SERMONS - University of Tennessee, Knoxville

SoutHeRn MAnuScRipt SeRMonS BefoRe 1800
finger drawn in the text which may indicate Clay’s intent to skip ahead several lines
to the pound sign (“#”) on page 10. Page 26 bears a triple pound sign (“###”), but
no text appears to correspond to it. The inside rear cover, when rotated 90 degrees
clockwise, bears a column near the right margin of the page that indicates the dates
and perhaps locations where the sermon was preached as follows (with a slash
indicating a line break): “—72 [1772]/10. E/10. J/—-3 [1773]/11. U/73 [1773]/12.
C/12. A/—-5 [1775; the “5” appears to be written over a “4”]/J. 10/O. 11/—-6
[1776]/E. 11/—-7 [1777]/U. 11/A.11/—-8 [1778]/E. -12”. Rotating the page back 90
degrees clockwise reveals that “Richd. G. 86 [1786]” is inscribed at the bottom of
the page under the column. The manuscript bears evidence of editing by Clay and a
use of abbreviations throughout.
Keywords: time; grace, refused; refusal of grace; assistance, divine; divine
assistance; penitence; New Year’s sermon; sermon, New Year’s; soul, redemption
of; repentance, necessity of; God, mercy of; pride, sin of; last judgment; judgment,
last; sinners, portrayed as sleepers; God, justice of; self-examination; death, sudden;
death, wages of sin; Christ, salvation through; man, unregenerate state of; grace,
divine; self-deception; mortification; conscience, good; Pharisees, pride of; world,
sins of; Christians, lukewarm; lukewarm Christians; Christians, complacent; faith;
sin, confession of; sinfulness; God, power of; God, love for mankind; Devil;
743. CLAY, CHARLES. (VA; Epis.; 1745-1820; lic. for VA June 7, 1769; ord.
London, 1769)
“[On Prayer and Justification.]” [1774-1775;] 31pp. [Acc. No. 4039] [Entry added
January 2010.]
Repository: Virginia Historical Society, Richmond, VA (Clay family papers, 1769-
1951. Mss1 C5795a, Sermons, folder 50-51)
Bib. Ref.: 2 Chro. Chap. 7. V. 14. If My People qh [which] are Called by my N.
[Name] Shll [Shall] hble [humble] themselves, & pray, & Seek my face, & turn from
their wicked ways, then will I hear from Hn. [Heaven], & will forgive their Sin, &
will heal their Land.
Commentary: This sermon is presently located in folder 50-51 and grouped with
accession number 4040. Their relationship is undetermined. Pages 1, 2, and 4 of the
manuscript have a slight loss of text at the upper outside corner. A series of dashes
between what appear to be key words for the sermon on pages 3, 20, and 24, may
indicate where Clay wishes to preach extemporaneously. The first page of another
sermon (accession number 4045) briefly recapitulates what he said in this sermon
on the same text (Ch.2. 7, 14) concerning the Lord’s Prayer. This clear reference to
accession number 4045 allows the present sermon to reasonably be dated as 1774-
1775, although it itself bears no dates. The manuscript bears light editing by Clay
and a use of abbreviations throughout.
Keywords: prayer, proper; Hannah, prayer of; sanctification; grace of God;
catechism; Christ, justification through; justification; commandments; God, law of;
God, grace of; prayer, public; prayer, duty and benefit of; prayer, necessity of; prayer,
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