Winthrop Sermon Close Reading Analysis

After reading Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Charity" sermon, we will analyze an excerpt from the text to improve our understanding. Read the Excerpt below and use it to answer the questions:

[1] Now the only way to avoid this shipwreck and to provide for our posterity is to follow the counsel of Micah, to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God. [2] For this end we must be knit together in this work as one man. [3] We must entertain each other in brotherly affection, we must be willing to abridge ourselves of our superfluities for the supply of others’ necessities. [4] We must uphold a familiar commerce together in all meekness, gentleness, patience, and liberality. [5] We must delight in each other, make others’ conditions our own, rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work, our community as members of the same body. [6] So shall we keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. [7] The Lord will be our God and delight in all our ways, so that we shall see much more of His wisdom, power, goodness, and truth than formerly we have been acquainted with. [8] We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies, when He shall make us a praise and glory, that men shall say of succeeding plantations, “the Lord make it like that of New England.” [9] For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. [10] The eyes of all people are upon us, so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and by-word throughout the world. [11] We shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the ways of God and all professors for God’s sake. [12] We shall shame the faces of many of God’s worthy servants, and cause their prayers to be turned into curses upon us till we be consumed out of the good land whither we are going.

Summarize! Look back at sentences 2-8. Winthrop describes one of two potential futures for their colony. Format this as an if/then statement. "According to Winthrop, if we .... Then our colony will be seen as ..."

Summarize! Look back at sentences 10-12. Winthrop describes the second of two potential futures for their colony. Format this as an if/then statement. "According to Winthrop, if we .... Then our colony will be seen as ..."

Simile Analysis! Please read all parts carefully!

Now we can switch focus to the most important sentence of the sermon "For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill" Notice that Winthrop uses a simile here, begging the questions: How is the Puritan Colony similar to "A city upon a hill"

This is actually a Biblical Allusion!!! Matthew 5:14-15 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house."

According to this passage a city upon a hill possesses two characteristics:

1. Brightness, like the candle
2. Visibility, it "cannot be hid"

But which of these did Winthrop mean?

How is the Puritan Colony similar to a "City upon a hill"

Simile Analysis Part 2! Leading up to this point in the sermon, Winthrop uses the phrase "We must" a number of times, calling on his followers to behave a certain way. Knowing what we now know about the simile, why might he do this?

"For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. [10] The eyes of all people are upon us, so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and by-word throughout the world."

In the excerpt above, what does Winthrop describe that would justify his usage of the phrase "we must"?

Based on these answers, select the statement which BEST describes what Winthrop meant when he told his followers that the colony would be a "City upon a hill"