McGill's Church Government and Peck's Notes on Ecclesiology

Log College Press exists in part to preserve a digital archive of American Presbyterian works from the 18th and 19th century, and to propagate the knowledge of these works to the general public. These works have generally been forgotten by 21st century Presbyterians, and it is our hope that just as Puritan literature has enjoyed a revival over the past sixty years through Banner of Truth and other publishers, so Log College Press might serve to restore knowledge of the Presbyterian fathers from America.

To that end, if you are interested in studying the topic of Ecclesiology, I commend to you two works written toward the end of the 19th century, one by a Northerner, and one by a Southerner. A book we have highlighted previously, Alexander Taggert McGill's Church Government (written in 1888), compiled the lectures on the topic he gave at Princeton Theological Seminary. McGill had been called in 1854 to become the Professor of Pastoral Theology, Church Government, and Homiletics, and held this position for over forty years. Soon after McGill's book was published, Thomas Ephraim Peck wrote Notes on Ecclesiology (1892). McGill's book is much longer than Peck's (560 pages as compared to 212), and while both traverse similar terrain in the topic, Peck includes sections on church power and the relationship between the church and the state (specifically, church power as contrasted with civil power) that make his volume unique in its presentation. Both books are worth the time and effort spent to work through them. 

The Masters Painted for Joy

After the death of William Rogers Richards, in 1910, a volume of extracts from his sermons was compiled by Abraham Van Doren Honeyman, with the assistance of Mrs. Richards, titled The Truth in Love: From the Sermons of William R. Richards (1912). It is a daily devotional that spans a whole year. 

The devotional reading for today (April 27) includes a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. 

That which costs is also that which well repays the cost. So it is doubtless true, as a distinguished writer of our day has said, that 'the old masters painted for joy and knew not that joy had gone out of them;' while, on the other hand, the first great master of Christian song also said truly of his greatest poem, that it had 'made him lean for many years' [Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy, Canto XXV].

The Christian rule for us all in our daily occupation is to do every piece of work not merely so that it will look well done, but so that it will be well done. For we are God's servants, and God sees things, not as they seem to be, but as they are.

A Daughter of the Covenant

If you have read James McDonald Chaney's William the Baptist and its sequel, Agnes, the Daughter of William the Baptist, consider in a similar vein a novel by Littleton Purnell Bowen: A Daughter of the Covenant: A Tale of Louisiana (1901). This is a story that is largely about the covenant blessings of baptism. Though like Chaney's works, it is a didactic narrative that instructs, Bowen's novel is told as a tale that stands on its own merits. Set in bayou country, the reader will follow the La Fontaine and D'Arbonne families as their Huguenot history sets the stage for all that follows in the life of Mary La Fontaine, daughter of the covenant. There is romance, adventure, and poetry in this tale as the blessings of the covenant are unfolded. 

Take time to look over our Fiction page as well to find other novels written by American Presbyterian ministers. 

Hazael the Syrian

John Calvin once wrote that "Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves" (Institutes 1.1.1). 

Hazael the Syrian is an example of someone who seems to have lacked both knowledge of God and of self. When Elisha described to him what he would do in the future, Hazael did not recognize himself in the horrific deeds outlined by the weeping prophet (2 Kings 8). Yet, Elisha's words were true. 

Andrew Flinn Dickson (1825-1879) has taken the life of Hazael for a lesson to us all in a volume titled Hazael the Syrian; or, Know Thyself (1857). We ought to know the God whom we serve, and we ought to know who we are in His service. Elijah warned the people of God, "How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him" (1 Kings 18:21). Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us that "No man can serve two masters" (Matt. 6:24). Dickson reminds us that there is no place for a "half-way Christian." 

It is a sobering read, but how important it is, Christian, to know thyself, and to God be true. 

Ruth the Moabitess

The life of Ruth the Moabitess, the great-grandmother of King David, has lessons that are instructive for us today. Archibald Alexander once wrote a tract that is little-known today titled Ruth the Moabitess, or The Power of True Religion, in which he sets forth some of those lessons for our consideration. 

"1. The power of true religion appears in making persons willing to abandon all idolatry, and all false notions and corrupt institutions of religion, in which they have been educated, or to which by inclination they may have been attached....Ruth the Moabitess was brought up an idolater, no doubt, but sovereign grace had touched her heart. By hearing she had been brought to believe, and under the influence of this new principle she turns her back on all the false deities which she had been accustomed to revere, and says to a pious Israelite, 'Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.'...

