A Model of Christian Charity

is divided into three sections:

I. The Glory of God and Rules for Christian Lending

A: Some reasons why God Invented the Rich and the Poor People:

1. God demonstrates his Glory by having the ability (the wisdom and power) of keeping a diverse population together as a community.

2. To give the rich a chance to show love and charity to the poor and the poor to show faith, patience, and obedience to the rich and wise.

3. Since rich and poor become interdependent in need, they become knit together in the body of Christ

B: Two of God's Laws at work in the World.

1. Law of Nature
Every man is made so as to help each other if it is in the best interest of themselves--the doctrine of self-interest rightly understood.

2. Law of Grace
There are times when Christians must act over and above the Law of Nature and act for the good of others even if it is not in the interest of self.

***What are the three rules of giving, lending, and forgiving***
Note: Forgiving doesn't mean what we commonly think it does here.
What's its special meaning?

II. The Binding Power of Love in Christ's Body, the Church
[Two major analogies are developed in this section--The body of Christ/church analogy and the clock analogy.]

A: The body of Christ/Church

1. If we Christians here in 1630 act as described above, we will be able to knit the Church/State together in the body of Christ: "Love is the bond of perfection"

a. True Christians are of one body in Christ.
b. Ligaments of this body are of love.
c. no perfection in the body-Church-State w/o the ligament of Christ.
d. All parts of the body of Christ are mutually supportive, and
e. A desire is infused throughout the body which gives it strength, protection, and comfort.

***Christ is the perfect type of this body.***

B: The Clock Analogy--

This clock has parts and a winder/power source.

# Who operates this clock?
# What are its parts?
# How are the parts related--What drives what?
# and what does this clock represent as a whole?

C: Why Love binds--like attracts like, we love the resemblance to ourselves we see in others:

Mother loves child because she sees image of herself
Eve see herself in Adam.

****In other words, like is drawn to like.****

III. At the end of this sermon Winthrop explains why we are doing this:

What is the purpose Winthrop expresses for this resettlement to the New World?

General Questions:
Do you agree that rich and poor living in harmony is a demonstration of God's wisdom, power and glory? If not, what do you believe about rich and poor?

What do you think about Winthrop's description of the proper relationship between rich and poor and the responsibilities he says they have to one another?

Do you agree with his description of why we love, that resemblance stimulates love?

Class Discussion:
The doctrine of self-interest rightly understood.
Conformity vs. non-conformity
City on the Hill