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.

3. When persons quench or neglect to hearken to the motions of the holy Spirit, then they may be said to make light of the offers of the Gospel. 3. When we live in the neglect of any of the divine Ordinances, wherein we are to atain the blessing promised in the Gospel. 6. When persons for frivolous excuses Stay from the Worship of God. 7. When they are not careful to support the publick Worship of God. 8. When persons attend upon Ordinances meerly for form's sake, & not to obtain the Blessings of the Gospel. 9. When persons are cold & careless in their attendance upon these Ordinances. 2.2. Whence it is that [Any?] make light of the Offers of the Gospel? A.1 It is very often from an evil heart of Unbelief 2. It arises from the causality of Men's hearts, & the natural prejudices of them against religion & the ways of God. 3. It proceeds also from this pride of Men's hearts. 4. It is from a thotless & inconsiderate temper. 5. It is from the prevalency of some particular Sins in men that cause them to make light of the blessed offers of the Gospel. Improvement. 1. From wt we have heard, we learn that the Gospel is an unspeakable mercy to enjoy. 2. What reason have we all to judge our Selves for having made light of the Gospel-offers. 3. Let us all be cautioned & admonished that we dont anymore mark light of these Gospel offers. 1. Consider what it is you marks light of, when you make light of the offers of the Gospel. 1. By making light of the Gospel offers, you make light of the infinite grace that is manifested therein. 2. You also make light of the blood of {Christ} the Son of God, who by which the Gospel was purchased.

60. 3. You make light of the glory of God. 4. You make light of eternal Life, & the Salvation of your immortal Souls. 2. Consider how provoking it must nee be to God for you to make light of these Gospel-offers. 3. Consider the time is coming when you will comdemn your Selves for making light of these offers. 1. It will be so, if ever you reconverted & brought home to God. 2. You will condemn your Selves for it on a Death-Bed. 3. At the day of Judgement & for ever. 4. Consider you don't know how soon your these Invitations may be over with you forever. 48. Cambridge Sept 21st A.M. 1729 By Mr. Davenport from Mass. 5. 44. I Lay into you, Love your enemiees, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, & pray for them that despitefully use you & persecute you. I shall show 1. What Love we are to exercise towards our Enemies. [A?]. We are to exercise a universal Charity towards others, & our very Enemies, & those who have most of all injured us. 1. We must show our love to them, by forgiving them the injuries they have done us. 2. By a civil & courteous Behaviour to them. 3. By doing all offices of Kindness & Charity for them. 4. By praying for them. I shall [Show?] 2. The reasonableness of this precept, & the advantages arising from it This reason wife appear, if we consider, 1. The natural Likeness & agreement therein between us as men. 2. This is the most profitable method we can use to bring them to a reconciliation with us. 3. [??] happiness & ears & piety towards God is hereby promoted. 4. The common Interest & advantage of the World requires it. Inf. Hence we may learn the excellency of the {Chris}tian Religion above all others. [?] 49. Cambridge {September} 21st P.M. Spokentobefore 1729 By Mr. Appleton from 1 Pet.1. 24-25. For all flesh in grass, & all the glory thereof as the flower of the field. The Grass withereth the flower fadeth, but the glory word of the Lord endoweth for ever.

62. 2.D. The Word of the Lord endureth for ever. 1. If the we understand here by the word of the Lord, the Scriptures & in this Sense it endures for ever. 1. The Historical past of this Bible are true, & so remains for ever. 2. The promises of God in his word remain for ever. 3. If we consider the doctrine of the word, they are everlasting truths. 4. So the moral duties which are therein requir'd will always be in force. 5. So the threatnings of God endure for ever, as he will be executing of them to all Eternity 2. If by the Word we understand the gospel disponsation, it may be said to endure for ever. 3. If by the word of the Lord we should understand the fruit & affect of the word in the Souls of men, even that principle of grace that is wrought in the Soul at regeneration, in this sense it would endure for ever. This principle may be said to endure for ever, as it will go into with a man into the oher Or. Improvement. 1. From wt we have heard we learn the excellency of the word of the Lord. 2. W. Learn, [?] who are truly 63. to the happy men, they that have the word of the Lord abiding in them. 3. Hence then, it highly concerns us all to be Seeking after this [incon....tible?] seed that liveth & endureth for ever. 50. Friday. Cambridge {September} 26th. P. esl. 1729. By Mr Appleton from Lev. 10.3. I will be fancified in them that draw nigh me. Here observe, 1. Aconcession, or a thing granted, vizt that we may draw nigh to God. 1. There is a coming nigh to God, with respect to our regaining his favour. 2. There is a coming nigh to God in a likeness to him, & resemblances of him. 3. There is a coming nigh to God, by coming into a Covenant relation with him. 4. There is a coming nigh to God in holy Ordinances. 1. God has [initiated?] & appointed certain Ordinances for us to attend upon. 2. God in an especial manner is present at his Ordinances. 3. Where we attend upon there Sacred Ordinances, we may be said in a more especial manner to draw nigh to God. 2. God will be Sanctified by them that do thus draw nigh to him. 1st. What may we be said to Sanctify God, when we draw nigh to him!

