L ive holy, happy, God will recompense
I nto your bosoms all your love again,
A nd your affections whilst I did remain
M ongst you, but now you must refrain.
R un in your minds, with this the time will be,
A nd every hour brings it on apace,
D ear friends, when we for ever shall embrace.
F arewell but for a season then, farewell;
O ur next embraces shall the rest excel,
R est happy, children, friends, and tender wife,
D eath but begins the godly’s happy life.9
A few verses more, added by one that was well acquainted with the worth of the said Mr. William Bradford.
A precious one God out of Plimouth took;
Governor Bradford then expired his breath,
Was call’d away by force of cruel death.
A man approv’d in town, in church, in court,
Who so behav’d himself in godly sort,
For the full space of thirty-seven years,
As he was means of turning many fears
Away from thee, poor Plimouth, where he spent
The better part of time that God him lent.
Well skill’d he was in regulating laws,
So as by law he could defend the cause
Of poor distressed plaintiff, when he brought
His case before him, and for help besought.
Above all other men he loved those
Who gospel truths most faithfully unclose,
Who were with grace and learning fully fraught,
Such as laboriously the gospel taught.
Willing also to own, in his due place,
The meanest saint, expressing gifts of grace.
Sweet Brewster, he is gone some time before;
Wise Winslow, whose death we lament so sore;
And faithful Standish, freed from horrid pain,
To be with Christ, in truth, the greatest gain:
Now blessed, holy Bradford, a successor
Of blessed, holy Bradford, the confessor,
Is gone to place of rest, with many more
Of precious ones, whom I might name, great store;
And commendation of each one have given;
But what needs that? their names are writ in heaven.
And now, dear Lord, let us our time improve,
To be with thee in prayer much above.
O save thy people; help in time of need;
When all means fail, be thou in room and stead
Of other helps, who fail when needed most;
When greatest need, they then give up the ghost.
And let thy servants their time still employ,
That in the end they may attain such joy
As may a fruit of true believing be,
That we with Christ may reign eternally.
This worthy gentleman was interred with the greatest solemnities that the jurisdiction to which he belonged was in a capacity to perform, many deep sighs, as well as loud volleys of shot declaring that the people were no less sensible of their own loss, who were surviving, than mindful of the worth and honour of him that was deceased.10
You might now easily discern a heavy heart in the mournful countenance of every sober-minded and considerate man; for as you have heard, in the three or four years last past, God was pleased greatly to weaken this poor tottering colony of Plimouth, by taking away several of the most useful props thereof, both in church and civil state; some others, who had been of singular use, now stooping under the infirmities of old age, could not be so serviceable as in times past; and others removed so far from the centre of the government, that they could not, without great difficulties, attend their public concerns, nor could possibly so constantly as our necessities required, which did greatly aggravate our troubles; we were become weak when we had need of the greatest strength; had lost many of our chieftains, when we stood in need of the best conduct and guidance. For, besides the troubles and changes that attended our native country, and might call for great circumspection in our walking in relation unto them; we had also, at this very time, some amongst us, that growing weary of the long peace and concord we enjoyed, and hoping to fish better in troubled waters, when their bait might be taken in, and the hook not easily discerned, would willingly have been ringing the changes in this jurisdiction; also pretending a great zeal for liberty of conscience, but endeavouring to introduce such a liberty of will as would have proved prejudicial, if not destructive, to civil and church societies; and at the same time there arrived in the said colony many of that pernicious sect called Quakers, whose opinions are a composition of many errors, and whose practices tend greatly to the disturbance both of church and state; many unstable people amongst us were leavened with their errors, and proved very troublesome to this as well as other colonies in New England.11 But the Lord many times delighteth to appear in the mount of his people’s miseries, distresses, and troubles, that his power and wisdom may appear when they are weakest, and that they may know that their salvation is from him. At such a time, and when the condition of this colony was such as hath been declared, God was pleased to mind it, even in its low estate, and when he had taken to himself not only our Moses, but many of the elders| Previous chapter/page | Back | Home | Email this | Search | Discuss | Bookmark | Next chapter/page |