A Day of Thanksgiving: An Excerpt From "Of Plymouth Plantation" by William Bradford, 1647
An excerpt from "Of Plymouth Plantation"
Our wise God had led the
pilgrims to Plymouth and brought them through their first harvest with help from
their Indian friends. But with the new year came new trials that would once
again test their faith. William Bradford's testimony documents the wisdom, mercy and bountiful provision of our sovereign
Lord:
I may not here omit how,
notwithstanding all their great pains & industry, and ye great hopes of a large
crop, the Lord seemed to... take away the same, and to threaten further &
more some famine unto them, by a great drought which continued from ye 3 weeks
in May, till about ye middle of July, without any rain, and with great heat (for
ye most part) insomuch as ye corn began to wither away, though it was set with
fish, the moisture whereof helped it much. Yet at length it began to languish
sore...
Upon which they set a part a solemn day of humiliation, to
seek ye Lord
by humble & fervent prayer, in this great distress. And He was pleased to give
them a gracious & speedy answer, both to their own & the Indians admiration,
that lived amongst them.
For all ye morning, and greatest part of the day, it
was clear weather & very hot, and not a cloud or any sign of rain to be seen, yet
toward evening it began to overcast, and shortly after to rain, with such sweet
and gentle showers, as gave them cause of rejoicing & blessing God. It came,
without either wind, or thunder, or any violence, and by degrees in abundance,
as that ye earth was thoroughly wet and soaked therewith.
Which did so
apparently revive & quicken ye decayed corn & other fruits, as was wonderful to
see, and made ye Indians astonished to behold; and afterwards the Lord sent them
such seasonable showers, with interchange of fair warm weather, as, through His
blessing, caused a fruitful & liberal harvest, to their no small comfort and
rejoicing. For which mercy (in time convenient) they also set apart a day of thanksgiving."
"Our fathers trusted thee: they trusted,
and thou didst deliver
them.
They called upon thee, and were delivered:
they trusted in thee, and were
not confounded."
Psalm 22:4-5 (Geneva Bible)
