Metadata
Title
Gilbert Tennent sermons 19, "De mortificatione Pecatis" (On the mortification of sins) and "De Resignatione Divine voluntate" (On resignation to the divine will), 1744
Date
1744/1763
Digital Identifier
PHS.TennentSermons019
Description
Gilbert Tennent (1703-1764) was an Irish-American Presbyterian clergyman, and one of the leaders of the Great Awakening.
This manuscript contains two sermon topics in three presentations, perhaps presaging papers for a workshop or retreat. Tennent begins by citing 2 Samuel 15:26, "But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him." He goes on to cite further verses from Matthew, Samuel, John, and Hebrews.
The first presentation, addressed to "sirs," is almost a tutorial on how to weaken sin and deprive it of nourishment and its rule over people, with a questionnaire for self-examination and encouragement for those struggling. The second presentation talks of resignation, and is addressed to "dear sirs" with a "profession," possibly an audience of fellow ministers. The third paper, on submissive resignation, explores human psychological reactions as they make afflictions worse, and reminds the congregation to refer all to God and Christ, to help regulate and calm overreactions to troubles at their onset, and to ease the bearing of them over time.
From dates noted on the manuscript, it seems Tennent wrote these pieces in 1744, and returned to them again in 1745, 1746, 1748, 1749, 1756, 1762 and 1763.
This manuscript contains two sermon topics in three presentations, perhaps presaging papers for a workshop or retreat. Tennent begins by citing 2 Samuel 15:26, "But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him." He goes on to cite further verses from Matthew, Samuel, John, and Hebrews.
The first presentation, addressed to "sirs," is almost a tutorial on how to weaken sin and deprive it of nourishment and its rule over people, with a questionnaire for self-examination and encouragement for those struggling. The second presentation talks of resignation, and is addressed to "dear sirs" with a "profession," possibly an audience of fellow ministers. The third paper, on submissive resignation, explores human psychological reactions as they make afflictions worse, and reminds the congregation to refer all to God and Christ, to help regulate and calm overreactions to troubles at their onset, and to ease the bearing of them over time.
From dates noted on the manuscript, it seems Tennent wrote these pieces in 1744, and returned to them again in 1745, 1746, 1748, 1749, 1756, 1762 and 1763.
Subject
Place
Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
Congregation
Second Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PA
Holding Institution
Presbyterian Historical Society
Extent
36 pages
Format (Digital)
tiff
Rights
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
Language
eng
Type
Text
Abstract
De mortificatione peccatis, followed by De resignatione divine voluntate, two closely related sermons. The first, De mortificatione peccatis (On the killing off of sins) describes how to weaken the power of sin, not by physical punishment by others or by one's self, but by spiritual rebirth and the workings of the Holy Spirit to redirect the mind and heart to an active avoidance of sin. Physical lust, idleness, pleasure-seeking, greed, envy, and fighting all open the way to sin, encourage its domination over people, and pose threats to peace. Mortification diminishes the power of sin; the principal aide, the Holy Spirit which guides prayer and fasting, redirects the heart and body and helps resist temptations, making sin shameful and abhorrent. The meritorious cause, the coming of Christ into one's life and the exemplary cause, his sacrifice and suffering whose example strengthens resistance to sin, and the instrumental cause, our contemplation of Christ and our repentence, and our resolve to be conformed to him, all of which build faith and hope, no easy task, needing constant vigilance. Useful questions for self-examination, followed by encouragement to the task.
The second sermon, De resignatione divine voluntate (On resignation to the Divine Will) outlines how people arrive at resignation: first the sense of affliction, then the attempt to pray the affliction away, then realization of the right-ness of the circumstance, and finally consent to the will of the Creator and hope in him.
The second sermon, De resignatione divine voluntate (On resignation to the Divine Will) outlines how people arrive at resignation: first the sense of affliction, then the attempt to pray the affliction away, then realization of the right-ness of the circumstance, and finally consent to the will of the Creator and hope in him.
Thumbnail
IIIF Manifest
https://www.philageohistory.org/rdic-images/iiif.cfm/PHS.TennentSermons019/manifest
