A Father's Wish: Samuel Brown in The Captives of Abb's Valley

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There is a beautiful testimony by a son, who recorded the words of his father, found near the end of The Captives of Abb’s Valley (1854). The Rev. James Moore Brown overheard his father, Rev. Samuel Brown, once say to another:

I have no wish that my children should be wealthy, or rise to places of worldly distinction; but it is the ever anxious desire of my heart that they shall be pious, and consecrate themselves to God’s service, and I daily feel that I can trust him to provide for them.

These are the words of a godly father, and godliness was indeed a characteristic of the whole family, including the mother as well, Mrs. Mary Moore Brown, who plays a major role in this classic book. It is a book has been republished recently with annotations by Rev. Dennis E. Bills, which is available at our Secondary Sources page.

May these 19th century words by a Presbyterian minister echo today in new generations of Christian families.

How do you say "Machen"?

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Having recently added more published authors from the Machen family — parents of the famous John Gresham Machen — it seems fitting to introduce them to our readers by way of this extract on how to pronounce that intriguing last name. Charles E. Funk (of the family which owned Funk & Wagnall) published What’s the Name, Please? (1938), which is a handy little guide to such matters, and it includes Machen.

Charles Earle Funk, What's the Name, Please.jpg

Funk writes:

Machen, Arthur — author — “My name (of Scottish origin) is pronounced mack’en to rime with blacken. Maytshen, mayken, masken are incorrect.” But see the next entry.

J. Gresham — Philadelphia clergyman — “The first syllable is pronounced like May, the name of the month. In the second syllable the ch is as in chin, with e as in pen: may’chen. In Gresham, the h is silent: gres’am.”

Thus, we have a good idea how the father (Arthur W. Machen) and the son (J.G. Machen) (who was also known as “Das”) pronounced their names. One thing to know about Arthur’s wife, Mary Jones Gresham Machen, is that her nickname was “Minnie.”

Get to know more about and by the Machens here at Log College Press (several biographies of the son are available at our Secondary Sources page), and learn how one family had a profound impact on American Presbyterianism.

Connections to Samuel Norvell Lapsley

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There is a wonderful web of ties between godly men and women outlined in just a few paragraphs from a memoir of the famous Southern Presbyterian missionary to the African Congo, Samuel Norvell Lapsley (1866-1892). His father, James Woods Lapsley, in Life and Letters of Samuel Norvell Lapsley, Missionary to the Congo Valley, West Africa, 1866-1892 (1893), wrote:

SAMUEL NORVELL LAPSLEY

was born in Selma, Alabama, April 14th, 1866. He came into life with the inestimable advantage of pious parentage and a godly ancestry. He was the third son of James Woods Lapsley and Sara E. Pratt, his wife: he an elder in the church, and both of them children of Presbyterian ministers. On his father's side the blood was that of the Scotch-Irish and Scotch, who came to the Valley of Virginia over one hundred and fifty years ago; he being descended from Michael Woods, of Albemarle, an Irish immigrant, who came up the Valley in 1734; his son-in-law, Joseph Lapsley, coming by way of Pennsylvania a little later, and also from Andrew Woods, of Botetourt, and Mary Poage, his wife, and counting among his ancestors in the last century the Moores, Rayburns, and Armstrongs, who came into the Valley country when it was a wilderness.

His father's father was the Rev. Robert Armstrong Lapsley, D.D., of Nashville, Tenn., a name still greatly revered through Tennessee and Kentucky. And in the old cemetery at Nashville, over the grave of his father's mother, Catherine Rutherford Lapsley, is an inscription telling of her pious life and triumphant death, and of her descent from Samuel Rutherford, of the Westminster Assembly'. Her father was John Moore Walker, son of Joseph Walker, for thirty years a trustee and treasurer of Washington College, now the Washington and Lee University. Joseph Walker's wife was Jane Moore, an aunt of Mary Moore, the heroine of the little book in our Sunday-school libraries, The Captives of Abb’s Valley.1 How the name and character of the brave old Covenanter, Samuel Rutherford, has been held in reverence, is observable from the constant recurrence of his name and that of his wife, Catherine, in the families of his descendants. An instance is that of Samuel Rutherford Lapsley, an uncle of the subject of this Memoir (and for whom he was named), his father's youngest brother, who, in his twentieth year, got his death wound in the front of the battle at Shiloh, April, 1862, struck down with the colors of his regiment in his hands.

On the mother's side the lineage was drawn from New England and the Georgia low-country. His mother's father, the Rev. Horace Southworth Pratt, was from Connecticut, but spent his life in Georgia and Alabama, dying while professor of Belles-lettres in the University of Alabama, in which office he was succeeded by his son. Rev. John W. Pratt, D. D., afterwards pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Lexington, Va., and of the Second Church in Louisville, Ky. His mother's mother, Isabel Drysdale, was of an old loyalist Episcopal family of the low-country, to which the late Bishop Drysdale, of Louisiana, belonged. Rather than rebel against King George, they fled to the Bahamas, where Mrs. Pratt was born. She was equally eminent for piety, literary taste, and business capacity. For many years a widow, she managed well her children's education and property, and also found time to write and publish a number of books for children.

These brief references to an honored and faithful ancestry are worthy of record, showing the value of family religion, coming down from generation to generation, and testifying to the faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God.

1 Mrs. Kay, our venerable aunt, says: "The book, Captives of Abbs Valley [by James Moore Brown], omits one thing that my mother used to tell. She said, as the Indians were taking Cousin Mary away, that she caught up her Bible and carried it with her through her long captivity, and when she was at last released and came back to live at Grandma Walker's she still had that Bible. Grandma was quite a match-maker, and thought very highly of preachers. She married Cousin Mary Moore to the Rev. Samuel Brown, and among their children were five preachers, one of whom was the Rev. Dr. William Brown, of Richmond. She married her daughter, my Aunt Peggy, to Rev. Samuel Houston. Their son, Rev. Samuel Rutherford Houston, was missionary to Greece, and his daughter, Janet, is now a missionary m Mexico."