64.

a. It is to have Such an external behaviour, & Such an internal frame of Spirit, as is Suitable for the [??] of the great & holy God

1. We must pay an external reverence & regard to God when we approach to him 2. We must Sanctify the Lord God in our hearts whenever we approach before him. 1. This intend a realizing belief of the presence of the holy God in all his Ordinances 2. There must be an holy awe of his infinite majesty on our hearts when we draw nigh to him. 3. There must be a Sense of our utter unworthiness to approach before Such an holy God, & all our dependance must be on the merits of his son + Jesus. 4. We must come with a thankful heart, duly Sensible of the [strikeout] illeg. [strikeout] unspeakable mercy. 5. We must watch against all straying & wan= dring thots, & that we have our hearts fix'd on the duty we are engaged in. 6. There must be a resolution of Soul to com=ply with & Conform to the design of divine Ordinance, when we are engaged in them.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------51. Sacrament. Cambridge Sept. 28th. A.M. 1729. By Mr. Flynt from Matth. 11.28. Come unto me, all ye that labour & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest. Doct. The only way for man to obtain true peace & comfort of mind is to become sincere &

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thorough +tians. 1. All men, more especially Some, want peace & Comfort of mind. 2. There is no thing in man himself nor in the O, that can afford peace & Comfort to his mind. 3. This is to be found only int. & in the sincere Belief & practice of his Religion. 1. There is no other way of Salvation reveald by God, wherein man may have any [strikeout] of [strikeout] hope of help & assistance from him; but only by [??] . 2. The Gospel is a revelation that is perfectly well suited to give full Satisfaction & rest to the minds of men. 1. It is a revelation from God. 2. By the Gospel we have a clear & certain revelation of the future States. 3. The Term of mans acceptance with God are clearly reveald in the Gospel, together with the method in which we may obtain the performance of those terms.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------52. [strikeout] [??] [strikeout] Cambridge Sept.r 28th. P.M. 1729. Sacrament. By Mr Appleton from 2 Cor. 3.18. But we all with open Face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the Same image from Glory to Glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. All this is done by the spirit of the Lord. It is by the Spirit of the Lord that we ever come to behold the Glory of [Christ?] in the Glass of the Gospel & its Ordinances. Our being changed into the image of [Christ?]

66. is also by the Spirit of the Lord 3. [Our?] advancing from one Degree of grace we [?] to another is [improvement?]all by the same Spirit. 1. W. an unspeakable gift is this of the holy Ghost unto us? 2. Here we learn whom we are to acknowledge when we have [?] a fight of +r. Glory as changes us into the same Image even the Spirit of the Lord. 3. We learn, that we may depend upon the efficacy of Divine Ordinance no farther than they are accompanied with the Di= =vine Spirit. 4. From {where} we have heard we may judge [?] nothing whether the Divine Spirit has accompanied the Ordinances into our Minds, 5. How sad is it [?] the Spirit of God has left his Ordinances? 6. Our highest Care & Concern then aught to be to engage the divine Spirit within [?] Ordinances. 1. We must pray [?] for his Spirit. 2. We must carefully hearken to the motions & comply with the forgivings of the holy Spirit. ------------------------------------------------------------53 Cambridge {October} 12.th A.M. [1729?] Sabbath By Mr. Appleton from 1 John . 5.8. and {[there?]} are 3 that bear witness in Earth, the Spirit, the Water, the Blood. [&?] these 3

67. agree [?] 1. 2. What are we to understand by the Water that bears Witness on Earth. 1. Literally, it may signify the Water of Baptism. 1. Here we may understand the Baptism of John, which was a Baptism by Water. 1. A person was prophecied of as a fore= =[runner?] of +, and that should [?] the Way for him. [Malachie.c.3.1.u. & 4.5.6. c. u. u?] 2. John the Baptist was the person that was to be the forerunner of +. 3. This John did [?] expressly & fully bear witness of +, & pointed him out to them. 2. By the Water we may understand the the +tian Baptism also. 1. Let us consider what advantages they had to know, wther those things that were [related?] of + were true or no. 2. The multitudes {that} were baptized did [by?] their baptism solemnly declare their be= =lief of the truth of those things that were related of Jesus Christ. 2. The Water may be understood in a metapho= rical [Jesus?] & it may intend the purity of + & his [Doctrinated?] Disciples. 1. If we consider by Water the purity and holiness of +, it is a most convincing Evi= dence of the book of the Gospel. 2. If we consider the [purity?] of his [Doctrine?] by the Water, we shall see another