1648.

This year Mr. William Bradford was elected governor of the jurisdiction of New Plimouth; and Mr. Thomas Prince, Mr. William Collier, Capt. Miles Standish, Mr. Timothy Hatherly, Mr. John Brown, and Mr. William Thomas, were chosen assistants to him in government.¹⁴

1649.

This year Mr. William Bradford was elected governor of the jurisdiction of New Plimouth. Mr. Thomas Prince, Mr. William Collier, Capt. Miles Standish, Mr. Timothy Hatherly, Mr. John Brown, and Mr. William Thomas, were chosen his assistants in government.

This year Mr. John Winthrop, governor of the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts, deceased, the twenty- sixth day of March, about ten of the clock. He was singular for piety, wisdom, and of a public spirit. He brought over a great estate into the country, and partly by his liberality, and partly by the unfaithfulness of his baily, spent the most part of it; so as when he died, he was but low in that respect; and yet notwithstanding, very much honoured and beloved of the most, and continued in the place of governor, for the most part, until his death, which was much lamented by many. He was a man of unbiased justice, patient in respect of personal wrongs and injuries, a great lover of the saints, especially able ministers of the gospel; very sober in desiring, and temperate in improving earthly contentments; very humble, courteous, and studious of general good. His body was, with great solemnity and honour, buried at Boston, in New England, the third of April, 1649.¹⁵

This year some part of the country was much troubled with innumerable hosts of caterpillars, which destroyed the fruits of the earth, in divers places, and did eat off the leaves of trees, so as they looked as bare as if it had been winter; and in some places did eat the leaves from off the pease-straw, and did not eat the pease. It pleased God to give them a check, and a rebuke, so as they hurt but in some places, and of his goodness in a short time removed them.

This year, August 25, that faithful and eminent servant of Christ, Mr. Thomas Shepard, died, who was a soul-searching minister of the gospel, and pastor of the church of Christ at Cambridge. By his death, not only that church and people, but also all New England, sustained a very great loss. He not only preached the gospel profitably and very successfully, but also hath left behind him divers worthy works of special use, in reference unto the clearing up the state of the soul to God ward; the benefit thereof, those can best experience, who are most conversant in the improvement of them, and have God’s blessing on them therein to their soul’s good. His body was honourably buried at Cambridge in New England.¹⁶

“Blessed are the dead, that die in the Lord, for their works do follow them.” Rev. xiii. 13.

This year there passed an act of parliament in England, for the promoting and propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ among the Indians in New England. In reference unto the furtherance and advancement of so good a work, a corporation of sixteen select men were appointed, consisting of a president, treasurer, and assistants, called by the name of the President and Society for the propagation of the Gospel in New England; to receive such sums of money, as from time to time was, or should be collected and raised, by the liberal contributions of such as whose hearts God was pleased to stir up to so glorious a work. And it was by the same parliament enacted, that the commissioners for the united colonies of New England, for the time being, by themselves or such as they shall appoint, shall have power and authority to receive and dispose of the said moneys brought in and paid to the said treasurer for the time being; or any other moneys, goods, or commodities, acquired and delivered by the care of the said corporation at any time; whose receipt or receipts of such person or persons so authorized by them, shall be a sufficient discharge to the said corporation and treasurer. The particulars of such orders and instructions, with which the said act is invested, the reader may be more amply satisfied in, by the perusal thereof, as it is extant, bearing date, July 27, 1649.