Rev. William White D.D. His Memoir and a Glimpse into Virginia Presbyterianism

William Spotswood White (1800-1873) was a little known Presbyterian Pastor in Virginia, born in Hanover County, Virginia and through his long ministry he lived all over the commonwealth. White was born in Virginia, and would as a pastor feel it to be his duty to remain in Virginia. White provided in his autobiography, a glimpse into Virginia Presbyterianism and its warmest characters. Perhaps the characters that made the greatest impressions on him were the Rice brothers, Benjamin and John. Both of these brothers greatly encouraged William White and provided him some wonderful anecdotes! White would serve basically as a church planter, university chaplain and large congregation pastor. Dr. White in his autobiography leaves something for everyone to enjoy. 

Here is one of the enjoyable anecdotes he records:

Dr. John H. Rice and his brother Rev. Benjamin Rice were two very different types of people.

When Dr. White was being examined by Presbytery in Church Government, Dr. John Rice said:

“Mr. White, tell us, in the fewest words possible, what is the chief use of ruling elders in our church?”

To which his brother replied, answering  for Dr. White, “Tell him, to watch the Preachers”. The whole crowd laughed and Dr. John H. Rice apologized for asking such a poor question, White recorded.

This book is truly a lovely little read if you want a glimpse into Virginia Presbyterianism, by a Virginia pastor, that loved and labored only in Virginia.  

William B. Sprague's Annals of the American Pulpit - A Biographical Classic

William Buell Sprague’s (1795-1876) Annals of the American Pulpit (9 vols., 1858-1869) is one of the great classics of biographical church history. If you enjoy reading biographies of early American Presbyterians, Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, Congregationalists and more, you have just discovered a gold mine. Sprague was comprehensive in his scope, thorough in his research, judicious in his selections, and eloquent and edifying in his discourses. Solid Ground Christian Books has republished his volumes on the Baptists and Presbyterians. The whole set, now available online to read at Log College Press, is as follows:

  • Annals of the American Pulpit, Vol. 1 (Trinitarian Congregational)

  • Annals of the American Pulpit, Vol. 2 (Trinitarian Congregational)

  • Annals of the American Pulpit, Vol. 3 (Presbyterian)

  • Annals of the American Pulpit, Vol. 4 (Presbyterian)

  • Annals of the American Pulpit, Vol. 5 (Episcopalian)

  • Annals of the American Pulpit, Vol. 6 (Baptist)

  • Annals of the American Pulpit, Vol. 7 (Methodist)

  • Annals of the American Pulpit, Vol. 8 (Unitarian Congregational)

  • Annals of the American Pulpit, Vol. 9 (Lutherans, Reformed Dutch, Associate, Associate Reformed, Reformed Presbyterian)

Jacob Jones Janeway's Study Guides on Romans and Hebrews

If you're teaching Romans or Hebrews in Sunday School or a Bible study right now, check out the catechetical expositions by Jacob Jones Janeway. Here is an example from the Hebrews study guide:

Q. 28. What great work has this Divine person done for us? v. 3.
A. By himself he purged our sins.

Q. 29. What does this presuppose?
A. It presupposes the assumption of human nature by the Son, into a personal union with his divine nature.

Q. 30. How did the Son by himself purge our sins? v. 3.
A. He accomplished this great work, " by the sacrifice of himself," (chap. ix. 26,) by "bearing our sins in his own body on the tree." 1 Pet. ii. 2.24. Thus he satisfied divine justice, and made atonement for our sins.

Q. 31. What signal honour was conferred on the Son for accomplishing this great work for sinful men ? v. 3.
A. He "sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."

Q. 32. By whom was this infinite honour conferred?
A. By God the Father. See Ephes. i. 20—23. Phil. ii. 9-11.

Q. 33. Could the Son receive this honour as God? v. 3. 
A. He received it in his mediatorial person, as God and man in one person.

Q. 34. Could a mere creature be thus highly exalted?
A. No mere creature could be so highly exalted. The divinity of our Saviour's person qualified him to receive, in his mediatorial character, such infinite honour.

These questions continue for 140 pages, so there is a lot of material here for teachers to use in classroom settings or in 1-1 discipleship. 

18th and 19th Century American Presbyterian Thanksgiving Sermons

There is a long heritage of Thanksgiving sermons in America, and Presbyterian ministers in the 18th and 19th centuries found many occasions for such special sermons. Sometimes they were occasioned by notable calamities, such as epidemics or war (for example, the War Between the States led to starkly different Thanksgiving sermons on both sides of the conflict), and others were associated with the annual, distinctly-American holiday of Thanksgiving each November. Following is a sampling of the growing body of Thanksgiving sermons found at Log College Press.

Samuel Davies (1723-1761) preached a Thanksgiving sermon for national blessings received in 1759 (Serm. 71 in Vol. 4 of his Sermons). 

