A Deeper Look into Winthrop’s “A Model of Christian Charity”

John Winthrop, an English lawyer, is regarded as one of the leading figures of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and ended up serving as a governor during its establishment. Winthrop led these Puritan colonists into the New World in 1630, where he introduced the landscape with the famous “A Model of Christian Charity”. Such a sermon was a written and organized piece that was beautifully and wonderfully made, addressing trials and tribulations that the colony would face, and what the colony needed to do in order to be ultimately successful. Using biblical references that appealed to his Puritan audience, John Winthrop delivers a moving sermon in order to establish a standard by which the colonists should live. His purpose for this sermon is to inspire the colonists to take action because the world is watching.

First, in order to appeal to this audience Winthrop needed to employ tactics that would spark curiosity and promote active listening. Therefore, the most powerful part about Winthrop’s sermon is his use of scripture to captivate his audience and induce profound thought. By doing this, he’s able to engage with his original audience more and allow them to let the message resonate. Most notably is his address towards the book of Matthew in the New Testament, chapter 5, which depicts the story of Jesus’s “Sermon on the Mount”. Specifically, Winthrop uses Matthew 5:14-16 in order to motivate his audience to regard such wisdom and apply it:

“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. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

In addition, Winthrop alludes to the book of Proverbs and Corinthians to challenge the colonists with the “means…they are twofold, a conformity with the work and end we aim at. These we see are extraordinary, therefore we must not content ourselves with usual ordinary means…” In this passage, Winthrop challenges his followers to set the bar higher with each and everyday since what they wish to accomplish is a result of extraordinary means.

After drawing his audience in using familiar scripture that would appeal to them, Winthrop establishes the purpose of the sermon as he delves into 1 Corinthians 13, Galatians 6:2, Luke 14, Mark 8:35, and Nehemiah 1:11 to illustrate his goals, “we must bring into familiar and constant practice…without dissimulation, and we must love one another with a pure heart fervently. We must bear one another’s burdens.” Pulling together all of these scriptures by manipulating words in his sermon not only reinforced his purpose, but it also enthralled the audience and invited them to become closer to God by setting high standards for the colony.

Between his tactics and allusions, Winthrop was effectively able to engage his audience and promote action, which was important for the colonists and the overall goal of the sermon. Winthrop simply understood the gravity of the situation: the world was looking at those establishing themselves in the New World. A new standard would be set that would create ripples in the waters of the world for generations.

In order to put his words into action, he concludes his sermon by further challenging the colonists to act passionately rather than to just feel compassionate using the book of Micah, alluding to his previously mentioned scriptures, and tying it all together with a fierce statement comparing them to the inspiring story of Moses in the book of Exodus. To achieve this, he reminds his audience using repetition of the dooms they will experience if they don’t follow the counsel of Micah that suggested “to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God” (such dooms are nearly listed, beginning with “hear” in most versus in the book).

“We shall find that [God] is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies…for we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us,” Winthrop reiterates in the concluding statements of his sermon. In a moving way, echoing the Sermon on the Mount, Winthrop challenges his followers to set a higher standard in this New World because of the evil they may face.