and gain which aimeth not at this. Besides, how many of our dear friends did here die at our first entrance, many of them, no doubt for want of good lodging, shelter, and comfortable things, and many more may go after them quickly, if care be not taken. Is this then a time for men to begin to seek themselves? Paul saith, that men in the last days shall be lovers of themselves, (2 Tim. 3. 2.) but it is here yet but the first days, and (as it were) the dawning of this new world, it is now therefore no time. for men to look to get riches, brave clothes, dainty fare, but to look to present necessities; it is now no time to pamper the flesh, live at ease, snatch, catch, scrape, and pill, and hoard up, but rather to open the doors, the chests, and vessels, and say, brother, neighbor, friend, what want ye, any thing that I have? make bold with it, it is yours to command, to do you good, to comfort and cherish you, and glad I am that I have it for you.

4. And even the example of God himself, whom we should follow in all things within our power and capacity, may teach us this lesson, for (with reverence to his Majesty be it spoken) he might have kept all grace, goodness, and glory to himself, but he hath communicated it to us, even as far as we are capable of it in this life, and will communicate his glory in all fulness with his elect in that life to come; even so his son Jesus Christ left his glory eclipsed for a time, and abased himself to a poor and distressed life in this world that he might, by it, bring us to happiness in the world to come. If God then have delighted in thus doing good and relieving frail and miserable man, so far inferior to himself, what delight ought man to have to relieve and comfort man, which is equal to himself?

5. Even as we deal with others, ourselves and others shall be dealt withal. Carest thou not how others fare, how they toil, are grieved, sick, pinched, cold, harborless, so as thou be in health, livest at ease, warm in thy nest, farest well? The days will come when thou shalt labor and none shall pity thee, be poor and none relieve thee, be sick, and lie and die and none visit thee, yea, and thy children shall lie and starve in the streets, and none shall relieve them, for it is the merciful that shall obtain mercy; Mat. 5. 7. and the memory of the just shall be blessed even in his seed; Prov. 10. and a merciful and loving man when he dies, though he leave his children small and desolate, yet every one is mercifully stirred up for the father's sake to shew compassion, but the unkindness, currishness and self love of a father, is through God's just judgment recompensed upon the children with neglect and cruelty.

6. Lastly, That we may draw to an end; A merciless man, and a man without natural affection or love, is reckoned among

such as are given over of God to a reprobate mind, (Rom. 1. 30.) and (as it were) transformed into a beast-like humor; for, what is man if he be not sociable, kind, affable, free-hearted, liberal; he is a beast in the shape of a man; or rather an infernal spirit, walking amongst men, which makes the world a hell what in him lieth; for, it is even a hell to live where there are such men; such the Scriptures calleth Nabals, which signifieth fools, (Psal. 14. 1.) and decayed men, which have lost both the sap of grace and nature; and such merciless men are called goats, and shall be set at Christ's left hand at the last day, (Math. 25. 33.) Oh therefore seek the wealth one of another.

Obj. But some will say, It is true, and it were well if men would so do, but we see every man is so for himself, as that if I should not do so, I should do full ill, for if I have it not of my own, I may snap short sometimes, for I see no body showeth me any kindness, nor giveth me anything; if I have gold or silver, that goeth for payment, and if I want it I may lie in the street, therefore I had best keep that I have, and not be so liberal as you would have me, except I saw others would be so towards me.

Ans. This objection seemeth but equal and reasonable, as did the answer of Nabal to David's men, but it is most foolish and carnal, as his also was; for, if we should measure our courses by most men's practices, a man should never do any godly duty; for, do not the most, yea, almost all, go the broad way that leadeth to death and damnation, (Luke. 13. 23, 24.) Who then will follow a multitude? It is the word of God, and the examples of the best men that we must follow. And what if others will do nothing for thee, but are unkind and unmerciful to thee? Knowest thou not that they which will be the children of God must be kind to the unkind, loving to their enemies, and bless those that curse them? (Mat. 5. 44, 47.) If all men were kind to thee, it were but publicans' righteousness to be kind to them? If all men be evil, wilt thou be so too? When David cried out, Help Lord, for not a godly man is left, Psal. 12. 1. did he himself turn ungodly also? Nay, he was rather the more strict. So, if love and charity be departed out this world, be thou one of them that shall first bring it in again.

And let this be the first rule, which I will with two others conclude for this time.

1. Never measure the course by the most, but by the best, yea, and principally by God's word: Look not what others do to thee, but consider what thou art to do to them: seek to please God, not thyself. Did they in Mat. 25. 44. plead, that others did nothing for them? No such matter, no such plea will stand before God, his word is plain to the contrary, therefore, though

all the world should neglect thee, disregard thee, and contemn thee, yet remember thou hast not to do with men, but with the highest God, and so thou must do thy duty to them notwithstanding.

2. And let there be no prodigal person to come forth and say, Give me the portion of lands and goods that appertaineth to me, and let me shift for myself; Luke 15. 12. It is yet too soon to put men to their shifts; Israel was seven years in Canaan, before the land was divided unto tribes, much longer before it was divided unto families: and why wouldst thou have thy particular portion, but because thou thinkest to live better than thy neighbor, and scornest to live so meanly as he? but who. I pray thee, brought this particularizing first into the world? Did not Satan, who was not content to keep that equal state with his fellows, but would set his throne above the stars? Did not he also entice man to despise his general felicity and happiness, and go try particular knowledge of good and evil; and nothing in this world doth more resemble heavenly happiness, than for men to live as one, being of one heart, and one soul; neither any thing more resembles hellish horror, then for every man to shift for himself; for if it be a good mind and practise, thus to affect particulars, mine and thine, then it should be best also for God to provide one heaven for thee, and another for thy neighbor.

