Transcript

America's Providential History Podcast celebrates Thanksgiving with Stephen McDowell

>> Stephen McDowell: Welcome to America's Providential History Podcast, where we talk about the real story of America and explore the hand of God in our history. Now, here's your host, Stephen McDowell. Hello. Glad you're joining us for this edition of America's Providential History Podcast. Since it's the month of November, and at the end of November, we in the United States celebrate a unique holiday, the Thanksgiving holiday, where we set aside a day to give thanks to God for all the many blessings that he's given us. I wanted to begin to look in this podcast and in the next few podcasts, take a closer look at the people whom we associate this Thanksgiving holiday with, that is the pilgrims and the pilgrim forefathers. Take a look at their history of, their beginnings in, in, Europe and how they came to America and how they brought about having a Thanksgiving and why we celebrate that today.

The focal point of the 1500s was the Protestant Reformation

Now, I want to give a little background, though, of the, the setting for the beginning of our pilgrim forefathers, and that would be events taking place in England and in Europe in the 1500s. Now, the focal point of the 1500s that had a great impact upon the United States was the Protestant Reformation. We've, touched on that a little bit in the past. But the focal point of the Protestant Reformation is the Bible began to be made available to the common man in his own language. And so you have men like Martin Luther and John Calvin and William Tyndale and Zwingli and Knox and so many others who began to have their eyes enlightened, and God awakened their hearts and their minds, and they began to see the truth of God's word and began to recognize that everybody needed to know the truth that was revealed in the Scripture so that everybody could live free and live in liberty. And so this motivated many of these Protestant Reformation leaders to get the Bible, translate the Bible, and see that it is dispersed, among as many people as possible. And it was this seed, rooted in the Scripture, that produced the pilgrims and produced so many of those who came and settled the United States of America. They were a product of the book. And this book began to be made available during this event of the Protestant Reformation. Now, it was 1517 when Martin Luther attacked his 95 theses on the church door at Wittenberg. That's sometimes used kind of as a reference point for the Protestant Reformation. And, this truth began to impact many individuals, as we said. But we learn from the Bible that God not only uses his people to advance his purpose, but he'll use, individuals who don't know him, he uses pagan kings and, secularists, who don't know him to advance his purpose. And that was certainly true in regards to King Henry VIII in England, because around 1434 that year, he decided he wanted to get a, divorce from his wife, who was not granting, giving him any male heirs. But to get a divorce, he had to get permission from the Pope. So when he asked the Pope, hey, can I get a divorce? The Pope said, no. So Henry said, well, if you're not going to give me a divorce, I'll just take my country and divorce myself from you. See you later. So he split away, took England and split away from the Holy Roman Empire. But he didn't do it for any godly reason at all. And, and, so the church in England that he established, he realized, hey, I've got to have a church and I need to have Bibles in the church. But it was not for godly motive that he did, did this. It was for his own personal benefit. And, and so there was a group of people then that, that. And then God began to use men like William Tyndale and others to sow the seed of truth. And, and, many, many, many of the people in England, and this began to enlighten their eyes. And now that they got the Bible, they had a standard by which to judge the conduct of both priest and king. And they began to see that what the leaders in church and state told them, what they should be doing or what God wanted them to do was really not what God said at all as they searched the Scriptures for themselves. And so the Church of England wasn't much different than the Church of Rome, but Henry was the Pope instead of the Pope at Rome. But there began to arise a movement of people who wanted to purify the Church of England because they had access to God's word. They saw that this human institution is contrary to what God intended. And so these people who wanted to bring biblical change in the Church of England wanted to purify it, were called purifiers or Puritans. And so Puritans worked for many years trying to purify the Church of England. But by the time we get toward the later end of the 1500s, there were groups of people who began to think, we're never going to purify this church. We've got to come up with an alternate plan. So they decided, hey, we are going to separate ourselves from the church and, and form our own church. Now, we do this all the time in America, and many nations of the world, groups of people covenant together and form their own church. Back then, nobody did it. And so these people who separated, they began to be called separatists. And so there were a group of separatists in and around the town, the little town of Scrooby in the north part of England, who were destined to have a great impact upon the world because it was here that many of the Pilgrims had their roots. And so at Scrooby, these Christians wrote a church covenant, the first of its kind affirming church self government in 1606. Now, once these group of separatists, separated from the Church of, of England, started their own church, they began to be persecuted. There's no religious freedom in Europe, certainly in England, to worship God according to the dictates of your own conscience, but you had to worship according to the state established religion, the state church. And if you didn't, then there were consequences. And so they began to be persecuted. And as we will see, they were forced to flee. And so there's a little background and, before we began to look more at the life of these people who we call Pilgrims, And I wanted to present a look at the Pilgrims in the words of one of the pilgrim leaders.

