Metadata
Title
Gilbert Tennent sermons 21, "De humiliatione, prece, et reformatione" (On humbling oneself, prayer and reformation), 1744
Date
1744/1763
Digital Identifier
PHS.TennentSermons021
Description
Gilbert Tennent (1703-1764) was an Irish-American Presbyterian clergyman, and one of the leaders of the Great Awakening.
Tennent begins this sermon with the Bible verse 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." He urges his congregation to practice earnest humility and heart-felt prayer, and to strive for serious reformation in the face of troubled times - here identified as warfare with France and the withdrawal of God in dissatisfaction with his followers, who have fallen away from established religion and clear-cut truths into Moravianism and other errors. Tennent reminds the Brethren of their obligations to God and his goodness in the face of man's sinfulness.
From dates noted on the manuscript, it appears Tennent wrote this sermon in 1744, and delivered it again in 1747, 1751, 1755, and 1763.
Tennent begins this sermon with the Bible verse 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." He urges his congregation to practice earnest humility and heart-felt prayer, and to strive for serious reformation in the face of troubled times - here identified as warfare with France and the withdrawal of God in dissatisfaction with his followers, who have fallen away from established religion and clear-cut truths into Moravianism and other errors. Tennent reminds the Brethren of their obligations to God and his goodness in the face of man's sinfulness.
From dates noted on the manuscript, it appears Tennent wrote this sermon in 1744, and delivered it again in 1747, 1751, 1755, and 1763.
Subject
Place
Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
Congregation
Second Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PA
Holding Institution
Presbyterian Historical Society
Extent
22 pages
Format (Digital)
tiff
Rights
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
Language
eng
Type
Text
Abstract
De humiliatione, prece, et reformatione (On humility, prayer, and reformation)
sets forth the three conditions which show repentance under affliction: humility, prayer, and reform, and the three blessings that God offers in response: a hearing, forgiveness, and deliverance.
Humility requires a candid confession of sin, not dissembling it, lying about it, trying to defend it, blaming it on someone else-- when what is required is to bear chastisement patiently. Prayer is an awareness that God has turned his face away from the sufferer; prayer longs for the face of God once more, and the one petitioning must make his case openly and in detail and in lamentation before God, who knows everything already but must hear it from us so that we understand our wrongs clearly and with faith in God's deliverance. Reformation demands that we abjure sin. We must be sincere in our praying so that God hears us and we are not shut out but are forgiven if we mend our ways, otherwise our prayers will have no merit.
This sermon was given under looming threat. There had been intermittent wars with France over whether the French or the British would rule North America.
sets forth the three conditions which show repentance under affliction: humility, prayer, and reform, and the three blessings that God offers in response: a hearing, forgiveness, and deliverance.
Humility requires a candid confession of sin, not dissembling it, lying about it, trying to defend it, blaming it on someone else-- when what is required is to bear chastisement patiently. Prayer is an awareness that God has turned his face away from the sufferer; prayer longs for the face of God once more, and the one petitioning must make his case openly and in detail and in lamentation before God, who knows everything already but must hear it from us so that we understand our wrongs clearly and with faith in God's deliverance. Reformation demands that we abjure sin. We must be sincere in our praying so that God hears us and we are not shut out but are forgiven if we mend our ways, otherwise our prayers will have no merit.
This sermon was given under looming threat. There had been intermittent wars with France over whether the French or the British would rule North America.
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IIIF Manifest
https://www.philageohistory.org/rdic-images/iiif.cfm/PHS.TennentSermons021/manifest
