were made of sterner stuff! They knew that they were “Pilgrims” and they looked “forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” (Heb. 11:10).

Many years after the Pilgrims had established their colony, Gov. William Bradford wrote the following reflection on all that had happened:

Thus out of small beginnings greater things have grown by His hand Who made all things out of nothing; and gives being to all things that are; and as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light enkindled here has shone to many, yea, in a sense, to our whole nation; let the glorious name of Jehovah have all the praise.

— William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, Ch. XI, page 226.

What can we take away from this? First of all, we can admire the determination and tenacity of the Pilgrims. They suffered greatly, but despite a multitude of trials they refused to give up. This is a great lesson for every one of us! Secondly, we can resolve to be people like them; that having settled on a godly path we forthrightly persevere in it–setting aside all distractions–and forge ahead to the end. There are, perhaps, many other lessons to draw from the Pilgrims. But these two are sufficient for the day. Like the Pilgrims let us resolve that, “We are not like some, whom small things discourage.” Instead, we are those who steadily work towards fulfilling all that the Lord has set before us.

These three books are full of “eyewitness accounts” from the Pilgrims–what superlative resources!

Sources:

Bradford, William. Of Plymouth Plantation. Bulverde, TX: Published by The Vision Forum, Inc. and Mantle Ministries, 1998.

Gragg, Rod. The Pilgrim Chronicles: An Eyewitness History of the Pilgrims and the Founding of Plymouth Colony. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing, 2014.

Windslow, Edward. Mourt’s Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims of Plymouth. Jordan D. Fiore, ed. Plymouth, MA: Plymouth rock Foundation, 1985.

Rev. Dr. Marcus J. Serven, ThM and DMin

The Genevan Foundation – Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved

The Pilgrim Fathers: Diligent Seekers of Religious Liberty

Pastor John Robinson Prays for the Pilgrims as they Embark for the New World

Written by Dr. Marcus J. Serven

“Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!” Psalm 144:15

“He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.” Psalm 111:5

During the cool weeks of November that lead up to Thanksgiving Day there is great delight in many American homes when the exciting stories of the Pilgrims are read. Who were these people and what motivated them to endure such grievous hardships? The Pilgrims were Separatist Christians originating from the farmland around Scrooby in northern England. Because of their sincere desire to regulate their worship and lives by the Bible alone they experienced persecution and imprisonment during the reign of King James. At the direction of their pastor, Rev. Richard Clifton, they determined to flee England in search of religious freedom. They finally succeeded in 1609 after several failed attempts. The Pilgrims were also accompanied by Rev. John Robinson, their teacher, and Elder William Brewster. The Pilgrims initially settled in Amsterdam, Holland. But found it difficult to remain there and moved to Leyden where they lived for ten years.

When the explorations of Henry Hudson and John Smith became widely known, the Pilgrims determined to attempt the dangerous journey to the New World. They sincerely believed that they could better protect their children from worldly influences, preserve their English ways, and worship God in the manner they saw fit in the wilderness than in Holland. A mixed colony of Saints (Pilgrims) and Strangers (fellow-Englishmen) was formed under the auspices of the “Merchant Adventurers” of London. Terms were negotiated and signed, and the expedition set off in two ships. The Speedwell quickly proved to be less than seaworthy and the Pilgrims were forced sell it, reducing their numbers. They pressed as many passengers as possible into the “between deck” of the Mayflower

The Mayflower II a faithful replica of the original Mayflower

After a lengthy and arduous voyage across the stormy Atlantic they reached the New World much farther north than they had intended. Instead of the fertile shores of “Northern Virginia” they landed on the rocky barren coast of Cape Cod in New England. Since they were beyond the immediate jurisdiction of the Virginia Colony they determined to draft governing principles to better order their own settlement and solemnly composed the Mayflower Compact. All of the Saints signed, but not all of the Strangers. 

