SERMONS - University of Tennessee, Knoxville

SeRMon entRieS
Bib. Ref.: 1 Sam. Chap. 3. Verse 18. part. It is the Lord, let him do wt. [what]
seemeth him good.
Commentary: This sermon is presently located in folder 58-59 and grouped with
accession number 4047. Their relationship is undetermined. The first written leaf
of the manuscript is a half-size insert added to the original booklet. It is a note to
the congregation which states the sermon will not be about the deceased, whose
good qualities are well known, but about preparation for death. The additional leaf
has been counted into the manuscript’s total pages. On the reverse of this leaf, Clay
changes “they have” to “She has” in referring to the deceased (see below). The inside
back cover bears four lines that read (with a slash indicating a line break): “Feb 4.
1775. G. Fox Napier/Oct. 13. 77[1777]. Capt. Wm. Wood & Wife/Mar. 17. 1780 Mrs
Griffith/Ap. 1782 Mrs. Tinsley.” The manuscript bears light editing by Clay and a
use of abbreviations throughout.
Keywords: grief; Job; Eli; justice of God; funeral sermon; sermon, funeral; death;
God, justice of; punishment, eternal; reconciliation; God, obedience to; humility;
Christ, salvation through; Christian duty; duties of Christians to God; Christ,
imitation of; Christ, sufferings of; God’s gifts; repentance; sin, God’s abhorrence of;
Eli, punishment of; Eli, death of his two sons; Oman; Hophni, son of Eli; Phinehas,
son of Eli; Philistines; God, resignation to; world, sins of; God, sin abhorred by;
God, compassion of; death, fear of; God, omniscience of; God, ruler of all; God,
grace of; Job; man, unregenerate state of; sinfulness; affliction of man, reasons for;
man, sins of; pride; Hell; wickedness; heaven, joys of; last judgment; judgment,
last; Napier, G. Fox; Wood, Capt. Wm. and wife; Griffith, Mrs.; Tinsley, Mrs.;
damnation;
727. CLAY, CHARLES. (VA; Epis.; 1745-1820; lic. for VA June 7, 1769; ord.
London, 1769)
“[Funeral Sermon for Benjamin Howard, Esq.]” [1769;] 4 + 13 + 2 blanks +15
+1 blank +15 + 2 + 2 blanks + 1 + 1 blank + 1 pp. [Acc. No. 4032] [Entry added
August 2009.]
Repository: Virginia Historical Society, Richmond, VA (Clay family papers, 1769-
1951. Mss1 C5795a, Sermons, folder 42-43)
Bib. Ref.: 1 Epistle Timothy 4. 8. But Godliness is profitable to all things having the
promise of ye Life yt [that] now is, and of yt [that] wh[ich] is to come.
Commentary: This sermon is presently located in folder 42-43 and grouped with
accession number 4031. Their relationship is undetermined. The front cover is
inscribed “No. 7” and with the word “Septem”. The inside front cover bears an
additional date and possibly place that the sermon was preached: “85 [1785]—9.X”.
The next page is a prayer and the subsequent page contains Clay’s introductory
remarks for the sermon. The biblical reference appears at the head of the fifth page
of the manuscript and the sermon proper commences under it as usual. After
page 28 of the sermon proper (page 32 of the manuscript), Clay inserts a halfheight
page to the booklet. This insert is counted as two regular pages in the page
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