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A 19th century Presbyterian from the South with Union sympathies — self-described as “a refugee from Mississippi” in his autobiographical account, The Iron Furnace: or, Slavery and Secession (1863) — John Hill Aughey (1828-1911) lived a remarkable life and has ensured that his name will escape oblivion, having, as he says, 1) been a parent, 2) planted a tree, 3) built a house, and 4) written a book. He served pastorates in Mississippi (6), Indiana (6), Ohio (3), Missouri (2), Iowa (1) and as a missionary for eight years in the Oklahoma and Indian Territories, before retiring to New Jersey, where he is buried. One of the several books which he wrote during his career as both pastor and author is Spiritual Gems of the Ages (1886), a compilation of nuggets of wisdom from the literature of many centuries. In some instances, attribution is given to the sources, but not in all cases. Yet, the author describes his aim in this work thus:
This volume bears the impress of every diversity of individual character. More than three thousand saints, philosophers and sages, whose lives have extended through a period of four thousand years of the world's history, have contributed, each his quota, to the formation of this volume. Thus have been secured variety, spirituality and the highest order of intellectual thought and diction. Not a single inferior or common place thought or sentiment has been suffered to enter; and if any has surreptitiously found a place, upon discovery it will be unceremoniously ejected. It is a book suited to all ages and all nations ; to all classes of men, and all states of society; for all capacities of intellect, and all necessities of the soul. It sets forth the most heavenly truths in a manner clear and convincing, and makes them comprehensible by all. All abstruse speculation is avoided. The King's highway of holiness — the way of salvation — is pointed out as with a beam of light, so that the convicted sinner needs not doubt as to what he must do to be saved. By the blessing of the Holy Spirit, the impenitent reader may be convicted of sin and led to put implicit trust in that Savior of whose ability and willingness to save he will find in this volume a complete revelation. The reader will rise from its perusal with elevated thoughts and feelings, with more ardent love of virtue, with increase of spiritual information, and with intense desire to serve more faithfully as a laborer in his Master's vineyard. This volume is unique; it is a desideratum in religious literature, and it will doubtless become the vade-mecum of many a Christian.
One of the un-sourced quotes, widely credited to Aughey on the internet today, found in this remarkable volume is as follows:
God brings men into deep waters, not to drown them, but to cleanse them.
From this writer’s research, the quote appears to originate from a sermon preached by an English Presbyterian Westminster Divine of French Huguenot descent, Edmund Calamy the Elder (1600-1666). He published a set of sermons under the title The Godly Man’s Ark in 1658. It was in the first of those sermons in which he said:
God brings his children low, not to trample upon them, but to make them low in their own eyes, and to humble them for sin, Deut. 8. 2. God brings them into the deep waters, not to drown them, but to wash and cleanse them, Isa. 27. 9.
Having extracted this quote from Calamy, Aughey has highlighted a bit of wisdom that has given readers comfort from the 17th century to the present day. There are many other such nuggets of great worth to be found in Aughey’s compilation. Take time to study this volume and to treasure its wisdom of the centuries.
