SERMONS - University of Tennessee, Knoxville

SoutHeRn MAnuScRipt SeRMonS BefoRe 1800
count, but only the first side of the leaf bears text and should likely be inserted at
the double pound sign (##) on the subsequent page. The sermon ends on page 50
of the manuscript after which Clay inscribes the dates and possibly the locations
where the sermon was preached as follows (with a slash indicating a line break):
“1769. (9. U/1770/Septem 7” [i.e. ditto; 1770], 11, O/16 A/Finis. No 7”. Manuscript
pages 51-52 may comprise an alternate conclusion for the sermon to be inserted
on page 50 where a triple pound sign (###) appears. Page 55 of the manuscript is
inscribed at the upper left and upper right with the dates and possibly the locations
where the sermon was preached as follows (with a slash indicating a line break):
[at left] “—71 [1771]/3. J/6. E”; [at right] “1769/9 U/ &[?] O/11 A”. The right hand
column has several brackets surrounding the data and perhaps should be read as
one line after “1769” as “9 & 11 [at] U O A”. Turning this same page 90 degrees
clockwise, the upper left hand corner reads “preached at the Internment/ of Ben.
Howard Eqs [Esq.]”. The back cover of the manuscript reads, “Chas. Clay 1770”.
Clay uses brackets and cross-outs lightly and abbreviations heavily throughout the
manuscript.
Keywords: funeral sermon; Howard, Benjamin; sermon, funeral; life, transitoriness
of; soul, immortality of; religion, necessity of; religion, duties of; eternal life;
life, eternal; happiness; conscience, good; Belshazzar; Hezekiah; sincerity; God,
vengeance of; world, sins of; flesh, sins of; wickedness; righteousness; Solomon;
God, mercy of; God, wisdom of; God, fear of; living righteously; religion,
consolations of; God, love of; God, law of; vanity; virtue, practice of; death, fear
of; simplicity, advantages of; heaven, joys of; gospel, confirmation of; Christ,
crucifixion of;
728. CLAY, CHARLES. (VA; Epis.; 1745-1820; lic. for VA June 7, 1769; ord.
London, 1769)
“[For Good Friday.]” [1773] 1 blank + 1 + 35 + 1 + 2 blank pp. [Acc. No. 4019]
[Entry added November 2009.]
Repository: Virginia Historical Society, Richmond, VA (Clay family papers, 1769-
1951. Mss1 C5795a, Sermons, folder 30-31)
Bib. Ref.: “Romans 5.8.—for G. [Good] Fryday. but God Commendeth his love
towds. [towards] us, in yt [that], “While we were yet Sinners Xt. [Christ] Died for
us.—[”]
Commentary: This sermon is presently located in folder 30-31 and grouped
with accession number 4020. Their relationship is undetermined. The sermon
manuscript is described as a “G. [Good] Fryday” sermon in the biblical reference.
A triangular section with a hypotenuse of approximately 1 inch is missing from
the upper outer corner of the manuscript with some loss of text. After the sermon
proper ends, Clay includes a one-page prayer to Christ (p. 35). The pages before
and after the 35 pages of sermon and prayer feature a sequence of numbers and
letters indicating the dates the sermon was preached. The page before the sermon
begins bears “85 [1785]. X” in the upper left-hand corner. The page after bears a
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