"The Seed of the Woman, and the Seed of the Serpent"
This sermon is based on the contents of Genesis 3. Whitefield begins by proclaiming the "curse" of Adam and Eve is actually a promise. He finds the fulfillment of said promise in the salvation achieved through Christ's death and resurrection. To Whitefield, the Fall of Adam and Eve must be interpreted as evidence for the human's inability to conquer sin and consequent necessity for salvation by grace, not work. He argues that sin, inspired or perpetuated by Satan, is the manner by which the serpent bruises the heel.
"Walking With God"
The primary text for this sermon is Genesis 5:24. Whitefield discusses the meaning of the phrase "walked with God" as applied to Enoch. He believes it refers to a continually improving relationship with God, born of a desire to become more like Him by knowing Him better and sacrificing one's own desire to accomplish God's will. Secondly, he explores various ways that one's relationship to God may be improved. And finally, he offers several reasons why one might desire to entertain this relationship. What are the benefits? Whitefield proposes that walking with God brings peace and honor to the walker so that eventually their life is completely transformed.
"Christ the Best Husband: Or an Earnest Invitation to Young Women to come and See Christ"
This sermon is based upon Psalm 14. Directed at a congregation composed solely of young women, this sermon is designed to appeal specifically to their desires. First off, Whitefield describes how Jesus Christ does engage in a figurative marriage with believers through mutual choice, mutual affection, mutual union, and mutual obligation. He states that this marriage exists as an open invitation to any--including women--willing to do the work for the relationship. Finally, this marriage can only be accomplished by dedicating oneself wholly to Christ, even if that means forsaking one's own father. Whitefield emphasizes this point in particular because of the nature of the deep filial and economic ties between father and daughter.
"The Temptation of Christ"
This sermon explores the time when Jesus went into the wilderness to fast and pray for 40 days, as described in Matthew 4:1-11. In his discussion of the text, Whitefield focuses on the ideas of loyalty to God and of suffering. He emphasizes the perfect manner by which Jesus answers Satan's temptations and simultaneously demonstrates his loyalty to God. Although Whitefield believes that Jesus was uniquely positioned to accomplish this supernatural 40-day fast, he does seek to apply the principles of Jesus' interactions with Satan to his congregation. He advises his listeners to beware of "temptation," which is Whitefield's word for suffering. Temptation implies that the origin of suffering is desire. In this way, Whitefield proposes that the true and loyal defense in times of intense suffering is to align one's desire with the will of God, making one's desire more perfect.