2. The power of religion is manifest in making persons willing to forsake their nearest and dearest earthly relatives, when their duty to their God and Saviour requires it. Those ties which bind men together are often so strong that they will lay down their lives for the preservation of those who are nearly related to them. But the love of Christ is stronger than all natural affections—stronger than the love of life itself. If our Lord had not known the power of his religion, he would never had laid down such terms of discipleship, as to forsake father and mother, wife and children, houses and land, yea our own life for his sake....

3. The power of true religion is again manifest in leading its votaries to choose the service of God, and the people of God, although the choice is in direct opposition to natural inclinations and worldly interests, and even though poverty and affliction should be the inevitable consequence. This is a good description of true religion. It consists in the deliberate choice of God as our God, and of his people as our people. They who make this choice have been divinely illuminated. Of all such it may truly be said, 'flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto them, but their Father who is in heaven.'...

4. The power of true religion is remarkably manifest in this, that it enables its possessor to stand firm when others turn back. When religion flourishes, there will be some who profess to follow Christ, and yet have no root in them. The blessed Saviour most strikingly characterizes them by the seed sown on a rock, which, though it quickly sprung up, soon withered away. During Christ's ministry, many followed him for a season,—but they were led on by low and selfish motives. And when their carnal expectations were disappointed, they would proceed no further, but 'went back from him.' Thus it was in the apostolic churches; some of high professions and high standing fell away. But the foundation of God is immovable, for the 'Lord knoweth them that are his.' 'They went out from us because they were not of us.' These are sifting times. Satan is ready to suggest to the sincere disciple, 'you may as well follow the example,' and for a moment the pious soul may be ready to slide, while he sees those apostatising of whose piety he had entertained a much more exalted opinion than of his own. But there is in him an imperishable seed, and he cannot sin deliberately. No, his heart is fixed, and however many may draw back unto perdition, his resolution becomes stronger; like the oak shaken by the storm he takes firmer root....

5. The power of religion appears, not only in resolving and choosing, but more especially in acting and enduring. Ruth goes to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law. The whole town is moved on their arrival, 'And they said, Is this Naomi?' And she said, 'Call me not Naomi, (which signifies pleasant) but call me Mara, (which signifies bitter) for the Almighty hath dealt bitterly with me.' Ruth is now in a strange land, and her mother-in-law being old, the burden of labour falls on her. The poor in Israel had a right by the law to the scattered stalks which the reapers left, and to every handful which they dropped, and to any sheaf which they forgot, and to what grew in the corners of the field. The poverty of these two widows is further evident, from the circumstance of Ruth's going out to glean after the reapers, from day to day. But she made no complaint. She cheerfully performed her duty, and patiently submitted to these humiliating circumstances."

Take up this short tract which has blessed others (as mentioned by J.W. Alexander in the biography he wrote of his father) and may its lessons and applications be a blessing to you, dear reader. 

B.B. Warfield and the Revision of 1903

The American edition of the Westminster Confession of Faith was revised in 1903. It was a time of great controversy, and there were those who were opposed to the suggested changes. One of them was B.B. Warfield. We have recently compiled his writings on the subject, written before and after the revisions were approved, which includes literature from others on both sides of the question. 

Warfield, whose "trilogy" on the Westminster Standards we have previously highlighted, began writing about the proposals to amend the Confession as early as 1889. The following is a list of his works on this particular topic: 

• "The Presbyterian Churches and the Westminster Confession" (The Presbyterian Review, October 1889);

• On the Revision of the Confession of Faith (1890);

• Ought the Confession of Faith to be Revised? (1890, edited by Warfield, including contributions by John DeWitt, Henry J. Van Dyke, Jr., and W.G.T. Shedd);

• Proposed Reply to "The Final Report of the Committee on the Revision of the Confession" (The Presbyterian and Reformed Review, 1892); and

• The Confession of Faith as Revised in 1903 (1904). 

What were the revisions that were adopted in 1903 by the Presbyterian Church (USA)? Two new chapters were added - "Of the Holy Spirit" and "Of the Love of God, and Missions" - as well as a "Declaratory Statement" dealing with God's eternal decree of election and the question of those who die in infancy. Additionally, a sentence was deleted in section 2 of chapter 22 ("Of Lawful Oaths and Vows"); and chapter 25:6 (on "The Church") was revised to remove the assertion that the Pope is Antichrist. When the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) separated from the PCUSA and created its own edition of the Westminster Standards in 1936 (which was later adopted by the Presbyterian Church in American (PCA)), the two new chapters and declaratory statement were removed, but the latter two changes were retained. 

