“…graven with an iron pen and lead…” Job 19:24
Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D.
THE TESTIMONY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Shortly before Abraham Lincoln was murdered by John Wilkes Booth, an Illinois pastor asked President Lincoln, “Do you love Jesus?” President Lincoln responded, “When I left Springfield I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there gave my heart to Christ. I can now say I do love the Savior.”
Quotes to Note
“I looked for the church and found it in the world. I looked for the world and found it in the church.” Andrew Bonar
A Brief History of the Pilgrims
In 1534 Henry VIII approved “The Act of Supremacy” which severed the Church of England from the Roman Catholic church and made the English monarch “the supreme head of the Church of England.” Certain reforms took place during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I. Yet, two groups did not believe these reforms went far enough. The first group was the “Puritans.” They pressed church leaders to “purify” the church further from the lingering Catholic practices and ceremonies. The second group was English “Separatists.” They separated from the Church of England because it was their conviction that the Bible was their final authority and not an earthly sovereign. This did not sit well with English sovereigns. King James I asserted, “I will make them conform or I will harry (to torment or harass) them out of the land.” He kept his word. William Bradford said of the persecution, the “Separatists were hunted and persecuted on every side, so their former afflictions were but as fleabitings in comparison to these which now came upon them.”
Finally, after several thwarted attempts the Separatists were successful in moving to Amsterdam and then on to Leiden, Holland. After twelve years in Holland they realized if they were to continue to hold to their biblical convictions they must move on. In the Pilgrim Museum of Leiden is a list of Five Reasons Why The Pilgrims Came To The New World…
- Their children were being influenced by the “licentiousness of Dutch youth.”
- The Dutch did not honor the Lord’s Day sufficiently.
- They feared that if they stayed in Holland they would lose their national and spiritual identity.
- They hoped to establish a new settlement in America based upon the principles of God’s Word.
- There was the hope of converting the Indians in America to Christianity.
In 1620, they were dubbed “Pilgrims” by one of their own, William Bradford, just before they left to pick up others of their conviction in England and sail to the New World. On September 16, 1620 the Mayflower departed for the New World overloaded with 102 Pilgrims. At 7 a.m. on November 19th the cry “Land-Ho!” came from the crowsnest. William Brewster led them in singing Psalm 100. On November 21st they anchored off Cape Cod. They made their historic landing at Plymouth, on the west side of Cape Cod Bay, on December 21, 1620. The main body of settlers followed on December 26th.
The first winter took a heavy toll upon the Pilgrims. By April 1621, 28 of the 48 male adults had died. Only 5 wives remained out of the 18 that had come to the New World. In all, 47 of the 102 who came to the New World had died. Spring crops were planted, but the summer proved so dry that the crops were in danger of perishing for want of rain. A day of fasting and prayer was appointed and for nine hours the Pilgrims prayed for rain. Some Indians watched the sky anxiously, and when it finally clouded over and a gentle rain began to fall, they were awe-struck that the God of the white men had answered their prayers. A bountiful crop followed. Governor Bradford declared a day of public thanksgiving in October of 1621. Chief Massasoit was invited to attend and arrived with 90 hungry Indians who also brought along food for the celebration. Elder Brewster led in prayer, thanking God for his guidance, protection and mercy. Governor William Bradford penned in his log – “We have noted these things so that you might see their worth and not negligently lose what your fathers have obtained with so much hardship.”