Samuel Miller (1769-1850)'s 1799 Thanksgiving sermon was delivered after a terrible epidemic struck New York City. 

William B. Sprague (1795-1876) preached an annual (December) Thanksgiving sermon in 1824. He would later preach another during the War Between the States in November 1861 entitled Glorifying God in the Fires.

Benjamin M. Palmer (1818-1902) preached a notable 1860 Thanksgiving sermon on the eve of war, which was to provoke a strong reaction by Charles Hodge. 

George Dodd Armstrong (1813-1899) preached a July 1861 Thanksgiving sermon giving thanks for the Confederate victory at Manassas, Virginia.

Gardiner Spring (1785-1873)'s November 1861 Thanksgiving sermon called attention to national sins which had provoked the "Great Rebellion," as well as blessings received.

Ezra H. Gillett (1823-1875)'s November 1862 Thanksgiving sermon was meant to inspire his Northern listeners in the midst of a great civil conflict. 

Thanksgiving as an American holiday has often involved controversy, but in the midst of controversy, it is especially good to take note of mercies and blessings received, and to give thanks to our God. Happy Thanksgiving to all, from Log College Press! 

Just in Time for Thanksgiving - Read W. Carlos Martyn's History of the Pilgrim Fathers

Between the years of 1866 and 1868, William Carlos Martyn (1841-1917) was an extremely prolific writer. He published histories of Martin Luther, John Milton, the French Huguenots, the English Puritans and the Dutch Reformation. He also wrote The Pilgrim Fathers of New England: A History (1867). If you are looking for a book to read about the story of the Pilgrims this Thanksgiving, be sure to check out this fascinating volume! 

The Southern Presbyterian Pulpit - a Collection of Sermons from Known and Unknown 19th Century Leaders

In 1896, the Presbyterian Church in the United States (the Southern Presbyterian Church) published a compilation of sermons of some of its leading ministers, entitled Southern Presbyterian Pulpit. The sermon by John Lafayette Girardeau is of particular note. 

  • The Transforming Power of the Gospel, Benjamin Morgan Palmer
  • The Changing World and the Unchanging God, Moses Hoge
  • "One Jesus," J. Henry Smith
  • The Gospel Call, George D. Armstrong
  • "What Is the Chaff to the Wheat?" J. W. Lupton
  • Christ's Pastoral Presence with his Dying People, John L. Girardeau,
  • The Pitilessness of Sin, J. R. Stratton
  • The Happy Service, Robert L. Dabney
  • Seeking The Lord, J. W. Rosebro
  • Our Redeemer's Prayer for Christian Unity, Neander M. Woods,
  • The Divineness of the Family Bond, W. U. Murkland
  • Why Believers Should Not Fear, A. W. Pitzer
  • The Ruler's Question, J. H. Bryson
  • Children of the Covenant, S. W. Davies
  • Man Inspired of God, G. R. Brackett
  • "How Long Halt Ye Between Two Opinions,"J. R. Burgett
  • Consecration, Givens B. Strickler
  • Personal Work for the Master, W. N. Scott
  • Joseph of Arimathea, John A. Preston
  • The Striving Spirit, Robert P. Kerr
  • Applied Christianity, R. K. Smoot
  • The Three Causes Of Salvation, W. W. Moore
  • The Necessity of Christ's Resurrection, J. F. Cannon
  • Natural Law and Divine Providence, Peyton H. Hoge
  • Take Hold of God, James I. Vance
  • "To Me To Live Is Christ," J. R. Howerton

We're collecting an online bookstore of secondary sources on American Presbyterianism

Log College Press aims to collect and reprint the writings of and about American Presbyterians from the 18th and 19th centuries - and to that end, we've not only published our first two works, but we're also beginning to build an online repository of secondary sources. If you haven't visited our bookstore lately, do so - and come back again soon. 

Have You Read Archibald Alexander's Preface to Matthew Henry's Bible Commentary?

Have you read Archibald Alexander's (1772-1851) preface to the first American edition of Matthew Henry's Bible Commentary? First published in 1828, it is both a wonderful introduction to a most excellent commentary on the Word of God ("as long as the English language shall remain unchanged, Henry's Exposition will be highly appreciated by the lovers of true religion"), and also is in itself a guide to what characteristics are most desirable to find in a good Bible Commentary: "perspicuity and conciseness...vivacity...felicity and frequency with which the text, at any time under consideration, is elucidated by parallel passages." As Alexander takes us through the genius and piety of Matthew Henry's great commentary, we are guided in the method by which the reader can make most use of this valuable expository and practical tool, and thus become more deeply enriched by the treasury of God's Word. As we consider the work of Henry and as we approach the Word of God, we must in humility concur with Alexander who says, "Let God have the glory of every invention, of every gift, and of every work, by which the progress and diffusion of truth are promoted or facilitated; and let all that is said in praise of men, be so spoken, as to redound to the honour and glory of the Triune God!—Amen."