William Bradford wrote the history of Plymouth Plantation from 1590 to 1657

It's a gentleman by the name of William Bradford. He lived from the year 1590 to 1657. He served as the governor of Plymouth Plantation in New England for 33 years. And he wrote the history of Plymouth Plantation. As he looked back over the. How God had moved in their life and what they had done, he recorded all this information. So we have a firsthand account of, one of the leaders of these Pilgrims, these separatists, and how they, all that they went through to come and plant the colony of Plymouth, Massachusetts. So it's the best way to get to know somebody in their own words. They were there, they experience. You get to know their heart. You really get to know the true story, which, unfortunately today most Americans are not presented the true history of America, the true history of the Pilgrims. The reason why we have Thanksgiving or any of these things, we get distorted image or we have no knowledge, of such important events because of these things are left out of our, of our history, texts. So we're going to, I'm going to, read you, much of William Bradford's at Plymouth Plantation so that you can get to know the Pilgrims by those who are part of this movement.

William Bradford wrote the first great American historical work called off Plymouth Plantation

Now, William Bradford, as a teenager reasoned that the Church of England was unbiblical. And so he removed himself from it. And he had such insight even as a teenager, because years earlier, he was confined to his bed with a long illness. From the age of 7 to 11, he rarely left the bed. and during that whole time, for those four or so years, he said that he read the Bible continuously. And later he said the sickness was sent by the providence of God because it kept him from the vanities of youth. So early on, he began to hide the word of God in his heart. He began to recognize the hand of providence in his life. He began to be able to reason and think biblically at an early age because of this. Now, he, as a young. Initially, he attended the Church of England in Bob Worth for some time, and that was because he was impressed by the scriptural preaching of Reverend Richard Clifton. But when Clifton withdrew and joined the Scrooby congregation again, these are those group, a group of separatists who left the Church of England Covenant together to form their own church. But Bradford followed him, even though he faced enormous pressure. So he decided to withdraw from the communion of the parish assemblies and engage with some society of the faithful that should keep close into the written word of God as the rule of their worship. Although it provoked rage of his friends who tried all, every way imaginable to, you know, bring him back, keep him from doing such a thing. But as he wrote, nevertheless, and he's 12 years old, by the way, when he's writing this, when he's making this decision to separate and join, this Scrooby congregation, he said, nevertheless, to keep a good conscience and walk in such a way as God has prescribed in his word is a thing which I must prefer before you all and above life itself. And so it was, 1602, when Bradford was around 12 years old, that he started attending the separatist church in Scrooby. Six years later, he would travel with part of this church to Holland. Twelve years after that, with a much smaller number, they would come to America on the Mayflower to plant the seed that became the American Christian Republic. And we've previous podcasts have been talking about much of the seed that came and planted this nation. So William Bradford, as I mentioned, wrote, the first great American historical and literary work called off, Plymouth Plantation. Every American should read it. In fact, every Christian should read it, in the world, but most never even have heard of this. And they're not introduced to this, certainly reading in any of it in their history. classes, at all. So that's why I want to take some time and this and perhaps a couple next podcast as well to introduce you to the pilgrims and take you through their story in the words of one who went through it of their governor, 33 years, William Bradford. Now to show you something of this man's heart. In the beginning of Bradford's original handwritten narrative of Plymouth Plantation, right before he begins the history of the pilgrims, on, one of the kind of introductory pages, if you will, there are written some Hebrew words with definitions. And on the next page appears, written by Bradford. He explains why he's writing this Hebrew here, because he'd been studying Hebrew, wanted to know Hebrew, and he said this, though I am grown aged. Because he wrote of Plymouth Plantation in his later years, after a, few decades of living here, living in Massachusetts, he said, though I'm grown aged, yet I have had a longing desire to see with my own eyes something of the most ancient language and holy tongue in which the law and oracles of God were written, and in which God and angels spake to the holy patriarchs of old time and what names were given to things from the creation. And though I cannot attain to much herein, yet I am refreshed to have seen some glimpse thereof as Moses saw the land of Canaan afar ah off. My aim and desire is to see how the words and phrases lie in the holy text and to discern somewhat of the same for my own content. So in other words, Bradford wanted to read the original language that God gave his word to his people. I want to read it in the way God gave it so that I might have even closer touch with this living God who was central through throughout all of his life, really. And he. That's why I wanted to learn Hebrew. Shows you something of the, the heart of this man, William Bradford, the author of Plymouth Plantation. And so I want to take, I'm going to begin here to present to you some of their history and we will, as I say, carry on this story in future, future podcasts. Now, this book of Plymouth Plantation, his actual original manuscript, was lost for some time. It kind of had a providential history is lost and people don't know where it was. But it was discovered back in England, and brought back to America in the 19th century. And then it began to be published in the later 19th century. And you can get copies of the original Bradford text. There's been a printing by Wright and Potter Printing Company in 1898 there and with the original spellings of yet and ye and other things. But then you can get modern English versions of this as well. So you can find, find copies, of this and read the whole thing. It's hundreds of pages. I'm just going to introduce you to a little bit of that.