Donald John Maclean writes in James Durham (1622–1658): And the Gospel Offer in its Seventeenth-Century Context (2015) that "Although an opponent of confessional revision, B.B. Warfield, long-time professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, regarded the changes in a surprisingly positive light. In the end, he believed that the changes finally adopted in no way altered the system of doctrine contained in the Westminster Standards. Thus, he was able to give them his support" (p. 273). J.G. Machen, writing in 1936, was not as favorable, describing the 1903 revisions as "compromising amendments," "highly objectionable," a "calamity," and "a very serious lowering of the flag" (Presbyterian Guardian, Nov. 28, 1936, pp. 69-70).

For a recent discussion of the two chapters that were added to the Confession in 1903, see J.V. Fesko, The Spirit of the Age: The 19th-Century Debate Over the Holy Spirit and the Westminster Confession (2017). It is fascinating, nevertheless, to review Warfield's body of literature on the 1903 revisions both before and after they took place. In doing so, this great expert on the Westminster Standards reveals both his confessional fortitude and his willingness to bend for the sake of peace in the church, though not, as he viewed it, at the expense of the truth. 

All the Earth Shall Be Filled With the Glory of the Lord

In 1835, Samuel Miller (1769-1850) preached a sermon before the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions in Baltimore, Maryland. His text was that from Numbers 14:21: "...all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord." It is a great promise that gives hope to Christians concerning the expansion of Christ's kingdom on earth. But it does not stand alone in God's Word. A significant portion of his sermon involves the assembling together of other Scriptures which only serve to undergird this promise. 

"1. First of all, and above all, our hope is founded on JEHOVAH'S FAITHFUL AND UNERRING PROMISE. This is, undoubtedly, the chief ground of confidence. For that a religion which has been preached for eighteen, centuries, and which has been as yet received, even nominally, by less than a fourth part of mankind, will one day, and, at most, in a century or two from this hour, pervade and govern the world, we can expect with confidence only on the promise of Him who is Almighty, and who cannot lie. But this promise is surely enough for the most unwavering confidence. Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Jehovah is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but one jot or tittle of all that has gone out of the mouth of Jehovah shall not pass away, until all be fulfilled. 

Let us attend, then, to some of the promises on this subject with which the word of God abounds. Take the following as a small specimen of the 'exceeding great and precious'  catalogue found in the inspired volume.

• The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ, Rev. 11:15.
• Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession, Ps. 2:8.
• All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him, Ps. 22.27.
• From the rising of the sun, even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place shall incense be offered unto my name, and a pure offering; for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts, Mal. 1.11.
• And I will gather all nations, and tongues, and cause them to come and see my glory, Isa. 56.18.
• And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it, Isa. 2:2.
• His name shall be continued as long as the sun; men shall be blessed in him, and all nations shall call him blessed, Ps. 72:17.
• The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, and the excellency of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God, Isa. 35:1-2.
• And the kingdom, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; and all dominions shall serve and obey him, Dan. 7:27.
• He shall say to the North, Give up; and to the South, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth, Isa. 43:6.
• His way shall be known upon earth, and his saving health among all nations, Ps. 67:2.
• And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, Isa. 40:5.
• Ethiopia shall stretch forth her hands unto God, Ps. 68:31.
• The isles shall wait for his law, Isa. 13:4.
• He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth, Zech. 9:10.
• All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God, Isa. 52:10.
• We see not yet all things put under Him, Heb. 2:8.
• But he must reign, until all enemies shall be put under his feet, 1 Cor. 15:25.
• At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that he is Christ to the glory of God the Father, Phil. 1:10-11.
• For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea, Hab. 2:14.

Such is a specimen of Jehovah's promises respecting the future prevalence and power of the gospel. Read them, Christians, with joy and confidence. Ponder them daily and well in your hearts, as a source of continual encouragement. And remember that they shall all, without failure, be gloriously accomplished. I cannot tell you precisely when this happy period shall arrive; but I can tell you, on authority not to be questioned, that, at the appointed time, this earth, so long the abode of sin and sorrow, shall be restored from its desolations, and made to bloom like 'the garden of the Lord.' I can tell you, that her Almighty King will yet, notwithstanding every unfavorable appearance, make Zion beautiful through his own comeliness put upon her; that he will yet cause her righteousness to go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burneth, Isa. lxii. 1. These promises may not, indeed, be all fully accomplished, until we, who now listen to their recital, shall be all sleeping in the dust; or, rather, if by the grace of God, we be made meet for it, -- rejoicing before the throne, in possession of still brighter glory. But, 'though we die, God shall surely visit his people' in mercy. Though neither we, nor even the next generation shall be permitted to witness on earth the complete development of 'the latter day glory;' yet let us rejoice in the assurance that it will come in due time, and in all its promised blessedness. The vision is yet for an appointed time; but in the end it shall speak and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry, Hab. ii. 3."

