---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For we must Consider that we shall be as…"
description: "\"“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..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/john-winthrop-33810_love-one-another_for-we-must-consider-that-we-shall-be-as_2210189.jpg"
---

#  For we must Consider that we shall be as a City upon a…

![“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…” quote by John Winthrop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/john-winthrop-33810_love-one-another_for-we-must-consider-that-we-shall-be-as_2210189.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/john-winthrop-33810_love-one-another_for-we-must-consider-that-we-shall-be-as_2210189.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/john-winthrop-33810_love-one-another_for-we-must-consider-that-we-shall-be-as_2210189.jpg)

> ““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 ways of god and all professors for Gods sake; we shall shame the faces of many of gods 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: And to shut up this discourse with that exhortation of Moses that faithful servant of the Lord in his last farewell to Israel Deut. 30. Beloved there is now set before us life, and good, death and evil in that we are Commanded this day to love the Lord our God, and to love one another to walk in his ways and to keep his Commandments and his Ordinance, and his laws, and the Articles of our Covenant with him that we may live and be multiplied, and that the Lord our God may bless us in the land whether we go to possess it: But if our hearts shall turn away so that we will not obey, but shall be seduced and worship other Gods our pleasures, and profits, and serve them, it is propounded unto us this day, we shall surely perish out of the good Land whether we pass over this vast Sea to possess it.””

[John Winthrop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-winthrop/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The author warns that moral failure will bring divine and communal punishment, urging adherence to divine law and mutual love.

**In simple terms:** Ignoring God’s law leads to disaster; stay faithful and love each other.

Key Takeaway

Uphold moral standards and communal responsibility.

Themes

faith morality community divine judgment obedience

Mood

reflective serious

Type

historical religious

When to use this quote

- colonial governance
- church guidance
- personal conduct
- public policy

Key Concepts

covenant theology social contract ethical leadership

Questions to Reflect On

- What does “city upon a hill” mean today?
- How can diverse societies maintain shared moral foundations?

A Different Perspective

Historical context limits relevance to modern pluralistic societies.

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[Commandments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commandments/) [Love one another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-one-another/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/)

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