A City Upon A Hill

A City Upon A Hill

Founding the America we all take for granted was at times a depressing ordeal.

JOHN WINTHROP was a dedicated Puritan lawyer in England. We get a glimpse of his character from a statement he wrote at the age of twenty-four: “I do resolve first to give myself—my life, my wits, my health, my wealth—to the service of my God and Saviour who by giving Himself for me and to me, deserves whatsoever I am or can be, to be at His commandment and for his glory.”

Winthrop had been elected governor of the Massachusetts Bay Company prior to departing from England on the Arabella with some seven hundred colonists. Two years earlier sixty-six English settlers led by John Endecott had settled at Salem, Massachusetts, and the next year two hundred more had followed.

On June 12, 1630, John Winthrop stood at the rail of the Arabella as it entered Salem harbor. For seventy-two days he had been at sea, and now he had finally arrived in New England, filled with anticipation for what God was going to do on these new shores.

As they approached, the sight that greeted Winthrop perplexed him. Where was Salem? All that was visible was a collection of huts and canvas shelters. Stepping on shore from the first boat, he realized to his great disappointment that this pathetic settlement was indeed Salem.

John Endecott, the acting governor, informed him that of the first two groups of settlers now eighty-five remained. More than eighty had died, and the rest had returned to England. And many of those remaining planned to do the same.

As Winthrop surveyed the disheartening sight, he thought of the words he had written the day before to spell out his goals for the new colony, which he titled “A Model of Christian Charity”:

Thus stands the cause between God and us: we are entered into covenant with Him for this work. . . .

Now the only way . . . to provide for posterity, is to follow the counsel of Micah, to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God . . . for this end, we must be knit together in this work as one man. . . . We must hold a familiar commerce together in all meekness, gentleness, patience, and liberality. We must delight in each other, make one another’s condition our own, rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our Commission and Community in his work, as members of the same body. So shall we keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. . . .

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 of succeeding plantations shall say, “The Lord make it like that of New England.” For we must consider that we shall be as a City upon a hill. . . .

Rekindled in his vision, John Winthrop went on to serve as governor of Massachusetts almost continually until his death in 1649. He was instrumental in shaping Massachusetts into a Christian commonwealth that went on to have a profound effect on the rest of the developing new nation.

Reflection

John Winthrop was able to overcome his initial disappointment in Salem because God had given him a vision of the future. What vision has God given you for overcoming your disappointments? When we focus on only what is immediately in front of us, it is easy to miss the big picture. God’s perspective includes today as well as the future, all as part of one master plan.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true, there is life and joy.

Proverbs 13:12