Metadata
Title
Gilbert Tennent sermons 13, "Sermo Supra Rev. 3:20" (Sermon on Revelation 3:20), 1743 or 1744
Date
1743/1760
Digital Identifier
PHS.TennentSermons013
Description
Gilbert Tennent (1703-1764) was an Irish-American Presbyterian clergyman, and one of the leaders of the Great Awakening.
Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
In this sermon, Tennent enumerates three central points regarding this Bible verse: Christ's patience in standing and knocking; the sinner's first duty, to listen to Christ's word and thereby know human fallibility and receive his mercy; and the sinner's second duty, to open the door to Christ, laying aside ignorance, presumption, and prejudice and taking on acceptance and obedience. In return, the erstwhile sinner is absorbed into the spirit and image of Christ and shares in his love, "the fullness, the freeness, the sweetness." Tennent describes how surprised converts are at these feelings, and how the wrath of God increases if the promises made are rejected: "if you shut him out, you shut the Devil in."
From dates noted in the text, it looks like Tennent wrote this sermon in 1743 or 1744, and delivered it again 1751 and 1760.
Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
In this sermon, Tennent enumerates three central points regarding this Bible verse: Christ's patience in standing and knocking; the sinner's first duty, to listen to Christ's word and thereby know human fallibility and receive his mercy; and the sinner's second duty, to open the door to Christ, laying aside ignorance, presumption, and prejudice and taking on acceptance and obedience. In return, the erstwhile sinner is absorbed into the spirit and image of Christ and shares in his love, "the fullness, the freeness, the sweetness." Tennent describes how surprised converts are at these feelings, and how the wrath of God increases if the promises made are rejected: "if you shut him out, you shut the Devil in."
From dates noted in the text, it looks like Tennent wrote this sermon in 1743 or 1744, and delivered it again 1751 and 1760.
Subject
Place
Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
Congregation
Second Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PA
Holding Institution
Presbyterian Historical Society
Extent
5 pages
Format (Digital)
tiff
Rights
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
Language
eng
Type
Text
Abstract
Sermo supra Rev. 3:20 (Sermon on Revelations 3:30) is a short work with an in-depth analysis of the verse which famously begins "Behold I stand at the door and knock". Presented as a set of dualities within three important elements: 1) Christ, sinless, condescends to stand patiently at the door of the sinner, and takes the chance, or the opportunity of knocking, to be admitted. 2) will the duties of the sinner be obeyed-- to hear, and to open the door? 3) Christ's reciprocity-- Christ will enter. The sinner or converted will sup with Him and he with Christ, Christ easy with every kind of person and pleased with being received will reveal the love and hope offered, and the sinner now converted feels relieved and happy.
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