The best way to learn true history is from primary source materials

And so here, here we, here we the words of William Bradford from his book of Plymouth Plantation, his history. He writes, when is by the travail and diligence of some godly and zealous preachers. Now he's writing where the setting is in England, the north part of England in the early part of the 1600s, with the setting of the separatist movement that, had been springing up and people separating from the Church of England, the late 1500s. So here's the early 1600s, in north part of England. And he said, when is by the travail and diligence of some godly and zealous preachers and God's blessing on their labors, as in other places of the land, so in the north parts. He is speaking about the north parts of England, Many became enlightened by the Word of God and had their ignorance and sins discovered unto them and began by his grace to reform their lives and make conscious of their ways. The work of God was no sooner manifest in them, but presently they were both scoffed and scorned by the profane multitude and the ministers urged with the yoke of subscription, or else must be silence. So what happened? Preaching began to take place again. This is the continual fruit of the Protestant Reformation. The Word of God, translated in the common language, God's followers of God began to preach the Word of God, the truth. And when you hear the Word of God, things happen. When the Word of God becomes available to individuals, one individuals change and transform. When, the Word is planted like a good seed in your heart and mind, it will transform you. But then it also gives you a standard by which to judge. And look at the church, God's, covenant. People who join themselves together to know how to build a church. And it also, when applied, will bring transformation to all of society. So many of these people were enlightened by the Word of God and had their ignorance and sins discovered unto them. So God revealed to them the need of a Savior. They began by his grace, to reform their lives. But when they began to try to live out their newfound faith, as Bradford writes, they were both scoffed and scorned by the profane multitude. And so, they'd either undergo this yoke of subscription or be silenced. So, Bradford continues, so many, therefore, of these professors that, saw the evil of these things in these parts and whose hearts the Lord had touched with heavenly zeal for his truth. They shook off this yoke of anti Christian bondage. And as the Lord's free people join themselves by a covenant of the Lord into a church estate and the fellowship of the Gospel to walk in all his ways made known, or to be made known unto them, according to their best endeavours whatsoever it should cost them, the Lord assisting them, and that it cost them something this ensuing history will declare. I just love how William Bradford writes and I wanted to read m this to you so you can get to know him and hear his writing. The best way to learn true history is from primary source materials. If you want to learn about the Bible, you go to the Bible and read it yourself. Yes, we can learn from others who've studied the Bible and God has given them insight, but we can never substitute someone else's view or look at scriptures from what the Spirit of God will teach us ourselves. But it's true of history as well. If you want to get to know the Pilgrims, read what the Pilgrims said. If you want to get to know the founding fathers of America, read what George Washington and Samuel Adams and others said themselves. That's where you get to know them. Because today we have a lot of revisionist history because those who look back at these events, ignore, leave out, don't think it's important. Anything having to do with Christian faith and Christianity. And this is the primary way that bias is manifested in school, textbooks today is leaving out by ignoring And so we want to read primary source materials.

