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- Reverend Convers Francis
Reverend Convers Francis
The last minister hired by the town before the separation of church and state, Convers Francis (1795-1863) served the First Parish of Watertown from 1819 to 1842. In 1842, Francis became the Parkman Professor of Pulpit Eloquence at Harvard Divinity School. Francis and his sister, Lydia Maria Child, were both members of the Transcendendalist movement.
The library has digitized Francis’s History of Watertown, published in 1830, as well as his collections of Historical Discourses and Sketches (Volume I, Volume II, Volume III, Volume IV, Volume V), Dedication Discourses, and Eulogies & Funeral Discourses. Most of these were delivered by fellow Congregationalist pastors, but Francis’s own “Three Discourses Preached Before the Congregational Church in Watertown: Two, Upon Leaving the Old Meeting-House; and One, at the Dedication of the New” (1836) are included in the Dedication Discourses.
200 of Francis’s hand-written sermons have also been digitized. Sermon content has not been indexed; however, you can use Ctrl+F to search this page for a word or phrase in the sermon titles. Check the list of sermons in our catalog for dates and additional notes. The rest of the handwritten sermons can be viewed by appointment in the Local History Room.
- 1. God our hope in the day of evil (PDF)
- 2. On the means of religious improvements (PDF)
- 3. On religious perseverance (PDF)
- 4. Human frailty (PDF)
- 5. On worshipping God in spirit and truth (PDF)
- 6. On prayer (PDF)
- 7. The light yoke and easy burden of Christ (PDF)
- 8. Christ the way, the truth and the life (PDF)
- 9. On delaying repentance (PDF)
- 10. On the love of God (PDF)
- 11. On the love of our neighbor (PDF)
- 12. The Gospel preached to the poor (PDF)
- 13. Regard to God the foundation of duty (PDF)
- 14. On the example of Christ (PDF)
- 15. On keeping the heart (PDF)
- 16. The salvation effected by Christ (PDF)
- 17. The right and duty of free enquiry (PDF)
- 18. The abuses of free enquiry (PDF)
- 19. Retrospect and prospect of life (PDF)
- 20. On religious joy (PDF)
- 21. On doing all to the glory of God (PDF)
- 22. On Resignation (PDF)
- 23. The influence of Christianity on the state of the world (PDF)
- 24. The providence of God - Thanksgiving Sermon (PDF)
- 27. Christianity the spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind (PDF)
- 28. The character and reward of faithful servants (PDF)
- 29. On the Omnipresence of God (PDF)
- 30. The design of the Gospel history considered (PDF)
- 31. On the fear of God (PDF)
- 32. God is light (PDF)
- 33. God is love (PDF)
- 34. On being ashamed of the Gospel (PDF)
- 36. On Social Worship (PDF)
- 37. On diligence in religious concerns (PDF)
- 38. On Self Denial (PDF)
- 39. On giving the heart to wisdom (PDF)
- 40. On objections to the Gospel (PDF)
- 41. On the mediation of Christ (PDF)
- 42. On the religious education of children (PDF)
- 43. Directions for reading the Scriptures (PDF)
- 44. Motives for studying the Sciptures (PDF)
- 46. On the love of Praise (PDF)
- 47. The perpetuity of the Christian Church (PDF)
- 48. "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (PDF)
- 49. "Setting the Lord always before us" (PDF)
- 50. The happiness of virtue (PDF)
- 51. The grace of God by Jesus Christ (PDF)
- 52. The means by which we endeavour to excuse our sins (PDF)
- 53. On judging others (PDF)
- 54. The immutability of God (PDF)
- 55. On the justice of Gods providence - Fast Day Sermon 1820 (PDF)
- 56. The living water of the Gospel (PDF)
- 57. On Repentance (PDF)
- 58. On taking the name of God in vain (PDF)
- 59. On Habit (PDF)
- 60. Sermon for a Communion Sabbath (PDF)
- 61. On Spring (PDF)
- 62. On the young man coming to Christ (PDF)
- 63. On the resemblance between the character of the children and that of Christians (PDF)
- 64. "Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (PDF)
- 65. On Self Government (PDF)
- 66. On Accountability to God (PDF)
- 67. On the conduct of the first Christians - A communion sermon (PDF)
- 68. On Contentment (PDF)
- 69. On "the unclean spirit" mentioned Matth. XII, 43 (PDF)
- 70. Religious retirement (PDF)
- 71. On transient goodness and devotion (PDF)
- 72. On Conscience (PDF)
- 73. Errours concerning the Almighty (PDF)
- 74. Of abounding in good works (PDF)
- 75. The necessity of Christ's sufferings - Communion sermon (PDF)
- 76. The true object of glorying (PDF)
- 77. On the use of parables (PDF)
- 78. The duties of children to parents (PDF)
- 79. The duties of parents to children (PDF)
- 80. On Sincerity (PDF)
- 81. On the obligation of Christians "to depart from inquity" (PDF)
- 82. On the parable of the wheat and tares (PDF)
- 83. Thanksgiving Sermon 2 (PDF)
- 84. On the parable of the Sower (PDF)
- 86. The benefits of Christianity - A Christmas Sermon (PDF)
- 87. The duty of remembering God (PDF)
- 88. New Years Sermon (PDF)
- 89. "Holding fast the profession of faith" (PDF)
- 90.On the parables of the grain of mustard seed and of the leaven hid in three measures of meal (PDF