Hope for the Jews: One 19th Century American Presbyterian Perspective on the Future State of the Jews

In 1853, the distinguished American Presbyterian Jacob Jones Janeway (1774-1858) wrote Hope for the Jews: or, The Jews Will Be Converted to the Christian Faith; and Settled and Reorganized as a Nation in the Land of Palestine. In this treatise, he argues that the prophecies of the New and Old Testament foretell a general conversion of the Jews to Christianity in the latter days, as well as a restoration of the Jewish people to the land of Palestine. 

This topic has been a source of much intramural debate among Reformed theologians over the centuries. Yet in holding his view, not derived from Dispensationalism, Janeway followed a long tradition of American congregationalists such as John Cotton, Increase Mather, Jonathan Edwards, and Ezra Stiles; American Presbyterians such as Asa McFarland, Charles Hodge (who preached Janeway's funeral sermon), A.A. Hodge, B.B. Warfield; and Presbyterians and Baptists from across the pond, such as R.M. M'Cheyne, Horatius and Andrew Bonar, David Brown, Charles Spurgeon and others; all of whom held to a future mass conversion of the Jews, and most of whom held to a future national restoration of the Jewish people. 

Janeway's treatise encourages prayer for the Jewish people and, particularly, for the conversion and restoration. He says: "Christians, true believers, are now, by adoption, Israelites; and doubtless, it is binding on them, as well as on Abraham's natural descendants, to offer continual and earnest, and importunate prayer to God, to hasten the accomplishment of His gracious purposes in favor of Israel, and to turn their hearts to Himself, that they may all become the spiritual seed of Abraham, and Israelites indeed." To study further how Janeway understood the apostolic expression "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved" (Rom. 10:1), read more here.

19th Century RP Minister Alexander McLeod - See His Portrait and Read More About and By Him Here

Alexander McLeod (1774-1833) was one of the most notable Reformed Presbyterian ministers of the early 19th century in America. He addressed the question of slavery, the prophecies of Revelation, the mediatorial kingship of Christ over all things, ecclesiastical government, godly living and many more theological and practical issues in his sermons and writings. Samuel B. Wylie, another notable RP minister, wrote his biography here.

Currently, his portrait is on loan to the PCA Historical Center in St. Louis, MIssouri. That site, along with the University of Delaware, is a repository of his works and papers. There is a growing amount of these materials and resources available online, and we are continuing to make them available here at Log College Press. It is well worth your time to read more about and by this early pillar of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. 

Addresses at the PCUS' Celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Westminster Assembly

In May 1897, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (the Southern Presbyterian Church) heard eleven addresses in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Westminster Assembly and its published standards. This volume, entitled Memorial Volume of the Westminster Assembly (1897), is mostly forgotten today - yet it is chock full of rich essays on the confessional standards of our tradition. Here is the table of contents:

1. The Political History of the Time, by Henry Alexander White
2. The Religious Situation of the time, by Robert Price
3. The Westminster Assembly Itself, by T. Dwight Witherspoon
4. The Doctrinal Contents of the Confession, by Robert L. Dabney
5. The Catechisms, by Givens B. Strickler
6. The Polity and Worship of the Standards, by Eugene Daniel
7. The Relation of the Standards to Other Creeds, by James D. Tadlock
8. The Standards and Missionary Activity, by Moses Drury Hoge
9. The Standards in Relation to Current Theology, by Samuel M. Smith
10. The Standards in Relation to Family and Social Life, by John F. Cannon
11. The Standards and Civil Government, by William M. Cox

If you appreciate the Westminster Standards, you will enjoy this book. 

Alexander Proudfit - Thirteen Discourses on Godliness

Log College Press features not only work from mainline Presbyterians but also from American Dissenting Presbyterians, which include the ARP, RPCNA and Associate Church, among these is Alexander Proudfit one of the most prolific writers the Associate Reformed produced. He was a wonder devotional writer, as well as an expert and a notable anti-Slavery Advocate. In the day of Alexander Proudfit the question of how to live a life of devotion would be just as key as today, Proudfit desiring to see people live holier lives. Proudfit would preach and publish thirteen discourses on the subject of practical Godliness. Proudfit clearly informs believers about their duties in the church, in the home as well as in private devotion. A simple reading of these discourses would help any believer, live a more profitable life in an incredibly difficult world.

Proudfit in his discourses approaches religious duties with a warm pastoral heart, and offers simple practical advice to Christians that is truly timeless. Perhaps the church more than ever the American Church struggles with simple devotion to God, and following after Christ, Proudfit provides the simple answers in his book of discourses. He is also from the ARP which provides an important glimpse into the piety, and historical devotion of the ARP Church. Whether to grow in a knowledge of Christ or to become better aquainted with the ARP and one of her most prolific writers Proudfit’s Practical Godliness will not disappoint.

