Good morning! Praise the Lord and give thanks for his blessings. Lately, in preparing for a literature class, I have been reading some of the written works of the colonists of North America. I am glad to see that many of them give thanks to God for their new home, often in spite of severe hardship. What is interesting to me is the account of Anne Hutchinson and her trial. We hear the Covenant of Grace ministered often these days and may perhaps assume that it has always been so among Christians. However, that is not true of the Puritan communities in early America. Anne Hutchinson received a sentence of excommunication from those same communities and eventually died in an Indian attack. At that time she enjoyed the distinction of being a woman who disagreed with a bunch of male ministers. Looking back from our present time, we would also say that she enjoyed the distinction of being right and those who sent her packing as wrong.
The Puritan communities endured many hardships in the early days and the Covenant of Works may have been a strategy for survival. However, that would show a lack of trust in God to provide for their needs. Anne Hutchinson also enjoyed the blessing of a very sharp intellect and this may also have intimidated the men of that time, just as it could even now. It is possible that now or in the future we too may be persecuted by those we call friends and neighbors. If we receive persecution because we follow Jesus, then praise God for our being counted worthy to receive it!
Walk with Jesus today!
Bucky
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