This powerful sermon has inspired many over the years to pray and labor for the pouring out of God's Spirit upon the nations, as should we all. There is a similar text in Psalm 72, to which Samuel Miller also refers in his Thoughts on Public Prayer: 

"I once heard of a minister who, in a time of revival, when his own heart, as well as the hearts of his hearers were unusually warmed with the power of the Holy Spirit, closed a prayer in the midst of the revival, with great acceptance, in the words of the Psalmist (72:18-19): 'Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things; and blessed be his glorious name forever; and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen! The effect was electric in suddenness, and most happy." 

Thomas Smyth's Charge to the People at the Installation of Pastors Thornwell and Mullally

In 1860, James Henley Thornwell and Francis P. Mullally were installed as co-pastors of the First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC. John Lafayette Girardeau preached the sermon and Thomas Smyth gave the charges to the pastors and to the people. You can find these addresses in Volume 6 of Smyth's Complete Works here. The following is Smyth's charge to the congregation:

The very first thing I would impress upon you is, that in this eventful scene you are not spectators merely, but participants — not merely eye-witnesses to an interesting pageant, but partners to a solemn compact. The relations and responsibilities now constituted are mutual, and cannot be separated. Have these Brethren now become your pastors? — you have become their people. Are they under obligation to preach, to reprove, to rebuke, to make known God's will and your duty? — you are bound to hear, to obey, and to perform. Are they, in conscious impotence, to undertake a work

Which well might fill an angel’s heart,
And filled a Saviour's hands? —

they are to be strengthened with all might, obtained through your prayers on their behalf. Are they to give themselves wholly to the things which pertain to your spiritual welfare? — you are to provide all things needful for their temporal comforts; to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake; to count them worthy of an adequate and honorable maintenance; and to consider it a small thing to impart freely of your carnal things in return for their spiritual gifts.

You perceive, therefore, Brethren, that the solemnities of this occasion involve you not less than those who are set over you in the Lord. For weal or for woe you are now joined together. The relations and the responsibilities are mutual. You must be helpers or hinderers of each other’s prosperity and progress. Like priest like people, is not more true than like people like priest. It is in the power of any people to paralyze or to put life and energy into their pastor, and to make him not only a lovely song and as one that playeth well on an instrument, but the power of God and the wisdom of God, to the salvation of souls. And for all that they might do and ought to do, they must give account when they shall stand confronted at the bar of Him who judgeth righteous judgment.

May you so live and labour together as that this account shall be given with joy, and not with grief. Yours, I have said, is a model pulpit. May you be a model people. Model preaching will demand model practice, model piety, liberality and zealous devotion to every good cause. I congratulate you. Brethren, upon the present occasion and your future prospects. I rejoice with you in your joy. I remember your kindness to my youth, and your appreciation of my early ministrations, when you so cordially invited me to live and labour among you. Allow me, with all my heart, to pray that peace may be within your walls, and prosperity within your borders. May you go forward prospering and to prosper — a city set on a hill, a burning and a shining light, provoking all around you to love and liberality. May strength go out of this Zion, and may you arise and shine the glory of the Lord having arisen upon you.

This occasion must now close, but we who are now assembled must meet in review all the issues of this rehearsal. Oh, my friends, realize and lay to heart that hastening hour. Pray, oh, pray earnestly, that when pastors and people shall meet face to face, at that awful tribunal, instead of mutual upbraidings and reproaches — you accusing them of unfaithfulness or negligence, and they accusing you of coldness, formality, and refusal to come up to the help of the Lord against the mighty — you may be able to congratulate each other; you blessing God for them as helpers of your faith, and they presenting you to God as their joy and crown of rejoicing.

What's in a Name?

If you desire to get to know the growing list of author names at Log College Press, one thing will stand out if you know a bit about Reformed church history. Many of our authors were named after eminent Reformed Christians who went before them. 

