1878 AARON HUNT. Rare MSs Sermons of Pastor of "Colored" Methodist Episcopal Church in New York

Very attractive and important volume of 166pp manuscript sermons and sermon extracts and illustrations by an important New York Methodist divine, Rev. Aaron Hunt [1820-1908]. 

Our Aaron Hunt was the son of another Aaron Hunt, friend of Francis Asbury and pioneer of Methodism in New York. 

Our Hunt, born in 1820, pastored multiple Methodist churches in New York before taking the historically important charge of St. John's Methodist Episcopal Church - "Colored" Congregation in Hudson New York.

Only the second black church in the region, it originated in a secession of congregants from the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church of Hudson in 1872. Initially calling themselves the "Friends of Religious Liberty," it seems that there was a theological dispute, though we cannot trace the issue of contention between the two congregations. Needless to say, they form two of the early black churches in New York. In 1872, black citizens were not recorded in public documents, making artifacts such as the present of special importance. 

The present 166pp manuscript includes three different kinds of material: 1. Original sermons by Aaron Hunt preached to his congregation in Hudson. 2. Reports of sermons heard, including one on Prayer Meetings he heard by D. L. Moody. 3. The final section is composed of extracts, thoughts, and illustrations Hunt preserved for his own use.

Sermons include: Conducting a Prayer Meeting | Know Ye Not that the Kingdom of God [On Revival] | A Broken Spirit and a Contrite Heart | Without Me Ye Can do Nothing | Walk Before Me & Be Thou Perfect | Be Ye Holy for I Am Holy | Holiness [the Crowning Glory of Primitive Methodism] | My Thoughts on Prayer Meetings - Moody's Thoughts on Prayer Meetings | Believing a Saving Truth | Brother Saul Receive Thy Sight - On the Reception of Salvation | Christ Supreme [with Spurgeon quotation] | And He Brought Him to Jesus | When I am Weak Thou art Strong | On Consecration [Holiness] | etc.

Account of sermons heard by Hunt at Northfield, including D. L. Moody preaching, "Always Fresh," Moody on Prayer Meetings, George Muller Preaching on And Let Us not be Weary [Muller visited America in 1878],  

Extracts and Illustrations include: Edward Payson, Charles Finney, T. L. Cuyler, G. D. Watson, William Wilberforce, Henry Varley, Charles Wesley, John Wesley, C. H. Spurgeon, etc. 

Original limp leather, a bit shaken and worn. A few pages excised before called for contents begin, apparently impacting nothing listed on the MSs index pages.