A testimony to “the faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God,” indeed.

Encouragement to Ruling Elders from the Life of William B. Morton and the Pen of C.R. Vaughan

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When William Booker Morton (born on May 1, 1811) entered into his eternal rest on July 22, 1885, it was left to Clement Read Vaughan to tell the story of his life, which he did in Memorial Sketch of the Late William B. Morton, Ruling Elder in the Church of Roanoke, in the County of Charlotte, VA.: Written to Aid Ruling Elders (1886). The author of this post has acquired a copy of this pamphlet. It comes from the library of the late Dr. Morton H. Smith. As of yet, because of the fragile nature of this copy, we are unable to upload a complete file, but it is thought that a portion at least is worth sharing for the edification of the saints on a Lord’s Day afternoon.

Vaughan, Clement Read, Memorial Sketch of the Late William B. Morton.jpg

William B. Morton — whose ancestry included a mixture of Scotch and Huguenot family ties — was, in the words of Read, “the best Christian elder we have ever known.” After sketching his life, Vaughan speaks of his final hours with concluding thoughts.

Shortly before he breathed his last, he asked if he was dying. He was answered, and immediately was asked if he was afraid to die. He replied in his usual calm tone, “No, no; I am not afraid to die! I know in whom I have believed.” At another time, almost overcome with pain and weakness, he sighed wearily, “Oh! I wish it was all over, and I was safe in heaven with Jesus and Margaret,” (the wife.) He soon after sank into sleep and waked into the other life. Verily the chamber where the good man meets his fate is privileged beyond the common walks of this strange human scene.

The death of Mr. Morton awakened one universal sentiment of grief in his own community, and wherever he was known. The bereavement was felt to be a general loss to every family, as well as to the church of God.

His funeral service was held in his own beloved house of worship, crowded by the assembled neighborhood and others from a distance. His body was borne by the hands of friends indiscriminately selected from every rank in the social scale — from the ranks of the church, and from the ranks of the world outside — a fitting arrangement for an elder of the house of God, whose whole official career had shown undiscriminating fidelity to every class over which he had been called to exercise his noble office.

From this narrative, the secret of Mr. Morton’s remarkable efficiency and success as an elder may be discovered. It was due to the combination of good sense and unaffected kindliness and simplicity of manners; to his wonderfully rounded sympathetic nature; to his strong faith in all the revelations of the Bible; to his prayerful spirit; to his intense eagerness for the salvation of souls; to this boldness and tact in approaching men with direct but wisely managed personal appeals; to the unsullied integrity of his whole character as a man and a Christian; to his social disposition, and the energy with which he denied himself and sought to turn every occasion and circumstance to account. His happy piety, so ardent and so cheerful, so readily accommodating his address to the young and the irreligious, yet so easily and naturally turning to the most earnest appeals on the subject of religion, added wonderfully to his influence. The transition from his merry and contagious laughter, to a voice full of kindness and earnest solicitude for the spiritual well-being of a young mind, was so simple, so natural, so obviously the fruit of unaffected and heart-felt feeling, that it seemed to flank all the usual feelings of awkwardness and reluctance which spring up under a personal appeal on religion less wisely managed and less happily combined with something positively attractive. Many a young and many an irreligious mind of mature age has found itself drawn into a free conversation with Mr. Morton, with hardly a remembrance of former reluctance and difficulty in speaking on the subject of personal religion. Many a one who has shrunk from the idea of personal piety as involving so much of gloom and unpleasant experience, has had the whole conception of the subject reversed by contact with Mr. Morton’s cheerful and happy representation of it in his own character, and learned to desire eagerly to be such a Christian as he was. Truly “the joy of the Lord was his strength,” not only to bear his own trials, and to do his own work, but to influence others of every class, especially the young and sanguine. If all the elders of the Presbyterian system were even approximately like him, there would be no assignable limits to its progress. If they were all like him, no investment with official functions would carry more of usefulness to the church, or more of personal blessedness to the officer himself. He would be thrice blessed; a blessing to the Church, a blessing to the world, and a blessing to his own soul. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for his path is as the shining light, which shineth light more and more until the day is full; and his end is peace.

Morton’s 19th century example as a ruling elder, and his witness for Christ endures, is worth taking notice of in the 21st century. How we ought to emulate the godly who have gone before! Although Read’s entire sketch is not (yet) available to read online at Log College Press, perhaps this extract will serve to encourage saints, and inspire other ruling elders, to follow a faithful man who pointed others to Christ.

The 400th anniversary of the Mayflower Landing and the Mayflower Compact

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WEDNESDAY, 6th September, the wind coming E.N.E., a fine small gale, we loosed from Plymouth, having been kindly entertained and courteously used by divers friends there dwelling; and, after many difficulties in boisterous storms, at length, by God's providence, upon the 9th November following, by break of the day we espied land, which we deemed to be Cape Cod; and so afterward it proved. And the appearance of it much comforted us, especially seeing so goodly a land, and wooded to the brink of the sea; it caused us to rejoice together, and praise God that had given us once again to see land. And thus we made our course S.S.W., purposing to go to a river ten leagues to the south of the Cape; but at night, the wind being contrary, we put round again for the bay of Cape Cod; and upon the 11th November we came to an anchor in the bay, which is a good harbour and pleasant bay, circled round, except in the entrance, which is about four miles over from land to laud, compassed about to the very sea with oaks, pines, juniper, sassafras, and other sweet wood. It is a harbour wherein a thousand sail of ships may safely ride. There we relieved ourselves with wood and water, and refreshed our people, while our shallop was fitted to coast the bay, to search for an habitation. There was the greatest store of fowl that ever we saw. — Edward Winslow, Mourt’s Relation in George Barrell Cheever, The Pilgrim Fathers: or, The Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, New England, in 1620 (1849)

The Pilgrims who sailed to America from England and The Netherlands in 1620 did so trusting in God to preserve them through stormy seas and an unknown wilderness. The hand of God brought them to Cape Cod on November 11, 1620 (O.S.) [November 21, N.S.], where they signed the Mayflower Compact and first stepped ashore at Provincetown Harbor.

