Metadata
Title
Gilbert Tennent sermons 77, "De fructuositate" (On fruitfulness), 1745
Date
1744/1755
Digital Identifier
PHS.TennentSermons077
Description
Gilbert Tennent (1703-1764) was an Irish-American Presbyterian clergyman, and one of the leaders of the Great Awakening.
Tennent cites three Bible verses in this sermon on the subject of "fruitfulness:" First, Matthew 3:10, "And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." Second, John 15:8, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." Third, Luke 13:7, "Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?"
From dates noted in the manuscript, it looks like Tennent wrote this sermon in 1744, and delivered it again in 1745 or 1746, 1747, 1748, 1750 and 1755. However, the back cover proclaims "A sermon occasioned by the Late proclamation for a general Fast, preached at Philadelphia January 7, 1747."
Tennent cites three Bible verses in this sermon on the subject of "fruitfulness:" First, Matthew 3:10, "And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." Second, John 15:8, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." Third, Luke 13:7, "Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?"
From dates noted in the manuscript, it looks like Tennent wrote this sermon in 1744, and delivered it again in 1745 or 1746, 1747, 1748, 1750 and 1755. However, the back cover proclaims "A sermon occasioned by the Late proclamation for a general Fast, preached at Philadelphia January 7, 1747."
Subject
Place
Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
Congregation
Second Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PA
Holding Institution
Presbyterian Historical Society
Extent
6 pages
Format (Digital)
tiff
Rights
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
Language
eng
Type
Text
Abstract
De fructuositate (On fruitfulness) is an interesting short presentation on both practical botanical and human spiritual fruitfulness. It shows signs of draft and revision, with two title pages, as well as another mystery title page used as its back cover.
Reading from the title on p. 2, it begins with a salute to the virtues of the grape vine, known throughout the ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds as a wonderfully useful plant medically for its stem and leaves as well as for its grapes and wine. The sermon then extends fruitfulness to human beings, who should work with Christ and the Holy Spirit always in mind as sources of their best selves, As the sermon was revised and re-thought, appropriate means for following Christ were added to the verso of the later title page on the front cover.
The back cover offered a surprise and a research bonus. It is a draft of a title page for a sermon presented by Rev. Tennent as part of a Fast held in Philadelphia in 1747 that prayed for a resolution of fighting between armies in Europe (King George's War, 1744-1748, North American portion of the Wars of the Austrian Succession, fought as one of the French and Indian Wars to determine whether Britain or France should rule over North America.) [A bit more detail given on the Back cover page of Sermon 77 in the PCER project.]
The more specific title given on another page of the original is: Rev. Mr. Tennent's sermon on fasting and prayer. (viewed online, Aug. 1, 2026, via the National Library of Australia, https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/10225698)
Reading from the title on p. 2, it begins with a salute to the virtues of the grape vine, known throughout the ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds as a wonderfully useful plant medically for its stem and leaves as well as for its grapes and wine. The sermon then extends fruitfulness to human beings, who should work with Christ and the Holy Spirit always in mind as sources of their best selves, As the sermon was revised and re-thought, appropriate means for following Christ were added to the verso of the later title page on the front cover.
The back cover offered a surprise and a research bonus. It is a draft of a title page for a sermon presented by Rev. Tennent as part of a Fast held in Philadelphia in 1747 that prayed for a resolution of fighting between armies in Europe (King George's War, 1744-1748, North American portion of the Wars of the Austrian Succession, fought as one of the French and Indian Wars to determine whether Britain or France should rule over North America.) [A bit more detail given on the Back cover page of Sermon 77 in the PCER project.]
The more specific title given on another page of the original is: Rev. Mr. Tennent's sermon on fasting and prayer. (viewed online, Aug. 1, 2026, via the National Library of Australia, https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/10225698)
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IIIF Manifest
https://www.philageohistory.org/rdic-images/iiif.cfm/PHS.TennentSermons077/manifest