English separatists separated from the established church and formed their own church

And that's another reason why I wanted to introduce you to the writings of Bradford. And so what they did, they when you know, they began to be persecuted but they recognized that they shook off this yoke of anti Christian bondage and as the Lord's free people joined themselves in a covenant of the Lord. So what they did, they separated from the established church, the Church of England. They covenanted together as a group of people and we're going to form our own church. That's was, you know, them separating. That was this separatist movement as we, as I mentioned to you earlier. Now again this was a new thing. You know, these separate, this separatist movement and people they recognize the church is not a group of people who live in the same geographic area, but it's a group of people touched by God who have a common vision for what the kingdom of God is, how to fulfill the calling on their life, where they work together, kind of covenant family to fulfill the will and purpose of God. That's what the true church of God is. And that's what they were leading, the way and, restoring, to the Christian world things that had been lost over many centuries. and so they form what was called the Scrooby Covenant. And that covenant is expression of an understanding of, this is really what the church is, people who covenant together. And they did this the best endeavors they could, whatever it would cost them, with God helping them. And as Bradford writes, and that it cost them something this entire ensuing history will declare. Well after they separated and formed their own church, persecution didn't stop. It continued, on. And in fact, it even got worse. And so Bradford then relates of their departure into Holland and their troubles thereabout with some of the many difficulties they found and met with withal in 1608. That's kind of a heading that he put within his book. And he writes, thus being thus constrained to leave their native soil and country, their lands and livings and all their friends and familiar acquaintances, it was much and thought marvelous by many now. So what they decided to do said, we're persecuted here. They don't want us here. We can't freely worship God here in England. And so we need to go somewhere where we can fulfill God's will for our lives. So they decided, hey, we're going to. To leave England, go to Holland. And where there was a degree of religious liberty. In fact, there were some other English separatists who had moved there earlier. And so they thought, this is the best thing that we can do to carry out the worshiping God according to the dictates of our conscience. So they were persecuted and they decided, this is what we're going to do. We'll, go to Holland. And he said, it was much and thought marvelous by many, but to go into a country they knew not but by hearsay, where they must learn a new language and get their livings, they knew not how. It being a dear place and subject to the miseries of war, it was by many thought, an adventure almost desperate. So in other words, they're going to go to Holland, a new country. What he refers to the miseries of war. For decades there was religious wars between, people in Holland, and what later became the Netherlands. There were different Zealand and Holland and other republics who had. Who wanted to embrace. Who did want, were embracing the Protestant Reformation. They were. Had been in war with those countries, in particular Spain, who was still part of the Holy Roman Empire and embraced the Catholic Faith. And there these religious wars had been going on, but they had entered into a period of truce, a time of truce that. And so because of that, they thought, okay, there's been war there, but there's freedom, so this is the best place that we can go. So. But they thought, it's still going to be very difficult situation, new country, new language, something we don't know. It's an adventure almost desperate. Bradford Wright wrote and continues, a case intolerable and a misery worse than death, especially seeing they were not acquainted with trades nor traffic by which that country does subsist, but had only been used to a plain country life and the innocent trade of husbandry. But these things did not dismay them, though they did sometimes trouble them, for their desires were set on the ways of God and to enjoy his ordinances, but they rested on his providence and knew whom they had believed. Yet this was not all. For though they could not stay, yet were they not suffered to go, but the ports and havens were shut against them, so as they were fain to seek secret means of conveyance and to bribe and feed the mariners and give extraordinary rates for their passage. And yet where they oftentimes betrayed many of them, and both they and their goods intercepted and surprised and thereby put to great trouble, in charge of which I will give an instance or two and omit the rest. So here it is. Think about this. They form their own church people in England. Authorities didn't like it. They persecuted them, said, you can't do that. We're persecuting you. They said, okay, we'll leave and get out of the way. But they wouldn't let them leave. they couldn't leave freely. And so they had to try to find. Okay, what are we going to do? Let's see if we can enlist someone who will transport us to Holland and paid large fees and bribes and other things to find their way there. but, oftentimes these authorities, and these people they made agreement with turned them in or thwarted their efforts, and so they're kind of caught in limbo.

