Winthrop, John, 1714-1779. Papers of John and Hannah Winthrop, 1728-1789. Abstracts of sermons preached at Harvard College, 1728-1729. HUM 9 Box 1, Harvard University Archives.

38. 2. Altho' true believers do with open face behold the Glory of {Christ}, yet it is but as in a glass.

Improvement. 1. Wt. an unspeakable mercy do they enjoy who enjoy the Gospel & the Ordinances of it? 2. Since the word & Ordinances are the glass, wherein we may behold the glory of {Christ}, hence then we ought to attend upon his word & Ordinances. 3. Wt. useful blindess is there upon the minds of Such who have enjoy'd the Ordinances, & yet never Saw the glory of {Christ} in them? 4. Let us all endeavour now to See the Glory of {Christ}, in the Ordinance that is now before us.

35 Cambridge April 13th. P.M. 1729. By Mr. Greenwood from Phil 2.11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all to the Glory of God the Father. 1. I am to consider the various Senses in which Jesus {Christ} is Said to be a Lord in the Scriptures. 1. Jesus {Christ{ is a Lord by his Stile & Title. 2. By his birth & Inheritance. 1. On account of his temporal Generation, being begot by the immediate Influence of the Holy Ghost on the Virgin Mary.

39 3. Jesus {Christ} is a Lord by donation & [?] 4. Jesus {Christ} is a Lord by commission to office. 5. I am to consider the various Actions yt. give a right to this Title. 1. Our Saviour has a right to Lordship by the merit of his own actions. cotera desunt.

36 Cambridge May 4th A.M. 1729 By Mr. Appleton from 23rd Psalm verses 1-4. 2.v. He leadeth one beside the still Waters. 1. The L. Jesus {Christ} is the Shepherd of his Church & people. 2.2. To Show how {Christ} acts as a shepherd. A.2. I proceed now to consider the 2nd. Instance of a Shepherd's care mentioned in my text, viz he leadeth me beside the Still Waters. 2. Wt. we are to understand by the still waters that {Christ} will lead his people to? a. We may understand in general all Spiritual Blessings. 2.2. In wt. Respects may Spirital Blessings be compared to Waters? A.1. On account of their purifying & cleansing Nature. 2. On account of the nutritive groing vertue that is in it. 3. From the refreshing nature of it. 2.2. How may there Spritiual blessings be compared to Still Waters? 1. As they flow gently & easily in divine Ordinances. 2. Upon the account of that clamness & quietness of mind that they afford to us. 2.2. How does {Christ} the great Shepherd lead his peope to these Still Waters?

40. 1. As he institutes & appoints the very ordinances in which these Still waters may be found. 2. As he invites & encourages us to come, & to drink of them. 3. As he secretly Strives with us & puts us upon attending those Ordinances, in wch. these Still waters flow.

Improvement. Use 1. How thankful should we be to this great & good Shepherd, that leads us beside these Still Waters? 2. How inexcusable Shall we be, if we remain destitute of these Spiritual Blessings, which flow so plentifully in the divine Ordinances? 3. Let us pray to {Christ} to lead us to these Still Waters, & whenever we find our Souls refreshed thereby, let us give the glory of all to{Christ}

37. Cambridge May 4th P.M. 1729. By Mr. Appleton from 23 Psalm 3. He restoreth my Soul. I now proceed to consider 3. the third Instance of the Shepher's Care, viz. to restor & reduce the Sheep that are gone astray. 1. As we like Sheep have gone astray. 2. As to Such as have been brought back from their strayings by the Almighty grace of God, & do really belong to {Christ's} flock, yet they are still very apt to go astray. 1. The hearts of Such are very apt to Stray & wander.