Signing the Mayflower Compact 1620, a painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (1899).

Signing the Mayflower Compact 1620, a painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (1899).

The following month (December 11/21) the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Harbor — tradition locates the spot at Plymouth Rock — where they would begin to build a home, Plimoth Plantation. After a harsh first winter, assistance provided by Native Americans, and a bountiful autumn 1621 harvest, leading to a Thanksgiving celebration — the story of which is told by William Bradford, Edward Winslow and others — the Pilgrims’ story became embedded in the American consciousness (see Timothy Alden’s story of John and Priscilla Alden). It is a narrative that is challenged by some today, but the story Pilgrims’ journey in search of freedom to worship God without fear of persecution was treasured by many 19th century American Presbyterians.

"Daily the Pilgrims turned their eyes westward, hoping for a sight of the new land. They had shaped their course for the Hudson river, of which the Dutch navigators had made favorable reports. As the voyage lengthened, their longings for the land increased. They had been tossed on the sea now sixty-five days, when, on the 9th of November, the long, low coast-line of the New World gladdened their eyes. They thanked God for the sight, and took courage. On the 11th of November they dropped anchor within Cape Cod. Sixty-seven days they had passed in the ship since their final departure from England, and one hundred and twelve since the embarkation at Delft Haven. They were weary, many were sick, and the scurvy had attacked some. They might well rejoice that they had reached these shores." — Charles W. Elliott, The New England History, quoted in William Carlos Martyn, The Pilgrim Fathers of New England: A History (1867)

In this quadricentennial of the Mayflower Landing and the Mayflower Compact, we remember the sacrifices and faith of the Pilgrims, the contributions of the Native Americans, and the legacy of faith and Biblical civil government which the Pilgrims brought to America, as cherished by American Presbyterians.

Pilgrim Anniversary, 22d Dec., 1842

Two hundred and twenty-two years
Have flown over Fore-fathers' rock,
Since th' era our home-love endears, —
There landed the brave little flock.

The ocean, the air and the land
Bent on them a stern winter frown,
But in faith and devotion that band,
Bold founders of empire, sat down.

The Pilgrims! a patriarch race,
Left country and kindred to find
For religion and freedom a place,
A home for th' oppressed of mankind.

The frail little Mayflower bore
The germ of a nation to rise
From East to Far West's distant shore,
And brave every clime 'neath the skies.

Ye fathers of millions,
I gaze with thrilling emotions on you,
My spirit goes back to your days,
Pure virtue, firm valor to view.

Your children now sip every stream
That waters our wide-spread domain,
Who of them so base as to dream
Descent from the pilgrims a stain. — James Lyman Merrick (1803-1866), Missionary to Persia, The Pilgrim’s Harp (1847)

Archibald Alexander: Use means, don't trust in them

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Today’s post comes from the spiritual classic by Archibald Alexander, Thoughts on Religious Experience. In his list of “practical directions how to grow in grace or make progress in piety” — a list of steps which the faithful Christian would do well to apply in life — Alexander makes a point especially worth pondering.

While you determine to be assiduous in the use of the appointed means of sanctification, you must have it deeply fixed in your mind, that nothing can be effected in this work without the aid of the Divine Spirit. “Paul may plant and Apollos water, but it is God that giveth the increase.” The direction of the old divines is good: “Use the means as vigorously as if you were to be saved by your own efforts, and yet trust as entirely to the grace of God, as if you made use of no means whatever.”

Noah's Dove.jpg

It may be inquired, Who were some of those old divines? These are possibly some examples which Alexander had in mind:

  • Thomas Shepard, The Sincere Convert (1641): “Use thy duties as Noah's dove did her wings, to carry thee to the ark of the Lord Jesus Christ, where only there is rest. If she had never used her wings, she had fallen into the waters; so, if thou shalt use no duties, but cast them off, thou art sure to perish.”

  • Isaac Ambrose, The Practice of Sanctification (1650) in Prima, Media, & Ultima: the First, Middle, and Last Things, in Three Treatises: “Use thy duties as Noah's dove did her wings, carry thee to the ark of the Lord Jesus Christ where only there is rest: if she had never used her wings, she had fallen into the waters; and if she had not returned to the ark, she had found no rest.”

  • Thomas Brooks, The Privy Key of Heaven (1665): “My fourth advice and counsel is, Take heed of resting upon closet duties, take heed of trusting in closet-duties. Noah's dove made use of her wings, but she did not trust in her wings, but in the ark; so you must make use of closet-duties, but you must not trust in your closet-duties, but in Jesus, of whom the ark was but a type.”

These directions remain profitable for Christians today. We are tempted to work hard at the Christian life and give ourselves the credit, but it is by grace alone that we can do the least good thing, and we must always remind ourselves of that. The old divines spoke wisely, as Alexander says.

Presbyterians Lost in the Woods

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To be lost in the woods at night is a fearful thing — much more so perhaps in the age before GPS and cell phones. Imagine what it was like for an 18th century Presbyterian missionary traveling on horseback through unfamiliar places in the dark without road signs. Then take note of not only the human fears that would be experienced, but also the spiritual lessons gleaned.