Bradford gives examples of people who were betrayed and thrown in jail

So he's about to give us a couple of incidences of these, of these troubles that they had from the authorities who wanted them to go but wouldn't let them go. So Bradford writes, there was a large company of them purposed to get passage at Boston in Lincolnshire, and from that end had hired a ship wholly to themselves and made agreement with the master to be ready at a certain day and to take them and their goods in at a convenient place where they Accordingly would all attend in readiness. So, after long waiting and large expenses, though he kept not day with them, yet he came at length and took them in in the night. But when he had, them and their goods aboard, he betrayed them, having beforehand complotted with the searchers and other officers, so to do, who took them and put them into open boats and there rifled and ransacked them, searching to their shirts for money, Yea, even the women further than became modesty. So here it is, they decide, all right, they made an agreement to hire a ship that was going to take them to Holland. And so they waited, and through a lot of expense and a lot of preparation, that day finally came. And they got all on board with their what goods they were going to take with them. And then they were betrayed. The captain had made a plot with the authorities on board. And so they rifled and ransacked them, searching to their shirts for money they stole from and took their stuff, yea, even the women, further than became modesty, and then carried them back into the town and made them a spectacle and wonder to the multitude which came flocking on all sides to behold them, Being thus first by the catchable officers, rifled and stripped of their money, books, and much other goods, they were presented to the magistrates and messengers sent to inform the lords of the council of them. And so they were committed to war. They took them. They stole their stuff, they took them to the authorities, they were tossed in jail is what happened to them. Indeed, the magistrates used them courteously and showed them what favor they could, but could not deliver them till order came from the council table. But the issue was that after a month's imprisonment, the greatest part were dismissed and sent to the places from whence they came. But seven of the principal were still kept in prison and bound over to the assizes. So here it is. This is one I remember. He said, there's a lot of times, a lot of difficulty they had, and they were betrayed many times. Here was one example of group of them were betrayed and stuff stolen and thrown in jail. A month in jail. Finally, most were let out but seven. And then Bradford gives another, incident of a trial of what happened. He said the next spring, after, there was another attempt made by some of these and others to get over at another place. And so it fell out that they liked of a Dutchman at Hull, having a ship of his own belonging to Zealand, they made agreement with him and acquainted him with their condition, hoping to find more faithfulness in him than in the former of their nation. So they may. They found a guy from Holland, A dutchman from Zealand, which was a territory, in what is today the Netherlands. It wasn't united at that time. So he made an agreement with his dutchman. He'll come. He's going to pick him up and take them there. And, hoping that he'd be more faithful to carry out his word. So Bradford writes, he bade them not fear, for he would do well enough. He was by appointment m to take them in between Grimsby and hull. Those are two towns on the coast to the east part of England. So he was to take them between Grimsby and hull, where was a large common, A good way distant from any town. So without a way. So they thought that, you know, he could pick them up without being noticed and get them over to Holland. Back to Bradford. Now, against the prefix time, the women and children with the goods were sent to the place in a small bark. That's a small boat which they had hired for that end. And the men were to meet them by land. So everyone couldn't fit on the little barks that they rented. But they. So they sent the women and children, and some of their goods that they were going to take with them on these boats. Most of the men were going to walk by land and meet them there. And so it fell out that they were there a day before the ship came. So the women and children on the bark got there A day before that. The, ship came. The sea being rough and the women very sick, Prevailed with the seamen to put into a creek hard by where they lay on ground at low water. Okay, so they want to stay out in the rough. They went into. And the tide went into a safe, calm area. The tide went out, and they got stuck on the ground, where they lay ground at low water. The next morning the ship came, but they were fast and could not stir until about noon. In the meantime, the shipmaster, perceiving how the matter was, Sent his boat to be getting the men aboard, whom, he saw ready walking about the shore. So he said, okay, the women are stuck. I'll get the men on board. Then the tide will come in, and then the women can come and meet them. But after the first boat load was got aboard and she was ready to go for more, the master espied a great company, Both horse and foot with bills and guns and other weapons, for the country was raised to take them. So here comes the posse after them. They got word to come out and keep them from leaving. The Dutchman Seeing that swore his countryman's oath sacrament, and having the wind fair, weighed his anchor, hoisted sails, and away. So the Dutch captain said, I'm not sticking around here. Authorities might capture my ship. And so away he went. But the poor men which were got aboard were in great distress for their wives and children, which they saw thus to be taken and were left destitute of their helps, and themselves also not having a cloth to shift them, with more than they had on their backs and some scarce a penny about them. All they had, being aboard the bark, it drew tears from their eyes. And anything they had, they would have given to have been ashore again. But all in vain. There is no remedy. They must thus, sadly part. So here it was. The men who had gotten on board and already loaded. The authorities came. The Dutch captain said, I'm. I'm leaving. And as they sailed away here, these men look there. They saw their wives, their children, saw this, all this supplies they were going to bring, their clothes, their money. They didn't have anything except the clothes on their back and scarce a penny about them. If, as Bradford wrote, and, drew tears from their eyes, as you can imagine, to see what was going to happen. And this was, you know, they were sailing away, and who knows if they would ever see their wives and children again. And then, Bradford records, after all this, and afterwards, these men in the ship and the dutch ship and afterward endured a fearful storm at sea, being 14 days or more before they arrived at their port in seven, whereof they neither saw sun, moon or stars, and were driven near the coast of Norway. The mariners themselves often despairing of life, and once with shrieks and cries gave all over, as if the ship had been foundered in the sea, and they sinking with recovery, without recovery. But when man's hope and help wholly failed, the Lord's power and mercy appeared into their recovery, for the ship rose again and gave the mariners courage again to manage her.