Archibald Alexander (1772-1851) named several of his children after notable Christians, including James Waddel Alexander (1804-1859) (named for James Waddel, the "Blind Preacher," Archibald's father-in-law); and Samuel Davies Alexander (1819-1894) (named for Samuel Davies (1723-1761), the "Apostle of Virginia") - also William Cowper Alexander, after William Cowper, the poet.

Elias Boudinot (1802-1839), a Cherokee Indian, was born Gallegina Uwati, also known as Buck Watie, took the name of his mentor, Elias Boudinot IV (1740-1821). 

Charles Hodge (1797-1878) named his son Archibald Alexander Hodge (1823-1886) after the elder Hodge's mentor, Archibald Alexander.

James Renwick Wilson Sloane (1823-1886) and James Renwick Willson (1780-1853) were both named for the Scottish Covenanter James Renwick. 

Alexander McLeod Staveley (1816-1903) was likely named for Alexander McLeod (1774-1833), as was James McLeod Willson (1809-1866) (his father J.R. Willson studied theology under Alexander McLeod). 

John Newton Waddel (1812-1895), son of Moses Waddel (1770-1840), was named by his parents after the Anglican minister John Newton - another son was named after the British hymn-writer Isaac Watts. 

Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield's (1851-1921) middle name comes from his maternal line and honors his grandfather Robert Jefferson Breckinridge (1800-1871), and others in his distinguished family tree. 

Richard Cameron Wylie (1846-1928) is named for the Scottish Covenanter Richard Cameron. 

These names tell us something about the Presbyterian heritage that has been treasured and passed down. Get to know these writers, as well as who they are named for, and others here at Log College Press, who have many fascinating biographies and family trees, as well as their writings. 

The Heaven of the Bible

Have you looked for a book about heaven that is grounded in what we know from the Bible and avoids mere wishful speculation beyond what Scripture teaches? Just such a volume was written in the 19th century by James Madison McDonald (1812-1876): My Father's House; or, The Heaven of the Bible (1855). 

The author considers it an important subject, and so should we. He emphasizes how meditation on heaven is of great value to the Christian because this is where our true citizenship resides as we pass through this earthly vale. And he recognizes the many misconceptions of heaven and the afterlife which prevailed in his day (and ours), in part because of occultic ideas. 

We are reminded by the author of what heaven is not, or rather, what it lacks - there will be no more pain, no more sorrow, no more night, no more death, and no temple. Indeed, one characteristic of heaven is that of all things that accompany the joy of the presence of God there will be no lack at all. 

He addresses who will be in heaven, and who will not. He examines the issue of children who die in infancy. He responds to the question of whether the saints will know one another in heaven (also addressed by John Aspinwall Hodge here).

Several of our Log College Press authors are cited in this volume, among them Archibald Alexander, J.W. Alexander, Charles Hodge, William Armstrong Dod and Gardiner Spring. He acknowledges also the great writings on heaven that precede him by men such as Richard Baxter and John Howe. 

Great pains are taken to speak to what the Bible teaches, and to leave off where the Bible does so. Not all is revealed at present, but all shall be revealed in heaven, and that is part of the reason we are to stick to the Bible on our pilgrimage to heaven. If you have sought a devotional treatise from an American Presbyterian, and fellow pilgrim, about the heaven of the Bible, which avoids the vain imaginations of men, download this book for your prayerful study and meditation. 

American Presbyterian Travelogues

Have you ever wanted to travel to far-away places? Or perhaps you have traveled, and taken pictures and written a diary or journal of your experiences. So have a number of our authors here at Log College Press. Thus we have developed a Travelogues page to highlight the writings of American Presbyterian ministers about their journeys, and in some cases, the fascinating people they met along the way. 

Here you can read about Robert Baird's impressions of the West Indies and North America, his visits to Northern Europe, and his guide to the Mississippi Valley; or son Henry Baird's recounting of his experiences in Greece; or accounts of Robert Jefferson Breckinridge's travels through France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy; or a record of William Pratt Breed's travels through England in 1884; or Henry Van Dyke, Jr.'s journey through the Holy Land; or Andrew Shiland's trip across the United States in 1892 to attend the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA); and more. Also of interest is William Buell Sprague's visits to and impressions of European "celebrities," including Rowland Hill, William Orme, William Wilberforce, William Jay, Ernst Wilhelm Theodor Herrmann Hengstenberg, Thomas Hartwell Horne, Charles Simeon, Edward Bickersteth, and Thomas Chalmers.