David Brainerd, missionary to the Native Americans, wrote in his journal on November 22, 1744:

Thursday, Nov. 22. Came on my way from Rockciticus to Delaware River. Was very much disordered with a cold and pain in my head. About 6 at Night, I lost my way in the wilderness, and wandered over rocks and mountains, down hideous steeps, thro' swamps, and most dreadful and dangerous places; and the night being dark, so that few stars could be seen, I was greatly exposed; was much pinch’d with cold, and distressed with an extreme pain in my head, attended with sickness at my stomach; so that every step I took was distressing to me. I had little hope for several hours together, but that I must lie out in the woods all night, in this distressed case. But about 9 o'clock, I found a house, thro' the abundant goodness of God, and was kindly entertained. Thus I have frequently been exposed, & sometimes lain out the whole night: but God has hitherto preserved me; and blessed be his name. Such fatigues and hardships as these serve to wean me more from the earth; and, I trust, will make heaven the sweeter. Formerly, when I was thus exposed to cold, rain, &c. I was ready to please myself with the thoughts of enjoying a comfortable house, a warm fire, and other outward comforts; but now these have less place in my heart (thro' the Grace of God) and my eye is more to God for comfort. In this world I expect tribulation; and it does not now, as formerly, appear strange to me; I don't in such seasons of difficulty flatter myself that it will be better hereafter; but rather think, how much worse it might be; how much greater trials others of God's children have endured; and how much greater are yet perhaps reserved for me. Blessed be God, that he makes the thoughts of my journey's end and of my dissolution a great comfort to me, under my sharpest trial; & scarce ever lets these thoughts be attended with terror or melancholy; but they are attended frequently with great joy.

Another example comes from the pen of Samuel Davies, who ministered in Virginia. His poetic composition (published in 1750) is introduced thus:

The following verses were composed by a pious clergyman in Virginia, who preaches to seven congregations, the nearest of which meets at the distance of five miles from his house, as he was returning home in a very gloomy and rainy night.

The untitled poem follows:

Some, heavenly pensive contemplation, come,
Possess my soul, and solemn thoughts inspire.
The sacred hours, that with too swift a wing
Incessant hurry by, nor quite elapsed,
Demand a serious close. Then be my soul
Sedate and solemn, as this gloom of night,
That thickens round me. Free from care, composed
Be all my soul, as this dread solitude,
Through which with gloomy joy I make my way.
Above these clouds, above the spacious sky,
In whose vast arch these cloudy oceans roll,
Dispensing fatness to the world below;
There dwells THE MAJESTY whose single hand
Props universal nature, and who deals
His liberal blessings to this little globe,
The residence of worms; where Adam’s sons,
Thoughtless of him, who taught their souls to think,
Ramble in vain pursuits. The hosts of heaven,
Cherubs and Seraphs, potentates and thrones,
Arrayed in glorious light, hover on wing
Before his throne, and wait his sovereign nod:
With active zeal, with sacred rapture fired,
To his extensive empire’s utmost bound
They bear his orders, and his charge perform.
Yet He, even He, (ye ministers of flame,
Admire the condescension and the grace!)
Employs a mortal formed of meanest clay,
Debased by sin, whose best desert is hell;
Employs him to proclaim a SAVIOUR’S name,
And offer pardon to a rebel world.
Enjoyed the honour of his advocate:
Immortal souls, of more transcendent worth
Than ophir, or Peru’s exhaustless mines,
Are trusted to my care. Important trust!
What if some wretched soul, (tremendous thought!)
Once favoured with the gospel’s joyful sound,
Now lost, forever lost through my neglect,
In dire infernal glooms, with flaming tongue,
Be heaping execrations on my head,
Whilst here secure I dream my life away!
What if some ghost, cut off from life and hope,
With fierce despairing eyes up-turned to heaven,
That wildly stare, and witness horrors huge,
Be roaring horrid, “Lord, avenge my blood
On that unpitying wretch, who saw me run
With full career the dire enchanting road
To these devouring flames, yet warned me not,
Or faintly warned me; and with languid tone,
And cool harangue, denounced eternal fire,
And wrath divine?” At the dread shocking thought
My spirit shudders, all my inmost soul
Trembles and shrinks. Sure, if the plaintive cries
Of spirits reprobate can reach the ear
Of their great judge, they must be cries like these.
But if the meanest of the happy choir,
That with eternal symphonies surround
The heavenly throne, can stand, and thus declare,
”I owe it to his care that I am here,
Next to Almighty Grace: His faithful hand,
Regardless of the frowns he might incur,
Snatched me, reluctant, from approaching flames,
Ready to catch, and burn unquenchable:
May richest grace reward his pious zeal
With some bright mansion in this world of bliss.”
Transporting thought! Then blessed be the hand
That formed my elemental clay to man,
And still supports me. ‘Tis worthwhile to live,
If I may live to purposes so great.
Awake my dormant zeal! Forever flame
With generous ardors for immortal souls;
And may my head, and tongue, and heart and all,
Spend and be spent in service so divine.

Each made it home safely. And they re-learned reliance upon the God who cares for servants who are seeking to stay upon the right path. A lesson for us today - to be lost in the woods is not necessarily to stray from His path for us - we may still be guided to our blessed journey’s end (Ps. 48:14). As has been said beautifully before, not all who wander are lost.

Plumer on leaving the results with God

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In the vein of such men as Samuel Rutherford and Stonewall Jackson, it is good to be reminded of a precious truth: we must do our duty and leave the results with God.

William Swan Plumer, in The Promises of God (1872), writes:

If we do our duty, we may safely leave results with God. Under a dispensation much darker than this, a prophet said: "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon my high places." Heb. 3: 17-19. Does not this cover the whole case? Take another promise: "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of water." Isa. 41: 17, 18.

Let us remember the promises of God. He blesses those who honor him (1 Sam. 2:30). If we do our duty, we may rest confidently in the wisdom, power, and goodness of God, who rules over all. Plumer’s study of God’s promises is a great comfort to all Christians - which can be read here.

Samuel Davies on the Kingdom of the Prince of Peace

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A day of political crosswinds blowing through America (Election Day) is also a good day to remember the birthday of Samuel Davies, born on this date in history - November 3, 1723. One of the finest preachers this country has ever produced (to quote Martyn Lloyd-Jones), we do well to consider the opening remarks of one of his most well-known sermons: “The Mediatorial Kingdom and Glories of Jesus Christ” (1756).

