ships to begin a plantation. Hearing Mr. Higginson's situation, they sent two messengers to invite him to join their company, engaging to support him on the passage.

These messengers, understanding that Mr. Higginson was in daily expectation of officers to carry him to London, determined to have a little sport. Accordingly, they went boldly to his door, and with loud knocks, cried where is Mr. Higginson, we must speak with Mr. Higginson. His affrighted wife ran to his chamber, entreating him to conceal himself. He replied, "No, I will go down and speak with them, and the will of the Lord be done." As they entered his hall with an assumed boldness, and roughness of address, they presented him some papers, saying, Sir, we come from London; our business is to carry you to London, as you may see by these papers. "I thought so," exclaimed Mrs. Higginson; indeed all the people in the room as well as she were confirmed in their opinion, that "these blades were pursuants." Mr. Higginson soon found himself invited to Massachusetts by the governor, and company; he welcomed his guests, had a free conversation, and after taking proper time to ascertain his duty, resolved to cross the Atlantic. His farewell sermon was from Luke xxi. 20. 21. "When ye see Jerusalem encompassed with armies, &c. then flee to the mountains." Before a vast assembly he declared his persuasion that England would be chastised by war, and that

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His Settlement at Salem.

Leicester would have more than an ordinary share of sufferings. Soon after Leicester, being strongly fortified, received the wealth of the adjacent country. It was then besieged, taken by storm, given up to plunder, and violence, and eleven hundred of the inhabitants were slain in the streets. He soon took his journey with his family to London, in order to embark for New England, when the streets, ashe passed along, were filled with people, bidding him farewell, with prayers and cries for his welfare.

They sailed from the Isle of Wight, May, 1629, and when they came to the land's end, Mr. Higginson, calling up his children and other passengers to take their last sight of England, said, " Farewel England, farewell the church of God in England, and all the christian friends there, concluding with a fervent prayer for the king, church, and state of England. The 24th of June, they arrived in Salem harbour. Mr. Skelton, who had been his companion in the voyage, united with him in forming a church, who immediately chose these two their spiritual teachers, and Mr. Houghton ruling elder. Happy were the people in their instructions, and the ample privileges they enjoyed; but this, as well as the other colonies, was doomed to suffer a dreadful mortality the first winter after their arrival; almost 100 persons died at Salem,* and 200 at Boston, Charlestown, and the vicinity.

• MATHER.

Ipswich planted.

66

101

His

Mr. Higginson's doctrines were mild. discipline was formed upon the manners of the people, and if severe to us, could not have been so to them; it was a guard upon morals.* While others were dying around him the first winter, Mr. Higginson fell into a hectic. The last sermon he preached was from Matt. 11. 7. "What went ye out into the wilderness to see." From which he reminded the people of their design to promote true religion in coming into this country. In his sickness he was visited by the principal people of the colony, and his funeral was attended with all possible solemnity. Mr. Higginson was grave in his deportment, and pure in his morals. In person he was slender, not tall not easily changed from his purposes, but not rash in declaring them. He held the hearts of his people, and his memory was dear to their posterity. The eagerness with which they embraced an opportunity to fix his son, thirty years afterwards, in the same church, and the renewal of his covenant, are full evidence of their sincere affections. He left a widow and eight children."* His posterity are still among the most respectable people of the Commonwealth.

In March, 1633, J. Winthrop, a son of the goy. ernor, with twelve men, began a plantation at Agawam, which afterwards was called Ipswich. The next year a church was gathered, being the ninth

1:2.

* BENTLEY,

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in the colony.

Description of Ipswich.

In April, the people being destitute of a minister, the governor travelled on foot. from Boston to Ipswich, spent the sabbath with them, “and exercised by way of prophecy.”* In 1634, the Rev. Nathaniel Ward came over from England, and became their minister for about eleven years.†

A fortnight after, a day

This year, Aug. 4th, the general court gave the new town at Agawam, the name of Ipswich, as a token of gratitude for the kindness the inhabitants received at Ipswich, in England, where they embarked for this country. of thanksgiving was appointed "for the revival of the times." The following is the first description we have seen of this place. "Agawam is. nine miles north from Salem; it is one of the most spacious places for a plantation, being near the sea ; it aboundeth with fish, and fowls, and beasts, great meads and marshes, and plain ploughing grounds, many good rivers and harbours, and no rattlesnakes; in a word, it is the best place but one, in my judgment, which is Merrimack." The next is more particular. "This town is situated on a fair and delightful river, whose first rise is about 25 miles in the country. The first part of its course is through a swamp, which is a great harbour for bears. The peopling of this town is by men of good rank and quality, many of them having the yearly revenue of large lands in England. It is a

* WINTHROP's Journal† MATTER. WOOD, 1633.

Character of its Inhabitants,

103

very good haven, yet barred a little at the mouth of the river. Here are some merchants, but Boston, being the chief place of shipping, carries away all the trade, but they have very good land for husbandry, where rocks hinder not the course of the plough; the Lord hath increased them in corn and cattle, so that they sell great quantities of corn, and in the fall,. feed the town of Boston with good beef. Many of their houses are handsome, with pleasant gardens and orchards. They consist of about 140 families. Their meetinghouse is a beautiful building, and commands a good prospect of the town. The church consists of about 160: souls, being exact in their conversation."* Such. was, and such is, the respectable character of this. people. They are strangers to those divisions and animosities, which injure and distress many other places. Another respectable authority gives this character of Ipswich church. "Here

is a renowned church, consisting mostly of such illuminated christians, that their pastors, in the exercises of their ministry, might consider them as judges, rather than disciples. "+

The spirit of persecution still raged in England. Many of the persecuted, less enterprising than their brethren who had already migrated to America, had been waiting with solicitude to know their situation and prospects. Satisfied on these points from the accounts they had received, great

Wonderworking Providence. † Mather,