Not all travelogue writings by our authors are fully available at our site yet. Charles Hodge spent two years studying in Europe (1827-1828), and wrote his Journal of European Travels, which exists in manuscript form at the Princeton Theological Seminary archives, which has been digitized, and in digital form on Logos (see also Paul C. Gutjahr, Charles Hodge: Guardian of American Orthodoxy, beginning with the chapter titled "The Trip to Europe"). J.G. Machen spent time in Europe during World War I, and returned later to hike in the Alps, about which we have some writings from his hand, courtesy of the PCA Historical Center. George William Pilcher's edition of Samuel Davies' diary of his travels to England and Scotland in 1753-1755 is available at our Bookstore page. The letters of James Henley Thornwell from his two trips to Europe are available on our site from Benjamin Morgan Palmer's The Life and Letters of James Henley Thornwell. 

A quote attributed to Augustine, but not sourced, is given by John Feltham in The English Enchiridion (1799): "St. Augustine, when he speaks of the great advantages of travelling, says, that the world is a great book, and none study this book so much as a traveller. They that never stir from home read only one page of this book." If so, take advantage of these travel journals by our Presbyterian ministers, and travel the world via Log College Press. 

Names Carved on Hearts

Charles H. Spurgeon once wrote: "A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble." 

In remembrance of beloved pastors and pilgrims, many Presbyterian funeral discourses, wherein the lives and legacy of saints have been preserved, more so on hearts than marble, but also digitally, and assembled in one place at Log College Press. 

They include tributes to the lives of pastors and professors, men and women, old and young, and lead into discourses on the providence of God, how one can triumph in the midst of suffering, and the doctrine of the resurrection of the body. 

James M. Garrettson, author of Pastor-Teachers of Old Princeton: Memorial Addresses for the Faculty of Princeton Theological Seminary, 1812-1921, also assembled some of these memorial discourses in his valuable volume, which is available here. 

Bookmark our Funeral Discourses page to learn more about these beloved saints, and the lessons that can be learned from their lives and legacies. 

Moses Drury Hoge on the Relation of the Westminster Standards to Foreign Missions

 On the Log College Press Compilations page, you will find the Memorial Volume of the Westminster Assembly, 1647-1897, a wonderful collection of essays about the formation and theology of the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms. One of the important articles in that book was written by Moses Drury Hoge, pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Virginia, entitled "Relation of the Westminster Standards to Foreign Missions." Hoge examines some of the historical reasons why the churches who adopted the Standards were not as possessed of a missionary spirit as they ought to have been; the missionary vision of the Standards; and the ministries of Alexander Duff, missionary to India, and John Leighton Wilson, missionary to western Africa. All who love to see the gospel go forth will be encouraged by Hoge's reflection.

Here's an important slice from Hoge on how the Westminster Standards ground missions in the biblical doctrine of the church: "The true theory of missions is one that clearly recognizes the fact that the great head of the church has not only committed to it the truths necessary to salvation, but has provided it with the government, the laws, the offices, and the equipment for building up the kingdom of God and extending its conquests through the world. This is in accordance with the spirit and teaching of the Westminster Standards, in proof of which we need only quote their noble testimony: "Unto this catholic, visible church Christ has given the ministry, the oracles and ordinances of God for the gathering and perfecting of the saints in this life and to the end of the world; and this he doth by his own presence and Spirit, according to his promise, made effectual thereto." Thus are the scattered sheep ''gathered" from the North and the South, the East and the West, into the safe and happy fold of the Good Shepherd. By its divine constitution the church is, therefore, qualified to secure all the spiritual ends for which it was instituted, and is in itself a missionary society of which every communicant is a member; and as each one has a recognized place in it because of its representative form of government, this very fact is calculated to enlist the sympathies, to deepen the sense of responsibility, and to stimulate to the most earnest, practical activity on the part of every member of the great household of faith."

May those who live under the teaching of the Westminster Standards be impelled more and more to bring the gospel to the nations!

Will the Saints Know Each Other in Heaven?

It is a question often asked by saints in mourning - will Christians know one another in heaven? It has been addressed by many theologians in the past, for example, by the German Reformer Martin Luther after the 1542 death of his daughter Magdalena; the English Puritan Thomas Watson in his Body of Divinity; the English Puritan Richard Baxter in The Saints' Everlasting Rest; and the Dutch Puritan Wilhelmus à Brakel in The Christian's Reasonable Service; to name a few. 