Kings and kingdoms are the most majestic sounds in the language of mortals, and have filled the world with noise, confusions, and blood, since mankind first left the state of nature, and formed themselves into societies. The disputes of kingdoms for superiority have set the world in arms from age to age, and destroyed or enslaved a considerable part of the human race; and the contest is not yet decided. Our country has been a region of peace and tranquillity for a long time, but it has not been because the lust of power and riches is extinct in the world, but because we had no near neighbours, whose interest might clash with ours, or who were able to disturb us. The absence of an enemy was our sole defence. But now, when the colonies of the sundry European nations on this continent begin to enlarge, and approach towards each other, the scene is changed: now encroachments, depredations, barbarities, and all the terrors of war begin to surround and alarm us. Now our country is invaded and ravaged, and bleeds in a thousand veins. We have already,* so early in the year, received alarm upon alarm: and we may expect the alarms to grow louder and louder as the season advances.

These commotions and perturbations have had one good effect upon me, and that is, they have carried away my thoughts of late into a serene and peaceful region, a region beyond the reach of confusion and violence; I mean the kingdom of the Prince of Peace. And thither, my brethren, I would also transport your minds this day, as the best refuge from this boisterous world, and the most agreeable mansion for the lovers of peace and tranquillity. I find it advantageous both to you and myself, to entertain you with those subjects that have made the deepest impression upon my own mind: and this is the reason why I choose the present subject.

There is great comfort and peace in meditating upon the knowledge that Christ is on the throne and that he rules as King in the midst of his enemies as well as friends. As Davies highlights in this sermon, the kingdom given to Christ by the Father goes beyond the essential sovereignty of the Godhead which rules over all, but it is a mediatorial kingdom, given for purposes of governing all for the good of the church.

It is the mediatorial kingdom of Christ that is here intended, not that which as God he exercises over all the works of his hands: it is that kingdom which is an empire of grace, an administration of mercy over our guilty world. It is the dispensation intended for the salvation of fallen sinners of our race by the gospel; and on this account the gospel is often called the kingdom of heaven; because its happy consequences are not confined to this earth, but appear in heaven in the highest perfection, and last through all eternity. Hence, not only the church of Christ on earth, and the dispensation of the gospel, but all the saints in heaven, and that more finished œconomy under which they are placed, are all included in the kingdom of Christ. Here his kingdom is in its infancy, but in heaven is arrived to perfection; but it is substantially the same. Though the immediate design of this kingdom is the salvation of believers of the guilty race of man, and such are its subjects in a peculiar sense; yet it extends to all worlds, to heaven, and earth, and hell. The whole universe is put under a mediatorial head; but then, as the apostle observes, he is made head over all things to his church, Eph. i. 22. that is, for the benefit and salvation of his church. As Mediator he is carrying on a glorious scheme for the recovery of man, and all parts of the universe are interested or concern themselves in this grand event; and therefore they are all subjected to him, that he may so manage them as to promote this end, and baffle and overwhelm all opposition.

What a tremendous encouragement to peace in the midst of worldly cares and, humanly-speaking, doubtful outcomes! Be sure to read the rest of Davies’ sermon (found in Vol. 1 of his sermons here). Christ is accomplishing his mediatorial purposes for the good of the church even as the nations rage and the people imagine a vain thing. May our leaders “Kiss the Son” (Ps. 2), but whether or not we see them do this, the kingdom of the Prince of Peace will endure, expand and triumph, all glory be to Christ the King!

Presbyterian Missions to Mexico

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American Presbyterians have long had a heart for foreign missions both far and near. With respect to “near,” Mexico holds a place of special importance. Here at Log College Press, we are developing a growing body of literature that speaks to that aspect of missionary endeavors. Consider the following as resources worth of historical study:

Many Presbyterian missionaries have labored to preach Christ to Mexicans, often in the face of many hardships. We are thankful for their labors, and pray for those who continue to follow in their footsteps.

Source: The Gospel in All Lands (April 1881), p. 154.

Source: The Gospel in All Lands (April 1881), p. 154.

The Protestant Reformation in the Writings of 19th Century American Presbyterians

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To commemorate what is arguably the greatest event in church history since Pentecost, Log College Press wishes to highlight select works by early American Presbyterians which relate to the 503rd anniversary of the Reformation:

  • Archibald Alexander (1772-1851) — The Doctrine of Original Sin as Held by the Church, Both Before and After the Reformation (1830) and Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms (1836) — These articles speak to important issues and moments related to the Protestant Reformation.

  • James Waddel Alexander (1804-1859) — Martin Luther Incognito (1836) and The Reformation in Hungary and Transylvania (1837) — The second article covers an important but less well-known aspect of the Reformation; the first is a translation from Philip Konrad Marheineke’s History of the German Reformation dealing with the period between Luther’s appearance at the Diet of Worms and his return to the Castle Wartburg.

  • Henry Martyn Baird (1832-1906) — Theodore Beza: The Counsellor of the French Reformation, 1519-1605 (1899) – The classic biography of the French Reformer Theodore Beza, who became Geneva’s spiritual leader after the death of John Calvin.

  • William Maxwell Blackburn (1828-1898) — Aonio Paleario and His Friends, With a Revised Edition of "The Benefits of Christ's Death" (1866) — This is an interesting work which contains both a biography of the Italian Reformer, Paleario, and an edited version of the great Italian spiritual classic that was long attributed to him (modern scholarship now attributes authorship of “The Benefit of Christ” to Benedetto Fontanini, also known as Benedetto da Mantova (1495-1556)). — William Farel, and the Story of the Swiss Reform (1867) — A fascinating look at the life of the Swiss Reformer, William Farel, who with his friend John Calvin, so influenced Geneva and the world. —Ulrich Zwingli (1868) — The life of another great Swiss Reformer, Ulrich Zwingli.

  • Ezra Hall Gillett (1823-1875) —The Life and Times of John Huss (1864) — This is a good introduction to the Bohemian (Czech) proto-Reformer, John Huss.

