On April 8,1630, four ships left the English Isle of Wight. On the ship named Arbella was a puritan lawyer by the name of John Winthrop, his two sons, and many other future colonial leaders. Their ships joined seven more ships in a convoy to the New World. He was leading a group of 700 migrants to the Massachusetts bay colony where he would serve as its the third governor for twelve years and its lieutenant governor for six years.

While many have attempted to rewrite history or question the motives of those who founded the colonies, it is wiser to read the works of those people and give them the benefit of the doubt. Certainly America’s founders had their faults, and not all of them were “good Christians,” but many of them were heroic in their efforts, and I consider myself a beneficiary of their faith. 

Winthrop wrote a sermon entitled A Modell of Christian Charity, which was delivered either before or during the crossing. The sermon outlined ideas and plans for keeping the Puritan society strong in faith. In it he compared their journey to that of the Israelites leaving Egypt and he talked about the struggles that they would face in the New World. He also coined a now-famous nickname for America: “The City upon a Hill”. Here is a snippet of that famous sermon.

“for we must Consider that we shall be as a City upon a Hill, 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 a byword through the world, we shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the way of God and all professors for God’s sake; 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 whether we are going:”

Winthrop’s sermon set the tone for the new colonies, which would be a beacon of freedom seen around the world for centuries to come. Much of what he cast vision for came to pass. Winthrop’s son, John, later became one of the founders of the Connecticut Colony. Winthrop also wrote one of the best-known historical accounts of the founding of the colonies. His descendants include many famous Americans, and his writings continue to influence politicians to this day.

At the writing of his sermon John Winthrop could have considered himself to be just one struggling Christian, but he was all-in, and he made a huge difference in the lives of many Americans who would be born in subsequent generations. This gives us all hope! Maybe our faith will help make a way for those who follow. Who knows how consequential your life and my life can be if we pray sincere prayers and do our best to live lives pleasing to the one to whom we pray? One things is certain, if we are timid in our faith, no one will benefit. If we are bold and unashamed, we can be part of that “City on a Hill.”