Metadata
Title
Gilbert Tennent sermons 12, "De judicio ultimo" (On the last judgement), 1743
Date
1743/1760
Digital Identifier
PHS.TennentSermons012
Description
Gilbert Tennent (1703-1764) was an Irish-American Presbyterian clergyman, and one of the leaders of the Great Awakening.
At the beginning of this sermon, Tennent references the following biblical verses: Ecclesiastes 11:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, Hebrews 9:27, and Psalms 50:3. He follows with a clear description of what is likely to happen at the coming of Christ, to which he gives a flavor of an English courtroom and which he calls "the last Asize." He describes the separation of sheep and goats, and the qualities of the last judgment: conducted in a setting to terrorize the impious; critical, unavoidable, impartial, and final. The reward for those badly treated in this life is in the next life of recompense. Tennent provides evidence for man's innate fear of judgment and his ability to reason combining to create a bad conscience after evil-doing; and the suddenness of the End of Days, which should keep people alert. He ends with an exhortation to young people at the end, with practical steps to take in preparation for the last judgement.
From dates noted on the text, it looks like Tennent wrote the sermon in 1743, and delivered it again in 1745 or 1746, 1748, 1753, 1756, 1758, and 1760.
At the beginning of this sermon, Tennent references the following biblical verses: Ecclesiastes 11:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, Hebrews 9:27, and Psalms 50:3. He follows with a clear description of what is likely to happen at the coming of Christ, to which he gives a flavor of an English courtroom and which he calls "the last Asize." He describes the separation of sheep and goats, and the qualities of the last judgment: conducted in a setting to terrorize the impious; critical, unavoidable, impartial, and final. The reward for those badly treated in this life is in the next life of recompense. Tennent provides evidence for man's innate fear of judgment and his ability to reason combining to create a bad conscience after evil-doing; and the suddenness of the End of Days, which should keep people alert. He ends with an exhortation to young people at the end, with practical steps to take in preparation for the last judgement.
From dates noted on the text, it looks like Tennent wrote the sermon in 1743, and delivered it again in 1745 or 1746, 1748, 1753, 1756, 1758, and 1760.
Subject
Place
Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
Congregation
Second Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PA
Holding Institution
Presbyterian Historical Society
Extent
16 pages
Format (Digital)
tiff
Rights
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
Language
eng
Type
Text
Abstract
De judicio ultimo (On the Last Judgment) shows an absolute belief in the scriptural forecast of the Last Judgment and its terrors, and illustrates it by the many references in both Testaments. This judgment is universal, for the living and the dead everywhere, pagan or believer. Man, great or humble, dreads it, and his consciousness of a reckoning Rev. Tennent likens in a down-to-earth way to an "inferior court" in man's bosom, "in which records are kept, enquiries made, & appeals entered to be heard at the grand Assize."
The presages: heresies flooding the world; false christs who fool people into not taking right precautions. Only when the Gospel is finally preached to the entire world, will the end come; the world meanwhile given over to carnality and wrong-doing; persecutions of believers; wars, plagues, famines, earthquakes; widespread loss of faith.
Jesus Christ appointed the appropriate judge at the last. He has all of God's attributes and knows all human secrets, and will complete the work of redemption; he himself has been persecuted and crucified. People of all nations, young and old, good and bad must stand trial, and angels too will be tried. No one knows the day of judgment, which will come at any time and will be sudden-- keeping the careless uncertain, and people of faith alert and trying to live aright and be prepared, and offering hope to the oppressed.
The Reverend wonders aloud, Where will it take place? Possibly the Valley of Jehoshaphat, but what earthly location could contain it? How long would it take? 1000 years? or some less definite length of time? Again linking to the every-day, he imagines the trials set afoot step by step as they would be in a human court of law. There follows destruction of earth and descent of Christ in splendor to deliver the final judgment in the vivid terms of Revelation. Exhortation, especially to the heedless young: to practice charity, sobriety, watchfulness, sincerity, meekness.
The presages: heresies flooding the world; false christs who fool people into not taking right precautions. Only when the Gospel is finally preached to the entire world, will the end come; the world meanwhile given over to carnality and wrong-doing; persecutions of believers; wars, plagues, famines, earthquakes; widespread loss of faith.
Jesus Christ appointed the appropriate judge at the last. He has all of God's attributes and knows all human secrets, and will complete the work of redemption; he himself has been persecuted and crucified. People of all nations, young and old, good and bad must stand trial, and angels too will be tried. No one knows the day of judgment, which will come at any time and will be sudden-- keeping the careless uncertain, and people of faith alert and trying to live aright and be prepared, and offering hope to the oppressed.
The Reverend wonders aloud, Where will it take place? Possibly the Valley of Jehoshaphat, but what earthly location could contain it? How long would it take? 1000 years? or some less definite length of time? Again linking to the every-day, he imagines the trials set afoot step by step as they would be in a human court of law. There follows destruction of earth and descent of Christ in splendor to deliver the final judgment in the vivid terms of Revelation. Exhortation, especially to the heedless young: to practice charity, sobriety, watchfulness, sincerity, meekness.
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