Object. But some will say, If all men will do their endeavors as I do I could be content with this generality, but many are idle and slothful, and eat up others' labors, and therefore it is best to part, and then every man may do his pleasure.

First, this, indeed, is the common plea of such as will endure no inconveniences, and so for the hardness of men's hearts, God and man doth often give way to that which is not best, nor perpetual, but indeed if we take this course to change ordinances and practices because of inconveniences, we shall have every day new laws.

Secondly, if others be idle and thou diligent, thy fellowship, provocation, and example, may well help to cure that malady in them, being together, but being asunder, shall they not be more idle, and shall not gentry and beggary be quickly the glorious ensigns of your commonwealth?

Thirdly, construe things in the best part, be not too hasty to say, men are idle and slothful, all men have not strength, skill, faculty, spirit, and courage to work alike; it is thy glory and credit, that thou canst do so well, and his shame and reproach, that can do no better; and are not these sufficient rewards to you both.

Fourthly, if any be idle apparently, you have a law and governors to execute the same, and to follow that rule of the Apostle, to keep back their bread, and let them not eat, go not therefore

whispering, to charge men with idleness; but go to the governor and prove them idle; and thou shall see them have their deserts. Acts 19. 38. 2 Thes. 3. 10. Deut. 19. 15.

And as you are a body together, so hang not together by skins and gymocks, but labor to be jointed together and knit by flesh and sinews; away with envy at the good of others, and rejoice in his good, and sorrow for his evil. Let his joy be thy joy, and his sorrow thy sorrow: Let his sickness be thy sickness: his hunger thy hunger: his poverty thy poverty; and if you profess friendship, be friends in adversity: for then a friend is known and tried, and not before.

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3. Lay away all thought of former things and forget them, and think upon the things that are; look not gapingly one upon other, pleading your goodness, your birth, your life you lived, your means you had and might have had; here you are by God's providence under difficulties; be thankful to God, it is no worse, and take it in good part that which is, and lift not up yourself because of former privileges; when Job was brought to the dunghill, he sat down upon it, Job 2. 8. and when the Almighty had been bitter to Naomi, she would be called Marah; consider therefore what you are now, and whose you are; say not I could have lived thus, and thus; but say thus and thus I must live: for God and natural necessity requireth, if your difficulties be great, had need to cleave the faster together, and comfort and cheer up one another, laboring to make each other's burden lighter; there is no grief so tedious as a churlish companion and nothing makes sorrows easy more than cheerful associates: bear ye therefore one another's burthen, and be not a burthen one to another; avoid all factions, forwardness, singularity and withdrawings, and cleave fast to the Lord, and one to another continually; so shall you be a notable precedent to these poor heathens, whose eyes are upon you, and who very brutishly and cruelly do daily eat and consume one another, through their emulations, ways and contentions; be you therefore ashamed of it, and win them to peace both with yourselves, and one another, by your peaceable examples, which will preach louder to them, than if you could cry in their barbarous language; so also shall you be an encouragement to many of your christian friends in your native country, to come to you when they hear of your peace, love and kindness that is amongst you: but above all, it shall go well with your souls, when that God of peace and unity shall come to visit you with death as he hath done many of your associates, you being found of him, not in murmurings, discontent and jars, but in brotherly love, and peace, may be translated from this wandering wilderness unto that joyful and heavenly Canaan. AMEN.

On Thursday the 13th of December, (O. S.,) 1621, the day after the delivery of the foregoing sermon, the Fortune sailed for England, and Robert Cushman in her "as the Adventurers had appointed;" and it was the last time he was ever to see those friends with whom he had suffered and endured so much, and for whom he had toiled most assiduously for so many years.

His only son Thomas, then fourteen years of age, had accompanied him in the Fortune; his wife had undoubtedly died some time previous; but the date of her death as well as her name are unknown. As he was to leave his minor son among strangers, he placed him in the care and in the family of his intimate friend "and brother in the Lord," Gov. Bradford, where he remained till he arrived at the age of manhood. The history of his protege who in after years became a pillar of the Church as well as of the Colony, will show how faithfully Gov. Bradford executed the trust reposed in him by his friend and coadjutor, Robert Cushman. In a subsequent letter to Gov. Bradford, speaking of his son, Mr. Cushman remarks, "I must entreat you still to have a care of my son as your own, and I shall rest bound unto you.'

The Fortune carried out on her return voyage, "two hhds. of bear and other skins and good clap-boards, as full as she could hold; the freight estimated at near £500."

Gov. Winslow, in a letter written to a friend in England and sent by the Fortune, says, " that we have gotten we send by this ship; and though it be not much it will witness for us that we have not been idle."

But mis-fortunes attended the return voyage of the Fortune. "As she neared the English coast she was taken by the French, carried into France, the Isle Deu, kept there fourteen or fifteen days, robbed of all she had worth taking, and then the ship and the people are released, and they arrive at London on Monday, Feb. 17th, 1622."

2

In July, 1622, Mr. Weston, a member of the Virginia Company, and formerly a firm friend of the Pilgrims, "sent over fifty or sixty men, at his own charge, to plant for him." They came upon no religious design, as did the planters of Plymouth; so they were far from being Puritans.

1 Bradford in Prince.

They settled at Weymouth.