  • Thomas Cary Johnson (1859-1936) — John Calvin and the Genevan Reformation (1900) — An important biography of the great French Reformer and spiritual leader of Geneva, John Calvin. — Martin Luther: Who Was He, That the World Should Remember Him From Time to Time With Praise to God? (1909-1910) - A valuable sketch of the great Reformer.

  • Frederick William Loetscher, Sr. (1875-1966) — Luther and the Problem of Authority in Religion Parts 1-2 (1917) — Loetscher addresses (on the 400th anniversary of the Reformation) a fundamental issue with which the Reformers wrestled.

  • William Carlos Martyn (1841-1917) — The Life and Times of Martin Luther (1866) — A great 19th century biography of the German Reformer. —The Dutch Reformation (1868) – A good overview of the Reformation in the Netherlands.

  • John William Mears (1825-1881) — The Beggars of Holland and the Grandees of Spain: A History of the Reformation in the Netherlands, From A.D. 1200 to 1578 (1867) — This is another comprehensive look at the Dutch Reformation, and in particular, what lead up to it.

  • Samuel Miller (1769-1850) — Introductory Essay to Charles de Viller's An Essay on the Spirit and Influence of the Reformation (1833) — As Miller writes, “The Reformation from Popery is a theme which can never grow old.”

  • Thomas Ephraim Peck (1822-1893) — Martin Luther (1895) — This biographical lecture about the great Reformer was originally delivered in 1872, and is here found in Vol. 1 of Peck’s Miscellanies.

  • Richard Clark Reed (1851-1925) — Calvin’s Contribution to the Reformation (1909) — This was Reed’s part in the Southern Presbyterian Church’s celebration of the 400th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth.

  • David Schley Schaff (1852-1941) — Martin Luther and John Calvin, Church Reformers (1917) — Written for the 400th anniversary of the Reformation, the younger Schaff highlights the two great Reformers.

  • Philip Schaff (1819-1893) — Calvin’s Life and Labors (1875) — The elder Schaff looks at the life and legacy of the French Reformer. — History of the Christian Church, Vol. 6 (1888, 1904) and History of the Christian Church, Vol. 7 (1892) — These volumes cover the history of the German and Swiss Reformation.

  • Thomas Smyth (1808-1873) - Calvin and His Enemies: A Memoir of the Life, Character, and Principles of Calvin (1856) — An important memoir of one the greatest Reformers, which covers challenging aspects of his life and career, including the case of Servetus.

  • Joseph Ross Stevenson (1866-1939) — The Reformation: A Revival of Religion (1917) — A reminder of what reformation means.

  • B.B. Warfield (1851-1921) — John Calvin: The Man and His Work (1909) — Warfield’s homage to the French Reformer on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Calvin’s birth. — The Ninety-Five Theses in Their Theological Significance  (1917) — Originally published in The Princeton Theological Review in honor of the 400th anniversary of the Reformation, this is a fascinating study of the document by Martin Luther that launched the Reformation on October 31, 1517. — The Theology of the Reformation (1917) — Warfield looks at the key doctrines that figured in the thinking of Martin Luther.

  • Robert Alexander Webb (1856-1919) — The Reformation and the Lord’s Supper (1917) — Webb looks at a crucial aspect of worship that was important to the Reformation.

  • Julia McNair Wright (1840-1903) — Her series of biographies for young people published in 1870 includes sketches of George Wishart, John Knox, Martin Luther, Queen Margaret, John Calvin, Renée, William Tyndale, Richard Baxter, John Huss and Gaspard de Coligni.

We have much reason to be thankful for the men and women both of the 16th centuries and those more recent who all contributed to the cause of Reformation in their own ways. From Log College Press, we wish you a Happy Reformation Day, and happy reading!

Note: This blog post was originally published on October 31, 2017, and has been edited and expanded.

William Neill's Conversion

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In the autobiography of William Neill (1778-1860) — who would serve at various times as a Presbyterian minister, President of Dickinson College and as Secretary of the Board of Education of the Presbyterian Church (USA) — there is an account of his conversion, which stirs the soul of readers, whether of the 19th century or the 21st.

When it became known that I was beginning to be thoughtful on the subject of religion, the pious students of the [Canonsburg] Academy took opportunities of conversing with me, and, by degrees, drew me into their society and to their prayer-meetings. This was of great service to me in my ignorance of divine things and under my incipient convictions. I now betook myself to secret prayer and the serious reading of the Bible, and was punctual in my attendance on public worship. I became, in a word, deeply concerned about the salvation of my soul, and soon made arrangements to quit the service of Mr. White and devote myself to study, with a view to the ministry, if I should become, hopefully, a subject of redeeming grace. This was an important movement, and it cost me some anxious thoughtfulness. My patrimony was small, quite inadequate, I knew, to the expense of a good education, and I had no wealthy relatives to look to for aid; yet, after serious deliberation, I resolved, with a sort of vague trust in Divine Providence, to make the attempt, and proceed as far as. I could. Accordingly I entered the Academy and opened my Latin Grammar, if my memory serves me well, in the year 1797. But as yet, I had no satisfactory evidence of a change of heart. My solicitude on the subject, however, continued, and, of course, I sought the society of the pious, and threw myself in the way of good influences; "following on," as it is expressed in Scripture, "to know the Lord" — seeking him in the ways of his appointment as opportunities offered. I began to relish religious services, and to esteem the Sabbath a blessing, and the courts of God's house amiable. With these feelings I often walked eight or ten miles to be present on sacramental occasions, in neighbouring congregations, which were generally very solemn, and in which the exercises were usually continued for several days in succession.

