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| Thoughts Across the Garden Gate
Another Inspirational - from Parson Don Ca�on City, Colorado - U.S.A |
| Updated: 7-December 2006
� 2006 -"Thoughts Across the Garden Gate from Parson Don" Donald R. "Don" Brown, Ca�on City, Colorado - U.S.A This site may be freely linked, but not duplicated in any way without permission Each devotional was written by Parson Don Website design by Marv |
| Blessed Is The Nation.. Part 2 of 3
A minister was selected to accompany the Jamestown colonists as pastor and spiritual adviser, and immediately upon arrival in the New World, a church was improvised for worship. Of this crude structure Captain John Smith wrote: "Wee did hang an awning (which is an old saile) to three or four trees to shaden us from the Sunne; our walles were rales of wood; our seats were unhewed trees, till we cut plankes; our Pulpit, a bar of wood, nailed to two neighboring trees . . . This was our church till we built a homely thing, like a barne, set upon cratchets, covered with rafts, sedge, and earth." This was the first Protestant church in America, and here Communion was served five weeks after the colonists landed. Worship was held twice each Sunday and once each Thursday. Everybody went to church. Upon the crude pulpit the open Bible lay, and in the homes of the people it was read and cherished. The Biblical text from which the title of this devotion, Part I and II, are found is Psalms 33:12 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord . . . . ." Part I and II, when read together will clearly show that America, in her youth, had in deed chosen God as her Lord, contrary to the thinking of the current liberal mind. The first two years were tragic ones for the Jamestown settlers as they set out to build a new nation in the new world. Disease, famine, cold, and severe hardship were rampant. Nearly half of the adventuresome souls died the first year. Only faith and courage created and sustained by the Bible enabled the colony to survive. Half of the men were English gentlemen and refused to do manual labor. Captain John Smith took the problem, and going to God's word, made a hard and rigid rule, ". . . If any would not work, neither should he eat." II Thess. 3:10. No less than 6 hours' toil six days a week was required of all able bodied men. The colony endured. The pilgrims were brought to Plymouth Rock in 1620 by the Bible. "It was for the love of the truth of this great and good Book that our fathers abandoned their native shore for the wilderness." At first they had first tried to reform the Church of England with the open Bible. This failing, many became Separatist and sought sanctuary in Holland. Because of a strange language and customs, it was decided, after much prayer and searching the scripture, to go to the new world. Before setting foot on Plymouth Rock, a compact was drawn up in the cabin of the Mayflower which began: "In the name of God, Amen . . . having undertaken for the glory of God and advance of the Christian faith . . . a voyage to plant the first colony. . . It was agreed to live by the Bible with majority rule until a constitution could be adopted. Their first act on American soil was to kneel in prayer to Almighty God, and thank Him for a safe journey and imploring His continued blessing and guidance. The Pilgrims were dominated by the Bible. From it they received faith, courage, vision, direction, and a peculiar power of endurance. For 9 years, without a pastor they held regular worship services under the leadership of Elder William Brewster, with the guiding influence of God's holy Word. They were profoundly affecting the future of the great American nation. Completed December 7, 2006 (Click here to continue reading....) Just a thought from Parson Don across the Garden Gate. Donald R. "Don" Brown-Ca�on City, Colorado-U.S.A. |
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