John Winthrop Analysis

In 1630 a group of allied colonists and puritans were on a voyage to the New World, aboard the Abella. The reason for their journey was to achieve religious freedom from their homeland, England. On the ship, a Puritan preacher named John Winthrop made a sermon to the group about God and his “commissions”. He spoke on how they need to look up to God, basically as a mentor, and that these commissions can affect their lives. Winthrop explains that for what God has done for us, we should repay him by following his commissions or commands. “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, and will expect a strict performance of the articles contained in it” (Winthrop). He is telling his group that since God is blessing them with this voyage for their religious freedom, they now owe God and need to follow his commissions. According to Winthrop, if you follow through with these orders, God will reward you. Otherwise, if the colonists and partisans don’t follow his commissions God will, “break out in wrath against us” (Winthrop). Winthrop explains that it would be frowned upon to not carry out God’s objectives and he would stop aiding us on our journey. Winthrop gives
Although if the partisans and allied colonists do complete these commissions for Him, they shall be rewarded and blessed on all of their ways. Winthrop gives two different examples of wrong and right doings, when it comes to following God’s orders. Winthrop was saying that in order to be blessed on their journey and in their life in the New World, they need to follow God. “Therefore let us choose life, that we and our seed may live, by obeying his voice and cleaving to Him, for he is our life and our prosperity”