Storm battered them at sea for 14 days, but miraculously the ship recovered

Now, here it is. So here they. You got to realize these people are doing all this because they believe that was God's will. This is how they thought. Said we're going to be able to freely worship God, fulfill the mission he has for us. We're going to endure all, all the heartache and hardship and economic woe, and we're going to go to a new place. And then they get divided. The women, they've of course been tossed in jail before this. The women and children here, the men sailing off with scarce anything on their back. Then a huge storm hits. 14 days, this fearful Storm battered them at sea. even the mariners were despairing of life. Even these men who were used to storms at sea, thought man, this is so bad. They despaired for their life with shrieks and cries. But when man's hope and help wholly failed, the Lord's power and mercy appeared in their recovery, for the ship rose again and gave the mariners courage again to manage her. And if modesty would suffer me, I might declare with what fervent prayers they cried unto the Lord in this great distress. Especially some of them, even without any great distraction, when the water ran into their mouths and ears. And the mariners cried out, we sink. We sink. They cried, if not with miraculous, yet with a great height or degree of divine faith. Yet, Lord, thou can't save. Yet, Lord, thou can't say with such other expressions as, I will forbear. Upon which the ship did not only recover, but shortly after, the violence of the storm began to abate. And the Lord filled their afflicted minds with such comforts as everyone cannot understand, and in the end brought them to their desired haven, where the people came flocking, admiring their deliverance. The storm having been so long and sore, in which much hurt had been done, as the master's friends related unto him in their congratulations.

A great storm blew them way up near Norway, and they sank

So here it is. They set out, after enduring all the things we've discussed, a great storm blew them way up near Norway. Storm was so bad, even the mariners are crying out, we sink. We sink. They cried. If not with miraculous, let with a great height of degree of divine fate. Yet, Lord, thou can't save. Yet, Lord, thou can't say. And God did answer the prayers of his people. He filled their afflicted minds with such comfort. And the storm abated. They did make it to Holland. And when the ship came in, the people there in Holland came flocking. And because that storm so bad, it's a miracle that you could have made it through that. That storm, admiring that deliverance, the storm having been so long and sore, in which much hurt had been done. And so here it is. This is some of the difficulty and hardship that these pilgrim forefathers face. Now, there's a lot more to this story. and, what about the people who. The women and children, a few men that were behind what happened to them, and what challenges were these people going to face in Holland as well? And so I want you to join us next week and the next America's Providential History podcast, because we're going to tell what happened to these people. We're going to pick up the story. And we're going to find out how did these pilgrim forefathers get over to America and why is it that they celebrated a day of Thanksgiving, which has become a, heritage, a unique holiday, unique to America, where we set aside a day to give thanks to all Almighty God. So I hope you can join us next week. I, invite you to Visit our website, providencefoundation.com you can pick up our book America's Providential History. Because we tell this story with a lot of the Pilgrims. We have a lot of excerpts, readings, From William Bradford, 10 or so pages excerpted from Bradford in America's Providential History. And we also have that and even some more of the story in a new book that, I wrote. It's called In God We Trust Tour Guide, Volume 2, America's Beginnings. And it's a Christian history tour of Boston and Plymouth and Lexington and Concord and areas around Boston. And we just, did a Christian history tour of that area, just in October. And we're going to be doing one next year. If any of you are interested, you can sign [email protected] and go see the tours that are offered by the Wildmon family of the American Family Association. And I'll be there as the tour guide. Also. Tim Barton from Wall Builders is another one of the guides on the buses. And you can join us and hear this story, learn the story, see the actual sites where the Pilgrims came, where the Pilgrims landed, where they built the town of Plymouth, and have this story deeply planted in your heart and mind through doing so. So, come back, join us next week because we've got to finish the story of the pilgrim forefathers. So God bless you.