41 2. Those that belong to {Christ's} fold, are very apt to stray in their Words. 3. They are often guilty of Straying & wandring in their actions. 2. They are drawn aside by the temptations of the world sometimes. 3. The Straying of the Children of God is very much by the temptations of Satan. 3. As to Such poor Souls as have gone astray {Christ} the great Shepherd reduces & restores them. 2. How does {Christ{ reduce & restore those that are gone astray? 1. By bringing 'em to a Light & Sense of their errors. 2. Then he humbles their Souls within 'em For their Sin & folly in going astray from God, their Duty, & their Interest. 3. Upon this he causes them to resolve upon a Reformation, & actually to turn back into the Way wherein they Should go. 4. Being thus restor'd to {Christ} their shepherd, he pardons their Sins, & restores them to his favour, & restores the joy of his Salvation to them. 1. {Christ} in restoring our Souls, which have gone astray from him, makes use of the outward Means of Grace very often. 2. He often makes use of Providences, especially afflictive ones, in reducing straying & wandring Souls. 3. Bu after all, it is by the powerful Influences of the Divine Spirit, that any are reduc'd who are gone astray.

42. Improvement. 1. Let us all be humbled for our Strayings & wandrings from God, & our Duty. 2. Wt. we have heard teaches upon whom we are to depend to reduce our Souls wch. they are gone astray. 3. Let us beware of abusing the grace of {Christ}, by casting off the Watch & Care of our Souls, upon a vain Imagination that tho' we go never so far astray, yet {Christ} being our Shepherd will bring us back again.

38 Sacrament day. Cambridge June 8th A.M. 1729. By Mr. Appleton from 2. Cor. 3. 18. But we all with open face beholding as in a glass, the glory of y. Lord, are changed into the Same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. D.3. The clear & open Light of ye. glory of {Christ} is a transforming Light, & will change us into y. Same image, carrying us on from glory to glory. P.1. This clear & open Light of ye. glory of {Christ}, is of a transforming nature, & will Serve to change us in to y. very Same image & Likeness of {Christ}. I shall Show, 1. When we may be Said to be changed into the image & Likeness of {Christ} 1. Neg. This image of {Christ} do'nt intend his image as a divine person or as a mediator. 2. Neg. It do'nt intend his external or Bodily image or Likeness.

43. Posit. we may be Said to be changed into the Same image, when the Same like & Conversation is in us, as was in our L. {Christ}. 2. How will our beholding y. glory of {Christ} in y. gospel Serve to change us into y. Same image & Likeness. 1. As it gives a clear represenation of {Christ} to us, & so teaches us wt. we must be, & wt. we must do if we will be like him. 2. As it represents {Christ} to us to be y. most excellent & Lovely object. 3. This will naturally excite a laudable ambition to be as like him as possible. 4. This will also put us upon actual & earnest endeavours to be like him. 5. By a frequent delightful view of y. glory of {Christ}, we shall be changed into y. Same image, as this will have a natural tendency to assimilate us to him. 3. Wt. beholding is this that will thus change us into y. Same image. 1. Neg. It is not a natural, common beholding of him y. will thus change us into the Same image. 2. Posit. This beholding of the glory of {Christ} is a Spiritual Sight, yt. thus changes them into the same image. Application.

44 1. Wt an infinite mercy is it in a Spiritual manner to behold ye. glory of ye. Lord Jesus {Christ}? 2. How should every one of us now earnestly desire to behold ye. glory of {Christ}?

to Conclude As we are many of us going to attend upon the holy Ordinance of the [Lds.?] Supper how earnestly should we deisre & spiritually to behold his image therein.

39 Cambridge June 8th P.M. 1729. By Mr. Champney from 1. Pet. 2. 21 Leaving us an example that we should follow his Steps. Doct. {Christ} Jesus ye. Law giver of {Christians} did not only enact Laws for ym., but also left ym. an example of obedience thereto himself. I shall instance in some things wherein {Christ} conformed to ye. doctrines he taught 1. {Christ} taught that ye. end of men's actions should be to promote ye. glory of God therein, & perfectly agreeable hereto were all his actions. 2. It was a doctrine of y's great teacher that all his followers should be [eminent?] for their piety towards God. 3. Christ's constant Submission & resignation to the will of heaven 4. {Christ} insisted much in his preaching upon the vertues of humility y.