In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, etc. having undertaken for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God, and of one another, covenant and combine ourselves into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation, and the furtherance of the ends aforesaid and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general use of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have here underscribed our names at Cape Cod, 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our sovereign lord, King James of England, France and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. A.D. 1620

William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, 1651
Arriving at Plymouth Rock

Once they had landed, they immediately set off to replenish their food and water supplies. The Lord providentially led them to mounds of corn buried by local Indians; which they left payment for. They also sailed further west and found Plymouth Bay where they landed on December 21, 1620 at Plymouth Rock. Here they steadfastly carved their colony out of a hostile wilderness by erecting a squat common house for defense atop the nearest hill and a short row of small rustic cabins in which several families lived. This was not a comfortable English hamlet, but the Pilgrims insisted that, “It is not with us as with other men whom small things can discourage, or small discontentments cause (us) to wish (ourselves) at home again.” These people were made of sterner stuff! The first winter was exceedingly difficult for the Pilgrims. Out of 102 settlers roughly one half died from sickness before those disease-ridden months were completely over. The dead were quietly buried at night in unmarked graves so that the local Indians could not see how small their company had actually become. 

Having survived the winter, the following March they were visited by the Indian, Samoset. When he entered their tiny village he cried out in English “Welcome Englishmen! Do you have any beer?” The settlers were astonished to be greeted by an English-speaking Indian! Later, Samoset told them about his friend Squanto who spoke even better English. Squanto was clearly God’s gift to the Pilgrims. Governor William Bradford later referred to him as, “a special instrument sent of God for their good, beyond their expectation.” Squanto showed them how to raise corn, catch fish in the sea, and tread-out freshwater eels in the mudflats. Most importantly, he showed them how to survive the rigors of the American wilderness. With Squanto’s help the Pilgrims were able to negotiate a lasting peace with Massasoit, the local Indian chief, which lasted for over fifty years. The first Thanksgiving Day feast took place in November, 1621 after the Pilgrims brought in a substantial harvest. The Wampanoag tribe who had helped them so kindly was also welcomed to their burgeoning table. Edward Winslow, the assistant to Governor William Bradford, wrote about that special day in his brief history of Plymouth Colony, Mourt’s Relation. He described the scene this way,  

Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, so that we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little outside help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their great king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.

Edward Winslow, Mourt’s Relation, 72
Elder Brewster leading the Pilgrims in prayer at the 1st Thanksgiving Feast

Indeed, there was so much to thank God for! The Pilgrims sought a land where they could preserve their English culture and live as freemen; where they could raise their children free from worldly influences; and where they could worship God without hinderance in the manner they saw fit. Through great hardship they came to experience the reality of the Lord’s abundant promises: “He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.” Psalm 111:5

Resources for Further Study: 

Beale, David. The Mayflower Pilgrims: Roots of Puritan, Presbyterian, Congregationalist, and Baptist Heritage. Greenville, SC: Ambassador-Emerald International, 2000.

Bradford, William. Of Plymouth Plantation (1620-1647). Samuel Eliot Morison, ed. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. 

Brown, John. The Pilgrim Fathers of New England and their Puritan Successors. London, England: The Religious Tract Society, 1895. 

Foster, Marshall, and Swanson, Mary-Elaine. The American Covenant: The Untold Story. Revised Edition. Santa Barbara, CA: Co-published by The Foundation for Christian Self-Government (1981) and the Mayflower Institute (1983).

Fiore, Jordan D., ed. Mourt’s Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. Reprint, Plymouth, MA: Plymouth Rock Foundation, 1985. 

Gragg, Rod. The Pilgrim Chronicles: An Eyewitness History of the Pilgrims and the Founding of Plymouth Colony. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing, 2014. 

Jehle, Dr. Paul. Plymouth in the Words of Her Founders. San Antonio, TX: Vision Forum, 2002. 

Willison, George F. Saints and Strangers. New York, NY: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1945.

Books to Read Out Loud to Children:

Bulla, Clyde Robert. Squanto: Friend of the Pilgrims. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc. 1954. 

Carpenter, Edmund J. The Mayflower Pilgrims. Arlington Heights, IL: Christian Liberty Press, n.d.

Daugherty, James. The Landing of the Pilgrims. New York, NY: Random House, Landmark Books, 1950. 

Foster, Marshall, and Swanson, Mary-Elaine. The American Covenant: The Untold Story. Revised Edition. Santa Barbara, CA: Co-published by The Foundation for Christian Self-Government (1981) and The Mayflower Institute (1983).

Pumphrey, Margaret B. Stories of the Pilgrims. New York, NY: Rand McNally & Company, 1912; Reprint, Corvallis, OR: Creation’s Child, 1986.

Otis, James. Mary of Plymouth. Reprint, Bulverde, TX: Mantle Ministries, 1999.

Dr. Marcus J. Serven, ThM and DMin

The Genevan Foundation – Copyright 2020 – All Rights Reserved