God Blessed Jamestown ~ Part III

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#666633" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="087005a2ddvuvs.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>El Shaddai Ministries of Florida, Inc.</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="El Shaddai Ministries of Florida, Inc."><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#999966" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Providential HisStory of Jamestown"><U><B>Providential HisStory of Jamestown</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>God Blessed Jamestown ~ Part III</I></div> <div> <I><B><U>Good News From Virginia</U></B></I> was written in 1613, wherein Rev. Crashaw and Alexander Whitaker documented that God, did indeed, bless and preserve Jamestown despite the Devil's efforts to subvert His sovereign plan.  It is true, there were those who adventured to the colony for purposes most wicked and less than noble.  These were the same men that mocked and ridiculed God and those who laboured there for Christ Jesus.  For this cause, <I>even during the inception of Jamestown, </I>men of God wrote the <I><B><U>Good News From Virginia</U></B></I> with the purpose of plainly demonstrating that assuredly God Himself was its founder and favorer; and with hopes that hearts would be stirred to support the endeavour of the settlement.  It is nothing new that historians continue to mock and ridicule God's hand and purpose for Jamestown of igniting the Gospel in the hearts of men and to establish a nation in covenant with Him.</div> <bR> <div> Briefly stated, the arguments documenting God's blessings on Jamestown were:</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B><U>All Survived the Shipwreck</U></B></I></div> <div> In May of 1609, a fleet of ships left England under Sir Thomas Gates and Sir George Summers for Jamestown.  One of the ships was shipwrecked in Bermuda known as Devil Island which was most feared and avoided by all sea travelers.  The ship was given up for lost.  However, <I>"all of the people survived the shipwreck."</I>  This shipwreck later inspired Shakespeare's plan <I><B><U>The Tempest</U></B></I> which Pocahontas saw in England just weeks after Shakespeare's death.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B><U>God Plentifully Provided for Them While Stranded</U></B></I></div> <div> They were <I>"able to live off the island where all men else perished," </I>living there almost a year (until they had made themselves two little ships of cedar) <I>"and found it rich, plentiful, healthy, and so temperate that a scarce three died of 150"</I> (two of which were John Rolfe's first wife and child).  John later married Pocahontas.  During this time period an encounter with Devil's Island meant certain death.  Rev. Crashaw told them that if they did not tell the world of this miracle they would do wrong and obscure the glory of God.  Remember, the purpose of HisStory is for remembrance of what God has done and what He will do!</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B><U>God's Grace & Sovereignty Upheld the Colony Though Man Gave Up</U></B></I></div> <div> Since the Jamestown colonists had no hopes of a supply ship coming soon from England and they considered the Bermuda crew to be expired, they decided to leave.  As they deserted Jamestown and were sailing away, at that very moment at the mouth of the river, <I>"the Hand of Heaven from above"</I> sent Lord De La War to meet them with provision and comforts of all kinds and had he stayed but <I>"two tides longer to come into Virginia he would not have found one Englishman."</I>  </div> <bR> <div> Upon convincing the deserting colonists to return, Lord De La War, before showing any token or performing any act of authority, fell down upon his knees along the seashore and in the presence of all the people made a long and silent prayer to himself.  After which he arose and, going in procession to the church, heard a sermon by Rev. Bucke.  From that day, by God's blessings, not one colonist ever wanted government nor bread who would take the pains and do his duty.  </div> <bR> <div> It is worth noting that they even had a colony to return to since, normally, they would have burned the buildings before desertion.  However, because of their weakened condition, they had not.  Thus, they had shelter upon their return.  </div> <bR> <div> <I>"If ever the Hand of God appeared in action of man, it was here most evident: for when man had forsaken this business, God took it in hand; and when men said, now hath all the earth cast off the care of this Plantation, the Hand of Heaven hath taken hold of it: God therefore be glorified in His own work."</I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B><U>God Made Provision for the Continuance and Growth of the Colony</U></B></I></div> <div> God stirred up the hearts of the English people in the church and government, some as a direct result of the winning of the soul of Pocahontas to the Gospel.  They gave fair sums of money and some of them even a good part of their estate without any certainty or apparent hope of speedy profit.</div> <bR> <div> <I>"This to do willingly and voluntarily, and without assurance of gain, cannot be, but the working of God to some higher end than ordinary.  These were married men, stable, respected and of sound religion so they must have been motivated by God's Spirit" </I>and they were most certain of danger of life itself.</div> <bR> <div> Alexander Whitaker's closing words regarding the colony were:</div> <bR> <div> <I>"Wherefore you . . . whose hearts God hath stirred . . . to conquer a Kingdom for Him here: be not discouraged with those many lamentable assaults that the Devil hath made against us: he now rageth most, because he knoweth his kingdom is to have a short end.  God forward boldly, and remember that you fight under the banner of Jesus Christ, that you plant His Kingdom, who hath already broken the Serpent's head: God may defer His temporal reward for a season, but be assured that in the end you shall find riches and honour in this world, and blessed immortality in the world to come.  And you my brethren my fellow labourers, send up your earnest prayers to God for His Church in Virginia, that since His harvest is great, but the labourers few, He would thrust forth labourers into His harvest; and pray also for me that the ministration of His Gospel may be powerful and effectual by me to the salvation of many . . . Amen."</I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Copyright by Viola K. Moss, August 1997, all rights reserved.  El Shaddai Ministries of Florida, Inc.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>