It was on one of those blissful occasions that, I humbly hope, I was enabled to commit my soul to Christ, renouncing all confidence in the flesh, and acquiescing joyfully in the glorious gospel plan of salvation by free grace. I do not attach undue importance, I trust, to time and place in the matter of conversion ; but there is a time, and there is a place, when and where the regenerate soul is born into the kingdom, and there are some cases so strongly marked in relation to both, that they can never be forgotten. It is a great change; it is from darkness to light, from enmity to love, from a state of death in sin to that of spiritual life and peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Such a change, with some of its attendants or associations of time, place, and means, will be very likely to be had in grateful remembrance. But I would be far from making these circumstances, striking as they are in some instances, essential to all cases of genuine conversion. God is not confined to specific modes or means in his work of mercy; but we may humbly tell what he has done for our souls, and should remember, if we can, where, and when, and by what means he rescued us from impending ruin. However different may have been the experience of others, I, for one, cannot soon forget the circumstances in which the Lord appeared in the plenitude of his gracious power to my soul, and, as I trust, changed my mournful state. It was on a tranquil summer's evening, away from human view, in the closet of a dense wood, at the eventide hour for secret devotion, after attendance on the services of the sanctuary, and while Divine truth was yet bearing down upon conscience, alone with God, I felt guilty, and confessed that

"If my soul were sent to hell,
God's righteous law approved it well."

My heart was burdened. I was without strength, and yet without excuse; means were inefficient, the arm of human power was withered) and could not be stretched forth without Divine aid. What could guilty helplessness do, but cry for mercy? There was the throne of grace, and thence there seemed to issue a voice fraught with good tidings of great joy, "My grace is sufficient for thee;" "My strength is perfected in weakness;" "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." It is enough. The word is with power and in demonstration of the Spirit. The deaf ear is unstopped, the dark mind enlightened, the will subdued, the heart softened, and the whole soul sweetly won over to God, on his own terms, and "Christ is all, and in all." Can all this be a delusion? I think not. The individual may be deceived, for "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." We should look well to our experience, testing it by the word of truth, which liveth and abideth for ever. Nor is regeneration to be regarded as releasing us from the obligation of "giving all diligence to make our calling and election sure." It is but the commencement of the Christian warfare. We are to watch and pray, and labour in our Lord's vineyard, pressing onward toward the mark, for the prize of our high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The conscious debtor to free grace, will, as opportunity serves, keep the Redeemer's commandments.

Neill’s account of his conversion is profound, inspiring and reminds us of the beauty of divine grace. How we ought to remember each day God’s mercy and grace to us, and pray for burdened sinners to know the same!

Reading in Moderation: Thoughts of J.W. Alexander

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At Log College Press, we love books! We read them, study them, upload them and publish them. As Christians, we are “people of the Book.” With Charles Spurgeon, we exclaim, “Visit many good books, but live in the Bible!” and “Paul cries, ‘Bring the books’ — join in the cry.” With Cotton Mather, we exclaim, “To the Man of Leisure, as well as to the Minister, it is an Advice of Wisdom, Give thyself unto Reading. Good BOOKS of all sorts, may Employ your Leisure, and Enrich you with Treasures more valuable, than those, which the way and Work of your Callings would have purchased. Let the baneful Thoughts of Idleness be chased out of our Minds. But then also, Let Some Thoughts on that Subject, What Good may I do? come into them.” and “What and where my Relish for BOOKS, which I may be hungry for? LORD, Because I shall see THEE, or serve THEE, the more for the Reading of them.”

Yet, all things in moderation. There is a time and a season for this and for that (Eccl. 3). Even after reading, one should meditate and reflect and practice what is learned. Sleep is needed too. And fellowship with the saints. J.W. Alexander, an author of many books, who taught that the Bible should be read daily, reinforces this point in his journal, as noted in Thoughts on Preaching, pp. 437-438:

§ 22. Books and Solitude. — Much may be learned without books. To read always is not the way to be wise. The knowledge of those who are not bookworms has a certain air of health and robustness. I never deal with books all day without being the worse for it. Living teachers are better than dead. There is magic in the voice of living wisdom. Iron sharpeneth iron. Part of every day should be spent in society. Learning is discipline; but the heart must be disciplined as well as the head; and only by intercourse with our fellows can the affections be disciplined. Bookishness implies solitude; and solitude is apt to produce ill weeds: melancholy, selfishness, moroseness, suspicion, and fear. To go abroad is, therefore, a Christian duty. I never went from my books to spend an hour with a friend, however humble, without receiving benefit. I never left the solitary contemplation of a subject in order to compare notes on it with a friend, without finding my ideas clarified. Ennui is not common where men properly mingle the contemplative with the active life. The natural and proper time for going abroad is the evening. Such intercourse should be encouraged in one's own house as well as out of it. Solitary study breeds inhospitality: we do not like to be interrupted. Every one, however wearisome as a guest, should be made welcome, and entertained cordially. Women surpass men in the performance of these household duties; chiefly because they are all given to habits of solitary study. The life which Christ lived among men is a pattern of what intercourse should be for the good of society. I have a notion that the multiplication of books in our day, which threatens to overleap all bounds, will, in the first instance, produce great evils, and will afterwards lead men back to look on oral communication as a method of diffusing knowledge which the press has unduly superseded; and that this will some day break on the world with the freshness of a new discovery.

We continue to add books to Log College Press every day. There is much to glean from the past, and we encourage reading by making thousands of books available for free, and by republishing especially worthy volumes from time to time. But we also affirm what J.W. Alexander said, “I never went from my books to spend an hour with a friend, however humble, without receiving benefit.” Read godly books, and take time for the other things that matter too. Give God the glory in all!

Engles' Catechism of Scripture History for Children

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There is one catechism that Joseph P. Engles is especially known for: Catechism for Young Children: Being an Introduction to the Shorter Catechism (1840). It is an adaption of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, for younger readers, which we have highlighted before.

But Engles also produced another catechism more focused on church history: The Child’s Catechism of Scripture History. It was published in two volumes consisting of four parts (1841-1852) covering the period from Genesis through the death of King Saul in 1 Samuel.

