By reading only a part of William
Bradford’s journal, Of Plymouth Plantation, it is still obvious that it is a
reflection of Puritan writing. Bradford
sailed to America with the other pilgrims on the Mayflower and became the first
governor of the Plymouth settlement. In
his book, he tells about the journey to the new world was like as well as their
later life in the colony. A common theme
in this book is to be grateful to God for what He has blessed us with. There are numerous accounts where Bradford
depicts this idea. One of which is “Being
thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to 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 thereof,
again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element”
(Bradford 124) This shows how the
people, similar to Puritan beliefs put their faith in God that He would deliver
them through the rough voyage and safely land them in the new world. Puritans were focused solely on God. They were grateful for the blessings that He
bestowed upon them and they were not distressed when things were not going the
way they would have preferred; but in all things, they knew that God was with
them to protect and provide. Bradford
also writes, “What could now sustain them but the spirit of God and his grace?” (124). The pilgrims had certainly been going
through a difficult and tireless journey to be allowed the freedom to freely
practice their religion. In order to
escape from the Church of England and the Catholic Church, many Puritans sailed
to Holland before venturing off to America on boats such as the Mayflower. Once on the ship there were often
difficulties, too. Disease was one of
them. Bradford tells the story, “And I
may not omit here a special work of God's providence. There was a proud and
very profane young man, one of the sea-men, of a lusty, able body, which made
him the more haughty; he would always be condemning the poor people in their
sickness, and cursing them daily with grievous execrations, and did not let to
tell them, that he hoped to help to cast half of them overboard before they
came to their journey's end, and to make merry with what they had; and if he
were by any gently reproved, he would curse and swear most bitterly. But it
pleased God before they came half seas over, to smite this young man with a
grievous disease, of which he died in a desperate manner, and so was himself
the first that was thrown overboard. Thus his curses light on his own head; and
it was an astonishment to all his fellows, for they noted it to be the just
hand of God upon him” (122). This story
says that they believed that God was in control of everything. He could determine who became sick and died
as well as who lived. The Puritans
believed that God had punished the young man, in an ironic sense I might add,
for how he had treated the others on the journey. So, those who were sick but had faith in God
were healed while those who doubted or criticized were killed. Another important quote I would like to add
is, “May not and ought not the children of these fathers rightly say: "Our
fathers were Englishmen which came over this great ocean, and were ready to
perish in this wilderness; but they cried unto the Lord, and he heard their
voice, and looked on their adversity, etc. Let them therefore praise the Lord,
because he is good, and his mercies endure forever. Yea, let them which have
been redeemed of the Lord, show how he hath delivered them from the hand of the
oppressor. When they wandered in the desert wilderness out of the way, and
found no city to dwell in, both hungry, and thirsty, their soul was overwhelmed
in them. Let them confess before the Lord his loving kindness, and his wonderful
works before the sons of men” (Bradford 124).
This quote again shows the great faith of the pilgrims, how they trusted
in God and He delivered them.
Bradford, William. Of Plymouth Plantation. Massachusetts:
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 1856. N. pag. Print.
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