The American Presbyterian John Aspinwall Hodge (1831-1901), nephew of Charles Hodge, wrote a book-length volume on the subject, titled Recognition After Death (1889), to respond pastorally to the concerns of those with this common question. In this little book, he considers common objections to the idea that the saints will recognize each other in heaven. He also takes into account what it means for a man or woman, body and soul, to be made in the image of God, and how that which is immortal, spiritual and of good character is reflective of that image; he analyzes the phrase "Abraham's bosom," from the parable of the rich man and Lazarus; he studies the implications of Christ's resurrection body as they relate to the recognition issue; and he discusses the methods of recognition, and how the ability to communicate is retained in heaven. 

Among his closing thoughts, he cites Archibald Alexander from his Thoughts on Religious Experience thus: "As here knowledge is acquired by the aid of instructors, why may not the same be the fact in heaven? What a delightful employment to the saints who have been drinking in the knowledge of God and his works for thousands of years to communicate instruction to the saints just arrived! How delightful to conduct the pilgrim, who has just finished his race, through the ever blooming bowers of paradise, and to introduce him to this and the other ancient believer, and to assist him to find out and recognize, among so great a multitude, old friends and earthly relatives. There need be no dispute about our knowing, in heaven, those whom we knew and loved here; for if there should be no faculty by which they could at once be recognized, yet by extended and familiar intercourse with the celestial inhabitants, it cannot be otherwise but that interesting discoveries will be made continually; and the unexpected recognition of old friends may be one of the sources of pleasure which will render heaven so pleasant."

This is a subject of great interest to many. Be sure to add this volume by John Aspinwall Hodge to your reading list. 

Etchings in Verse and Other Poems

Presbyterians historically have an affinity for poetry. We have previously highlighted selections of poetry by J.W. and J.A. Alexander. But some of the writers here at Log College Press have written whole volumes of poetry. 

One of our Presbyterian poets is Charles Lemuel Thompson (1839-1924), who wrote Etchings in Verse (1890). Two selections from his book are given here to whet your appetite for more by him and others. 

The first is "The Sea is His":

Man claims the land, but his domain
Stops at the shore.
God's wandering acres of the main
Roll on before.

I look this vast expanse abroad,
My rest is this:
This is the blue-veined palm of God,
"The sea is His."

Far from the world men walk upon,
Why should I fear?
Across this Galilee the Son
Of God draws near.

I lie within his hand. Above
Benignant bends
The blue eye of his boundless love,
And that defends.

Another, with echoes of Tennyson, is Lying at the Bar:

The exile has been long,
And broad, too broad the sea,
Across the which my longing heart
Has beaten heavily.

And now the sunset falls
On western hills afar;
But the sails are down, the tide is out,
We are lying at the bar.

And on beyond the sunset gates
Another land I ween;
And for its friends my exiled heart
Hath longings deep and keen.

Oh! silent tide, when comest thou
Beyond yon evening star?
My thoughts, my hopes are flying on, —
I am lying at the bar.

If you enjoy Presbyterian poets and poetry, be sure to check out our new Poetry page, which is sure to grow. 

Samuel Miller's Definition of Presbyterianism

"Presbyterians believe, that Christ has made all ministers who are authorized to dispense the word and sacraments, perfectly equal in official rank and power: that in every Church the immediate exercise of ecclesiastical power is deposited, not with the whole mass of the people, but with a body of their representatives, styled Elders; and that the whole visible Church Catholic, so far as their denomination is concerned, is not only one in name, but so united by a series of assemblies of these representatives, acting in the name, and by the authority of the whole, as to bind the whole body together as one Church, walking by the same principles of faith and order, and voluntarily, yet authoritatively governed by the same system of rule and regulation...That is a Presbyterian Church, in which the Presbytery is the radical and leading judicatory; in which Teaching and Ruling Presbyters or Elders, have committed to them the watch and care of the whole flock; in which all ministers of the word and sacraments are equal; in which Ruling Elders, as the representatives of the people, form a part of all ecclesiastical assemblies, and partake, in all authoritative acts, equally with the Teaching Elders; and in which, by a series of judicatories, rising one above another, each individual church is under the watch and care of its appropriate judicatory, and the whole body, by a system of review and control, is bound together as one homogeneous community. Wherever this system is found in operation in the Church of God, there is Presbyterianism." 

-- Samuel Miller, Presbyterianism (Lord willing, a future publication of Log College Press!) 

Happy Birthday to James Renwick Willson!

James Renwick Willson, Reformed Presbyterian minister, was born near Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh, on April 9, 1780. He studied for the ministry under Alexander McLeod, whom he later succeeded to the pastorate at Coldenham-Newburgh Reformed Presbyterian Church. The current pastoral intern at Coldenham-Newburgh RPC is our very own Zach Dotson, who has ably written a biographical sketch of J.R. Willson here. 