The Discussions of Robert Lewis Dabney

Robert Lewis Dabney (1820-1898)'s essays and papers on various topics were collected and edited in four volumes during his lifetime by Rev. C.R. Vaughan. In 1999, a fifth volume of his papers, which includes a 115-page previously unpublished poem by Dabney entitled "Christology of the Angels," was edited by J.H. Varner and published by Sprinkle Publications. All five volumes, which are a treasury of insights theological and otherwise, are now available to read online at Log College Press. 

1) Theological and Evangelical (1890)

2) Evangelical (1891)

3) Philosophical (1892)

4) Secular (1897)

5) Miscellaneous (1999) 

James McLeod Willson on the Nature, Duties, and Exercise of the Office of Deacon

James McLeod Willson was a Reformed Presbyterian pastor in Philadelphia, PA, when in 1841 he wrote The Deacon: An Inquiry into the Nature, Duties, and Exercises of the Office of the Deacon in the Christian Church. In Willson's day, many Presbyterian churches did not have deacons, much to his lament. In this 75 page book Willson establishes that the office of deacon is a biblical office, explains the nature of the office from the Scriptures and church history, challenges various substitutes that had been erected in his day for the diaconate, and finally explained how the deacons related to elders in the Session and other church courts. There aren't as many resources on the office of the deacon as there could be, so we are glad to be able to bring to light this forgotten book.

Samuel Miller's Thoughts on Public Prayer

Samuel Miller's Thoughts on Public Prayer (1849) is an important volume for teaching and ruling elders leading in corporate worship, as well as anyone who has to pray publicly, whether in family worship, social settings, or at other occasions. Miller lays out a history of public prayer, discusses liturgies, opens up frequent faults in public prayer, and shows forth the characteristics of a good public prayer, as well as the best means of attaining excellence in this gift and grace. Tolle lege!

Charles Hodge on the way of life.

"It is one of the clearest principles of divine revelation, that holiness is the fruit of truth; and it is one of the plainest inferences from that principle, that the exhibition of the truth is the best means of promoting holiness. Christians regard the word of God as the only infallible teacher of those truths which relate to the salvation of men. But are the Scriptures really a revelation from God? If they are, what doctrines do they teach? And what influence should those doctrines exert on our heart and life?"

Thus begins The Way of Life (1841), by Charles Hodge. This book first establishes that the Scriptures are the very word of God, then that all men are sinners. After reflecting on the causes of the indifference of men to the charge of sin, and the way the Spirit convicts men of sin, Hodge covers justification, faith, repentance, the sacraments, and holiness. 

May the Lord continue to use Hodge's words to teach truth and promote holiness! 

Robert James George's Lectures on Pastoral Theology

American Presbyterians have reflected deeply on the nature and calling of the minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. On the Log College Press website you will find William Swan Plumer's Hints and Helps in Pastoral Theology (1874) and Thomas Murphy's Pastoral Theology (1877). A lesser known work is the three-volume Lectures on Pastoral Theology, by Robert James George. This Reformed Presbyterian minister was the Professor of Theology and Church History in the Covenanter Seminary in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, from 1892-1910. His Lectures covered the character and services of a pastor (Volume 1), the pastor and the congregation, the pastor and the church courts (Volume 2), the pastor and the kingdom, and the pastor and the world (Volume 3), as well as additional material in Volume 3 concerning the distinctives of ministry in the Reformed Presbyterian Church. Any pastor will benefit from George's meditations upon the work of the minister.

A Forty-Three Year Pastorate in a Country Church for Sale Now!

If you've never heard of Cornelius Washington Grafton, do yourself a favor and buy his autobiographical address found in this booklet. He pastored the same church in rural Mississippi for 61 years, and at the 43-year mark he was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. This booklet was his Moderator's Address. The country is not the flashiest place to minister, nor is it in vogue to pastor the same congregation for a prolonged period of time. Yet Grafton shows us the fruitfulness that can come from a lengthy ministry in the country. 

The Ecclesiastical Catechisms of Alexander McLeod and Thomas Smyth

Most Presbyterians are familiar with the Westminster Shorter/Larger Catechisms, or the Heidelberg Catechism. But have you heard of Ecclesiastical Catechisms? At least two were written by Presbyterians in America in the 19th century: one by Alexander McLeod (1806) and one by Thomas Smyth (1843). These books present the doctrine of the church in question and answer format, so that God's people might more easily understand what the Scriptures teach about the institution that Jesus is building. McLeod and Smyth won't agree on everything (for instance, the number of offices Jesus has appointed in His church), so comparing and contrasting these two documents, written 40 years apart, will undoubtedly be an edifying and rewarding use of your time.