American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1826-08-11
THE PILGRIMS OF NEW ENGLAND.

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THE PILGRIMS OF NEW ENGLAND.
The fo.'oving eloquent paragraphs are taken
from 5 rmop lately preached before the lie gisa
.ure of Massachusetts, by the Rev. Mr.. Dewey Of
New Bedford.
Blu, there is trait of their piey, that has per
hays been less considered. mean its dsinterest,
edness. Thty sought religious freedom scarcely
mere tor themselves than for their posterity. They
hoped TO propagate pure and unshackled Christina.
lily, though ito use phrase Of their OWN they
should be but as stepping stones to those who came
alter. Their proceedings, their declarations, their
writings all exhibit this pious dsinterestedness =
Let the descendants of the pilgrims know, that
it their Fathers wept it not Tor themselves alone
IL they ,oiied. they toiled-or one oil them no
bly, sad, they spent their time and labofs and en-
deavors, Tor the benefit of them who should come
afe'- that if they prayed they prayed not for them.
selves aont, blu tor their posterity. And little,
may be. do we know OF the fcrvur and fortitude OF
that prayer. When ice pray we kneel on pillow
OF down beneath our own comfortable dwellings j;
but the pilgrim kneeled on the frozen and hnty
shore. Our prayers ascend within the walls OF the
| copseerate temple-but the mighty wave and the
shapeless rock, and the dark forest their walls
and no sheIterlng dome had they, but the rolling
clouds OF winter and the chill and bleak face oil
heaven. We pray in peace ard quietness, and safe
y.-bu' their anxious and wrestling supplications
wen, up amidst the stirring OF the elements. and
the struggle tof life; and often was the feeble cry
OF the detenceless band broken by the bowling OF
wild beasts. and the whoop OF wilder sayagcs"
"The claims OF ancestry, We know, are common
~ held sacred in proportion as its date is removed
back into ages OF aHtiqnlty-in proportion TO the
number OF successive generations that have inter-
sened--sn proportion as fiction and romance find
aid in the darkprSs of remote and unknown
period But though the character OF our fathers
needs no such aid, yet scarcely conceive any
thing more romantic even, than their entrance into
This domain OF nature never before disturbed by The
footsteps Of civilized man. They came to land
where fifty centu.les had hello their reign with no
pen TO write their history Silence, which no occu
patton OF civilized lite had broken, was in all its Dor
ders, and mad been from the creation The lofty
oak had grown through Its lingering age and decay
ed and persisted without name or record.--The
storm had risen and roared 10 the wilderness and
none hal caught is sublime Inspiration. The foun,
tains had flowed on--the mighty river had poured
its useless waters the cataract had lifted up il,
thunderings to The march OF ume-and no eye had
it but that OF the wild tenants of the desert.
bano OF fugitiyes 10 This land OF barbarism,--
with no patronage but the prayers of the friends
they had left behind them,-with wealth but
habuS Vi muusty,--With ITO power our What lay IN
firm sinews and courageous hearts--and with these
they turned back the course OF ages. Pilgrims from
the old world. they became inherors of the new.
They set up the standard OF Christianity they open
ed the btoad pathways Of knowledge; the forest
melted away before them, like dark vapor OF the
morning the voice Of comfort, the din of business,
went back into its murmurng solitudes the wilder.
ness and solitary place were glad for them, the de-
re uiced and blossomed as the rose We might
almost take the description Of it from the language
of prophecy. The lamb lies down in the den of the
wolf; and where the wild beast provided, is now the
grazing OK. The and the bear feed and theii
young ones lie down together The sucking child
plays on the hole Of the asp, and the weaned child
puts his hand on the adder's den.' Where the
deep wood spread its solitary gloom, and the fierce
savage laid in da k and deadly ambush now the
sunny hill side, and the waving field, and he Howery
plain !; and the unconscious child holds his gambols
on the ground that has been trodden with WEAKNESS,
and watered with tears. and stained with the blood
of strife and slaughter"
eve are accustomed TO speak OF the early days
of our history as times of danger. But there are
dangers still to be enconnercd~-thc dangers of