49 & meekness, & his Life was a bright pattern thereof. 5. Christ was also [eminent?] for his forgiving his enemies, as B taught 6. {Christ} taught & practiced ye. doctrine of self denial & mortification

Use 1. {Christ} may justly challenge ye. first [?] among those ye. have set up for lawgivers among men. 2. Did {Christ} live as he taught? wt. exuse can they have who pretend to be his disciples, & yet live not as they teach? 3. Let us all set before us the example of our Lord, & transcribe into our Lives all the [vertue?] that he taught & practis'd.

40. Cambridge June 15th. 1729. A.M. By Mr. Appleton from 23rd Psalm 4. Yea tho' I walk thro' the Valley of ye Shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy Rod & thy Staff they comfort me. 2. Tho' {Christ} be our Shepherd, we must expect 3. Such as upon good grounds can confidently say that ye. L. is [?] Shepherd, wh. yy are called to pass thro' ye Valley of the Shadow of death will fear no Evil. 1. Such as can confidently Say that ye. Ld. is y Shepherd, may be afraid that he will be with ym. 1. We may be assur'd of y. from ye. great Love and tenderness of {Christ}, especially to all true believers. 2. They may be [assurd?] of his presence with ym. from the gracious promises & declarations

46 of yt. nature in his Word 3. They may depend on his being always with ym. from y. consideration, yr. he stands in ye. relation of a Shepherd to us. 4. From ye. experiences of ye. Saints in all age. 2. Such as can confidently say, ye. Ld. is yr. Shepherd, will fear us Evil, this 'yy pass thro' the dark Valley of yr. Shadow of death. 1. There is no danger of any real Evil befalling us, if he be with us. 2. Accordingly Such will fear no Evil, tho' yy pass thro' the dark Valley of Sorrow & trouble, yea, thro' the Valley of death it Self. 2. How far may ye. Saints who have ye. Ld. for yr. Shepherd, be free from fear wh. yy. pass thro' ye. dark Valley of the Shadow of death?

1. Neg. It is not a perfect freedom from fear yt. yy. enjoy. 2. There is not an equal degree of freedom from fear in all {Christians}. 3. Neither is it a constant & steady freedom from fear wch. ye. Saints enjoy. Posit. This freedom from fear of Evil, with. ye. Saints enjoy, is in proportion to yr. faith & ye. Evidence yy. have in yr. own mind of {Christians} being yr. Shepherd. 1. The Saints are so far from fear, yt. yy have a considerable degree of quietness & peace of mind. 2. They have generally Such a freedom from fear as to enable 'em to go thro' all the dangers & troubles of y. world without [waking?] under 'em.

47 3. They are generally so far from fear as calmly, quietly & Submissively to recieve the arrests of death, & to enter the dark & gloomy valley. 41. Afternoon Application. 1. The doctrine before us affords an argument to wean us from y. world, viz. yt. there are so many dark & difficult Valleys to pass thro', & yt. in a little time we must pass thro' the Valley of death it self. 2. It is very wrong for any to conclude yt. yy. dont belong to {Christ}, becuase they pass thro' so many difficulties. We learn 3. The merciful & tender Care of {Christ} to his Sheep, yt. he will be with 'em at all times, especially wh. y.y. are called to pass thro' ye dark Valley of death. 4. We learn ye. reason why any are under such distressing fears of ye. prospect of dark & troublesome times, viz. because {Christ} is not yr. Shepherd, or at lease yy. have not the Evidences of it in yr. own Souls. 5. How much does it concern us to take {Christ{ to our Shepherd, & put ourselves under his pastoral Care? 6. How carefull should {Christians} be to get ye. Evidence of yr. Interest in {Christ} as yr. Shepherd & how fearful lest they lose ye. Comfort of yr. Evidence. 7. How very unbecoming is it