Christian Charity Essay, Research Paper

"A Model of Christian Charity" was a sermon that was delivered to the

passengers on the Arbella. The sermon was about how a Puritan should obey God

and behave. The Puritans believed they were included in the covenant God had

with Israel(God would protect them if they obeyed God’s laws) and they believed

they were God’s chosen people. In the sermon John Winthrop said "Now if the

Lord shall please to hear us and bring us in peace to the place we desire, then

hath he ratified this covenant and sealed our commission…." He was

talking about how they have obeyed God’s law and should get to the place they

are going safely because of the covenant. His main point was giving all the

glory to God. In whatever they did to keep it in God’s name and always obey God.

God is the almighty power and had to be obeyed. "But if we neglect the

observation of these articles which are the ends we have propounded, and

dissembling with our God, shall fall to embrace this present world and prosecute

our carnal intentions, seeking great things for ourselves and our posterity, the

Lord will surely break out in wrath against us, be revenged of such a perjured

people, and make us know the price of the breach of such a covenant." They

truly believed that everything just said would happen to them if they did not

obey God’s laws. In conclusion the sermon was about the Puritans obeying God’s

laws and if they did God would protect them by getting them safely to America

and "the Lord make it like that of New England".