William Greenough Thayer Shedd, American Presbyterian, was born in Acton, Massachusetts.
In 1839 he graduated at the University of Vermont, and in 1843 at Andover Theological Seminary. After a short pastorate at Brandon, Vermont, he was successively professor of English literature in the University of Vermont (1845–1852), professor of sacred rhetoric in Auburn Theological Seminary (1852–1854), professor of church history in Andover Theological Seminary (1854–1862), and, after one year (1862–1863) as associate pastor of the Brick Church of New York City, of sacred literature (1863–1874) and of systematic theology (1874–1890) in Union Theological Seminary.
He died in New York City on November 17, 1894.
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 1 - THE FUTURE STATE A SELF-CONSCIOUS STATE - part 1
1 Cor. xiii. 12.--"Now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."
The apostle Paul made this remark with reference to the blessedness of the Christian in eternity. Such assertions are frequent in the Scriptures. This same apostle, whose soul was so constantly dilated with the expectation of the beatific vision, assures the C ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 2 - THE FUTURE STATE A SELF-CONSCIOUS STATE - part 2
1 COR. xiii. 12.--"Now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."
In the preceding discourse, we found in these words the principal characteristic of our future existence. The world beyond the tomb is a world of clear and conscious knowledge. When, at death, I shall leave this region of time and sense and enter eternity, my ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 3 - GOD'S EXHAUSTIVE KNOWLEDGE OF MAN - part 1
PSALM cxxxix. I-6.--"O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with, all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou, hast beset me behind and b ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 4 - GOD'S EXHAUSTIVE KNOWLEDGE OF MAN - part 2
PSALM cxxxix. 1--6.--"O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine uprising; thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and bef ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 5 - ALL MANKIND GUILTY; OR, EVERY MAN KNOWS MORE THAN HE PRACTISES
ROMANS i. 24.--"When they knew God, they glorified him not as God."
The idea of God is the most important and comprehensive of all the ideas of which the human mind is possessed. It is the foundation of religion; of all right doctrine, and all right conduct. A correct intuition of it leads to correct religious theories and practice; while any er ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 6 - SIN IN THE HEART THE SOURCE OF ERROR IN THE HEAD
ROMANS i. 28.--"As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind."
In the opening of the most logical and systematic treatise in the New Testament, the Epistle to the Romans, the apostle Paul enters upon a line of argument to demonstrate the ill-desert of every human creature without exception. In ord ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 7 - THE NECESSITY OF DIVINE INFLUENCES - part 1
LUKE xi. 13.--"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"
The reality, and necessity, of the operation of the Holy Spirit upon the human heart, is a doctrine very frequently taught in the Scriptures. Our Lord, in the passage from whi ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 8 - THE NECESSITY OF DIVINE INFLUENCES - part 2
Luke xi. 13.--"If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him."
In expounding the doctrine of these words, in the preceding discourse, the argument for the necessity of Divine influences had reference to the more general aspects of man's ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 9 - THE IMPOTENCE OF THE LAW
HEBREWS vii. 19.--"For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh to God."
It is the aim of the Epistle to the Hebrews, to teach the insufficiency of the Jewish Dispensation to save the human race from the wrath of God and the power of sin, and the all-sufficiency of the Gospel Dispensation ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 10 - SELF-SCRUTINY IN GOD'S PRESENCE
ISAIAH, i. 11.--"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
These words were at first addressed to the Church of God. The prophet Isaiah begins his prophecy, by calling upon the heavens and the earth to witness the ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 11 - SIN IS SPIRITUAL SLAVERY
John viii. 34.--"Jesus answered them, Verily, verily I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin."
The word [Greek: doulos] which is translated "servant," in the text, literally signifies a slave; and the thought which our Lord actually conveyed to those who heard Him is, "Whosoever committeth sin is the 'slave' of sin." The a ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 12 - THE ORIGINAL AND THE ACTUAL RELATION OF MAN TO LAW
ROMANS vii. 10.--"The commandment which, was ordained to life, I found to be unto death."
The reader of St. Paul's Epistles is struck with the seemingly disparaging manner in which he speaks of the moral law. In one place, he tells his reader that "the law entered that the offence might abound;" in another, that "the law worketh wrath;" in anoth ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 13 - THE SIN OF OMISSION
Matthew xix. 20.--"The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?"
The narrative from which the text is taken is familiar to all readers of the Bible. A wealthy young man, of unblemished morals and amiable disposition, came to our Lord, to inquire His opinion respecting his own good estate. He asked ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 14 - THE SINFULNESS OF ORIGINAL SIN
MATTHEW xix. 20.--"The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?"
In the preceding discourse from these words, we discussed that form and aspect of sin which consists in "coming short" of the Divine Law; or, as the Westminster Creed states it, in a "want of conformity" unto it. The deep and fundame ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 15 - THE APPROBATION OF GOODNESS IS NOT THE LOVE OF IT
ROMANS ii. 21--23.--"Thou therefore which, teachest another, teachest Thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? thou that makest thy boast of the law, through, breaking the law dis ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 16 - THE USE OF FEAR IN RELIGION
PROVERBS ix. 10.--"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Luke xii. 4, 5.--"And I say unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him." ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 17 - THE PRESENT LIFE AS RELATED TO THE FUTURE
LUKE xvi. 25.--"And Abraham said, Son remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented."
The parable of Dives and Lazarus is one of the most solemn passages in the whole Revelation of God. In it, our Lord gives very definite statements concerning the ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 18 - THE EXERCISE OF MERCY OPTIONAL WITH GOD
ROMANS ix. 15.--"For He saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
This is a part of the description which God himself gave to Moses, of His own nature and attributes. The Hebrew legislator had said to Jehovah: "I beseech thee show me thy glory." He desired a clear und ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 19 - CHRISTIANITY REQUIRES THE TEMPER OF CHILDHOOD
MARK x. 15.--"Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein."
These words of our Lord are very positive and emphatic, and will, therefore, receive a serious attention from every one who is anxious concerning his future destiny beyond the grave. For, they mention an indispensab ...read
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Sermons to the Natural Man, 20 - FAITH THE SOLE SAVING ACT
JOHN vi. 28, 29.--"Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
In asking their question, the Jews intended to inquire of Christ what 'particular' things they must do, before all others, in order to please God ...read
