An Important 1764 12pp “New Light” Revivalist Sermon Establishing Predestination and Election as Core Great Awakening Doctrines.

The author of the sermon, Rev. Solomon Reed [1719-1785], was an influential “New Light” divine during the Great Awakening, supporting George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, and one of the original subscribers to Edwards Life of David Brainerd [1749]. He had graduated from Harvard [1739], and was deeply disappointed when, shortly after his matriculation, the University publicly opposed George Whitefield, the Tennents, etc., He had cast his lot in with the “New Lights.” And when a group of believers in Middleborough left their anti-revivalist church to begin a new, more Whitefieldian / Edwardsian gathering, Reed was selected as their Pastor.

His disapproval of Harvard was made most evident just a few years later when his three sons were ready to attend university. They did not even approach Harvard, but were instead enrolled at Yale. Yale was hardly a revivalist center. Just previous to Solomon’s first son’s attendance, David Brainerd had been expelled on pretense of misbehavior, but really on account of his vocal support of the Great Awakening. Still, it was on the whole much more friendly to the movement than Harvard.

Three of Solomon’s four sons went on to become Pastors, including at Petersham, Warwick, and another a Chaplain to the Navy during the American Revolution [See Robert Treat Paine Papers, Vol III. Feb. 26, 1776 Letter from Abigail Paine Greenleaf]. The fourth was a merchant and a lawyer.

Some of Reed’s manuscripts are held in the collection of the Pilgrim Society of Plymouth, MA.

A significant doctrinal sermon dealing with the doctrines of Election and Predestination for 12pp. Likely lacking a closing sheet. Worthy of transcription and preservation.