Willson's fascinating life includes the fact that he edited The Evangelical Witness for many years; he was, perhaps, the first to translate (a portion of) Francis Turretin's Institutes of Elenctic Theology into English; and he was burned in effigy for his sermon on Prince Messiah, which was also publicly burned in a bonfire. 

He died on September 29, 1853, and is buried at the Coldenham-Newburgh RPC. His son, James McLeod Willson, another distinguished minister and author, wrote a biographical sketch of his father. J.R. Willson is remembered today as a faithful American Covenanter pastor, who dedicated his life to serving the King of kings, and Lord of lords, in both church and state.   

The Westminster Standards at Log College Press

Presbyterianism is historically a confessional tradition. Samuel Miller has ably elaborated on The Importance and Utility of Creeds and Confessions. For Presbyterians, that creed and confession is summarized in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms, and related formularies. 

American Presbyterians have written extensively on the Westminster Standards, and Log College Press has assembled many of these resources. We invite you to bookmark this page for further study. There are books here for children and parents (Jonathan Cross' Illustrations of the Shorter Catechism; Joseph Engles' Catechism for Young Children; James Robert Boyd's The Child's Book on the Westminster Shorter Catechism); there are books on the background and legacy of the Westminster Assembly (including B.B. Warfield's "trilogy" on the making and printing of the Westminster Standards, and the work of the Westminster Assembly); and there are expositions of the Confession and Catechism, including volumes by Francis Robert Beattie and Edward Dafydd Morris on the major Standards together. We hope to add further works to page in the future. 

This is rich material for prayerful study and meditation. May this page be a blessing to students of God's Word. 

19th Century Presbyterian Ecclesiology

At Log College Press, we are beginning to develop topical pages on subjects of interest as addressed by our authors such as Biographies and Systematic Theologies. One particular page to highlight at present is our Ecclesiology page. 

Among the many writers who have written Presbyterian church government, or the offices of the church, or the boundaries of church authority, are Charles Hodge, Robert Jefferson Breckinridge, Thomas Smyth, and John Lafayette Girardeau. Among the topics considered are:

• the place of ruling elders, and deacons;
• what is Presbyterian law as defined by church courts?;
• what are the duties of church members?;
• where can one find a collection of church acts and deliverances?;
• and, what exactly is Presbyterianism? 

Here one can begin to investigate the question of whether the baptism of Rome is valid; here one can read ecclesiastical catechisms by Alexander McLeod and Thomas Smyth; and here one can review Samuel Miller's series of three published works on the office of the ruling elder. Here one can study Alexander Taggart McGill's treatise on church government; and much more.

Have you bookmarked Log College Press yet? Take time to peruse this page, and return on occasion, as we hope to add many more relevant works. We are growing daily. Thank you for your interest, and may these resources be a blessing to you. 

The American Sabbath One Century Ago

Echoing a line from William Cowper ("When nations are to perish in their sins, / 'tis in the Church the leprosy begins), the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States once affirmed: "Let us beware brethren: as goes the Sabbath, so goes the church, as goes the church, so goes the nation" (1948). The same ecclesiastical body stated in 1933: "This nation cannot survive unless the Christian Sabbath is observed." 

With that principle in mind, in 1905, a fascinating volume was published by the National Reform Association, which was authored by Richard Cameron Wylie (1846-1928), a Reformed Presbyterian minister and long-term lecturer on behalf of the NRA, with an introduction by NRA President Sylvester Fithian Scovel (1835-1910), a Presbyterian minister and also President of Wooster University, regarding the state of the Christian Sabbath in America, along with the Biblical rationale for its public and civil establishment therein: Sabbath Laws in the United States. 

Beginning with a look at the colonial history of Sabbath laws in America, Wylie goes on to analyze the status of each states (there were 45 in 1905) and territory within the jurisdiction of the United States. This detailed study is followed by the Biblical grounds for the need to uphold the Fourth Commandment in modern American civil legislation. 

A documented study of this sort, authored by those who themselves advocated public and civil Sabbath-keeping, is rare to find. This particular volume, which precedes the efforts of the National Football League to largely dismantle US Sabbath laws beginning as early as the 1920's, provides a snapshot of the spiritual state of the country in 1905, just over one century ago. It is a window into the soul of America's past, and worth prayerfully comparing with America's present.