Metadata
Title
Gilbert Tennent sermons 16, "De Federe operum," (On the covenant of works), 1744
Date
1744/1758
Digital Identifier
PHS.TennentSermons016
Description
Gilbert Tennent (1703-1764) was an Irish-American Presbyterian clergyman, and one of the leaders of the Great Awakening.
Tennent wrote this sermon about the covenant God made with Adam, and notes the following Bible verse on page 1: Genesis 2:16-17, "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
Tennent presents a very detailed explication of the covenant of works that God made with Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In disobeying, Adam, as the first man, introduced sin and death into the world for himself and for all people thereafter. The Second Adam, Christ, also as one man, brings redemption from sin and death for all believers, and shows the continued willingness of the almighty to once again make a covenant with man, even so much lesser and ungrateful a partner. The power of covenants, according to Tennent, extends down the generations.
From dates noted on the manuscript, it appears Tennent wrote the sermon in 1744, and delivered it again in 1747, 1751, and 1758.
Tennet's sermon "De federe nature (On the nature of the covenant)" follows this one.
Tennent wrote this sermon about the covenant God made with Adam, and notes the following Bible verse on page 1: Genesis 2:16-17, "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
Tennent presents a very detailed explication of the covenant of works that God made with Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In disobeying, Adam, as the first man, introduced sin and death into the world for himself and for all people thereafter. The Second Adam, Christ, also as one man, brings redemption from sin and death for all believers, and shows the continued willingness of the almighty to once again make a covenant with man, even so much lesser and ungrateful a partner. The power of covenants, according to Tennent, extends down the generations.
From dates noted on the manuscript, it appears Tennent wrote the sermon in 1744, and delivered it again in 1747, 1751, and 1758.
Tennet's sermon "De federe nature (On the nature of the covenant)" follows this one.
Subject
Place
Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
Congregation
Second Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PA
Holding Institution
Presbyterian Historical Society
Extent
18 pages
Format (Digital)
tiff
Rights
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
Language
eng
Type
Text
Abstract
De Federe Operum (On the Covenant of Works) again concerns the first covenant, or mutual agreement between God and man in which Adam had the power of co-operation. Tho Adam represented the entire human race, his part of the commitment or 'work' was that he cultivate the Garden of Eden and might eat anything of its varied fruit except the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, and to realize that he could face death for not obeying that one specific command.
Adam was innocent, so far free of the the evils of the mind and the flesh, to us as fallen creatures "the two great fountains of Sin." Explores what kind of life the innocent Adam had, a union of soul (spiritual actions) and body (natural actions) and early on enjoyed eternal life. What kind of death would he eventually have? A three-fold death, of soul, body and life, which could not eradicate Adam as a public man, a symbol of countless others to come.
Rev. Tennent argues that the Covenant of Works was destined for Adam's posterity as well, before the Fall. Once the Fall occurred, the free enjoyment of Eden ended and the punishments for mankind became continual.
Afterwards Rev. Tennent argues that the Covenant of Grace undergirded other covenants at other times: with Noah and the symbol of the rainbow, Abraham and his seed, the Laws handed down from Mount Sinai; with David and his posterity; with the Jews after the Babylonian Captivity; and the stated Covenant of grace with the coming of Christ, the greatest expression of God's stooping to meet man in treaty.
Beginning on p. 16 are objections and Rev. Tennent's responses.
Adam was innocent, so far free of the the evils of the mind and the flesh, to us as fallen creatures "the two great fountains of Sin." Explores what kind of life the innocent Adam had, a union of soul (spiritual actions) and body (natural actions) and early on enjoyed eternal life. What kind of death would he eventually have? A three-fold death, of soul, body and life, which could not eradicate Adam as a public man, a symbol of countless others to come.
Rev. Tennent argues that the Covenant of Works was destined for Adam's posterity as well, before the Fall. Once the Fall occurred, the free enjoyment of Eden ended and the punishments for mankind became continual.
Afterwards Rev. Tennent argues that the Covenant of Grace undergirded other covenants at other times: with Noah and the symbol of the rainbow, Abraham and his seed, the Laws handed down from Mount Sinai; with David and his posterity; with the Jews after the Babylonian Captivity; and the stated Covenant of grace with the coming of Christ, the greatest expression of God's stooping to meet man in treaty.
Beginning on p. 16 are objections and Rev. Tennent's responses.
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