- 91. On the parable of the treasure hid in a field, of the pearl of great price (PDF)
- 92. The nature and uses of affliction (PDF)
- 93. On the parable of the forgiven debtor (PDF)
- 94. On the parable of the labourers in the vineyard (PDF)
- 95. On the source of temptations and the means of resisting it (PDF)
- 96. On the parable of the two sons (PDF)
- 97. Sermon for a Communion Sabbath (PDF)
- 98. On the parable of the good Samaritan 2 (PDF)
- 100. Human mortality considered (PDF)
- 102. On the parable of the vineyard (PDF)
- 103. On taking thought for the morrow (PDF)
- 104. On the parable of the marriage feast (PDF)
- 105. On the parable of the barren fig tree (PDF)
- 106. The duty of attending to religion in youth (PDF)
- 107. The pleasures and the duties of old age (PDF)
- 108. On drawing near to God (PDF)
- 109. On the parables of the lost sheep and the lost pieces of silver (PDF)
- 110. On the habit of scoffing at religion (PDF)
- 111. The parable of the prodigal son (PDF)
- 112. God manifesting himself through Jesus Christ (PDF)
- 113. On Intemperance (PDF)
- 114. The parable of the unjust steward (PDF)
- 115. The union of knowledge and practice (PDF)
- 116. On the death of children (PDF)
- 117. On speaking the truth (PDF)
- 118. On Peter's denying his Lord (PDF)
- 119. On Benevolence (PDF)
- 120. On the manner of attending religious worship and instruction (PDF)
- 121. On the parable of the rich man (PDF)
- 122. The parable of the unjust judge and the widow (PDF)
- 123. The parable of the Pharisee and publican (PDF)
- 124. On the resurrection of the Christ (PDF)
- 125. Harvest Reflections (PDF)
- 126. Advantages of consideration (PDF)
- 127. On the means of pleasing God (PDF)
- 128. On the means of pleasing God 2 (PDF)
- 130. On the parable of Dives and Lazarus (PDF)
- 132. On the parable of the ten virgins (PDF)
- 133. On the love between Christ and his disciples (PDF)
- 134. On the uncertainty of the future - New Year's Sermon (PDF)
- 135. On the parable of the talents (PDF)
- 136. On the parable of the talents (PDF)
- 137. On following the multitude (PDF)
- 138. On Corinthians III 9-16 (PDF)
- 139. On the miraculous cure of the leper (PDF)
- 140. On moral and positive duties - A Communion sermon (PDF)
- 141. On compassion for the wicked (PDF)
- 142. On the good Centurian (PDF)
- 143. On the love of enemies (PDF)
- 144. The true design of a fast - Fast Day Sermon (PDF)
- 145. On the self ignorance of Hazael (PDF)
- 146. Motives to perseverance from the services and character of Christ (PDF)
- 147. Social duty religious duty (PDF)
- 148. On the miraculous cure of the man born blind (PDF)
- 149. On Envy (PDF)
- 150. The faith of Abraham an example to Christians (PDF)
- 151. The change effected by Christianity (PDF)
- 152. On the question "Are there few that be saved"" (PDF)
- 153. On Baptism (PDF)
- 154. On the parable of Dives and Lazarus (PDF)
- 155. The wisdom of this world (PDF)
- 156. The enticements of sinners (PDF)
- 157. - (PDF)
- 158. On the satisfaction of the good man (PDF)
- 159. "Who is my neighbour?" (PDF)
- 160. Sin considered as hostility to God (PDF)
- 161. Haman and Mordecai (PDF)
- 162. On being accessory to the vices of others (PDF)
- 163. The progressive character of religion (PDF)
- 164. On the Lord's prayer (PDF)
- 165. On being offended in Christ (PDF)
- 166. Thoughts suggested by death and disappointment (PDF)
- 167. On the parental character of God (PDF)
- 168. On the parental character of God 2 (PDF)
- 169. On the manner of showing gratitude to God - Thanksgiving Sermon 4 (PDF)
- 170. On hallowing the name of God (PDF)
- 171. "Thy kingdom come" (PDF)
- 172. On doing and suffering the will of God (PDF)
- 173. "Give us this day our daily bread" (PDF)
- 174. "Where art thou"" (PDF)
- 175. "Forgive us our debts" (PDF)
- 176. "Lead us not into temptation" (PDF)
- 177. Conclusion of the Lord's prayer (PDF)
- 178. On being justified by the deeds of the law (PDF)
- 179. On Jephthah's vow (PDF)
- 180. The agency of God and of man in salvation (PDF)
- 181. Men to be judged according to their means opportunities (PDF)
- 182. On showing that we have been with Jesus (PDF)
- 183. On the respect due to age (PDF)
- 184. The mixture of belief and unbelief (PDF)
- 185. On moral unconcern (PDF)
- 186. Fruits meet for repentance - A Fast Day Sermon (PDF)
- 187. On the mode of spending the Sabbath (PDF)
- 188. The evils of quarrelling and the motives to live peacefully (PDF)
- 189. St. Paul at Athens (PDF)
- 190. St. Paul at Athens 2 (PDF)
- 191. Thoughts on the Crucifixion - Communion (PDF)
- 192. Well-doing the best argument against evil speaking (PDF)
- 193. Errours from not knowing the Scriptures (PDF)
- 194. On recompencing evil for ourselves (PDF)
- 195. On striving to know our duty (PDF)
- 196. God no respecter of persons (PDF)
- 197. Visiting the iniquities of fathers upon children (PDF)
- 198. Isaac meditating at even-tide (PDF)
- 199. On the story of Zaccheus (PDF)
- 200. On Dissipation (PDF)
- On the mistakes of mankind (PDF)
- Untitled (PDF)