Beginning with the creation of the world in six days, continuing on through the Flood, the Patriarchs, and going through the stories of Moses, Ruth, Samson, Samuel and many others, the work is very comprehensive and written with a view towards more than memorization of facts, but also incorporates lessons to be learned, and takes not of Christ’s work in the Old Testament period.

Each of the four parts includes between 400 and 500 questions. At the end of the whole there is a section which offers brief reflections on the lessons to be gleaned from sacred history.

Teachers, parents and children may benefit from this work today, which was also appreciated in the mid-1800s when first published. Visit Engles’ page to check out this remarkable catechism, as well as his enduring Catechism for Young Children. He had a heart for teaching children about God’s Word, and it shows in the labors he bestowed on his catechisms.

James W.C. Pennington Entered Into Glory 150 Years Ago

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October 22 is a significant day in church history, especially for Log College Press.

  • English Puritan William Perkins died on October 22, 1602;

  • Dutch Puritan Herman Witsius died on October 22, 1708;

  • The College of New Jersey (Princeton) was granted a charter on October 22, 1746;

  • American Presbyterian Archibald Alexander died on October 22, 1851; and

  • American Presbyterian William Swan Plumer died on October 22, 1880.

Today we take note of the death of African-American Presbyterian James W.C. Pennington, who died in Jacksonville, Florida on October 22, 1870 - 150 years ago today.

A former Maryland-born fugitive blacksmith slave who went on to become a Christian, a Presbyterian minister, author, lecturer, doctor of divinity, and eventually, after the War, a missionary to freedmen in South, Pennington always had a passion for God-given responsibilities and liberties. His own duty, as he saw it, was to preach the gospel, and to serve his fellow man, with a particular focus on the needs of his own race. Having experienced the burden of slavery and the fear of a fugitive, he knew that not only must the law in such matters be set right, but that all men made in the image of God must be raised up to reach their potential for good and faithful service to both God and man.

In his final days, he had been called by a Committee of Missions to Freedmen of the Northern Presbyterian Church to minister in Jacksonville, Florida. As told by Christopher L. Webber in American to the Backbone: The Life of James W.C. Pennington, the Fugitive Slave Who Became One of the First Black Abolitionists, Pennington wrote to his friend Gerrit Smith before taking up this last work of his life that “Duty calls me to go to the State of Florida and assist my brethren and others in that interesting field in the great cause of education and christian Reconstruction.” Working with J.C. Gibbs and others, one of Pennington’s last contributions to the Church was to help organize the Presbytery of East Florida. But after sending an optimistic report about the progress of his work in September 1870, Pennington passed away after a short illness the following month.

Woodlawn Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, Florida was founded in 1870 and so it celebrates 150 years of ministry this year as well. As for Pennington, the place of his burial is not known, but his legacy certainly endures. A great pioneer for Christ, who labored much to preach and teach the gospel, we remember him on the anniversary of his anniversary of the day he ceased from his earthly labors and entered into his heavenly rest. Well done, good and faithful servant.

An Honorable Princeton Roll Call

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Among the addresses delivered at the 1912 Centennial celebration for Princeton Theological Seminary was one given by William Lenoard McEwan titled “Princeton in the Work of the Pastorate.” In this message highlighting the contributions of Princeton-educated men to the work of the ministry, he includes a roll call of names that are also highlighted here at Log College Press. Today’s post is an extract from that address with links to pages for these men so that the 21st century reader may better acquaint themselves with their lives and labors. It is just a partial snapshot — Princeton has contributed much, much more — but it is a way to recognize some important but often-neglected names from American Presbyterian history.

Indeed if there were time to revive the memories of those who are familiar with the great movements that are written in our history, the reading of the names of the men whose influence has been great in the time of crisis or through long years of service would be sufficient— James W. Alexander, John C. Backus, for forty-eight years in Baltimore; J. Trumbull Backus, for forty-one years in Schenectady, N.Y.; George D. Baker, for a score of years in Philadelphia; Albert Barnes, forty years in Philadelphia; Charles C. Beatty, for sixty years in Steubenville, Ohio; William Blackburn; Henry A. Boardman, for forty-seven years in Philadelphia; Rob't J. Breckinridge of Kentucky; James H. Brookes of St. Louis; T. W. Chambers, nearly half a century in New York City; William C. Cattell, Joseph Christmas, founder of the American Church in Montreal; Bishop T. M. Clark; Richard F. Cleveland (father of a president of the United States); Theodore L. Cuyler, for thirty years in Brooklyn; Doak of Tennessee; J. T. Duryea, Philemon H. Fowler, Sam'l W. Fisher, P. D. Gurley of Washington, D.C; Leroy J. Halsey, A. A. Hodge, C. W. Hodge, E. B. Hodge, F. B. Hodge, William H. Hornblower, William Henry Green, Charles K. Imbrie, pastor, secretary and editor; Sheldon Jackson, Bishop John Johns, M. W. Jacobus, S. H. Kellogg, John M. Krebs, of New York; John C. Lowrie, Willis Lord, Bishop A. N. Littlejohn, J.M. Ludlow, Erskine Mason, Bishop C. B. Mcllvaine, David Magie, George W. Musgrave, Thomas Murphy, N.G. Parke, R. M. Patterson, W. S. Plumer, S. I. Prime, William M. Paxton, George T. Purves, Nathan L. Rice, Rendall of Lincoln, David H. Riddle, Stuart Robinson, Charles S. Robinson, W. D. Snodgrass, William A. Scott, W. B. Sprague, J. G. Symmes, E. P. Swift, H. J. Van Dyke, C. Van Rensselaer, Charles Wadsworth.

In this one packed paragraph, the names are easily passed over but each one represents a part of the story of the Lord’s kingdom work in this country and in the world by means of “an able and faithful ministry” (to use Samuel Miller’s words) as taught at Princeton. We are thankful for these men and take note of them here at Log College Press, also intending to add more as we are able. To God be the glory for these faithful witnesses.

Princeton Presbyterian and Translator of Kuyper: J. Hendrik De Vries

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John Hendrik De Vries (1859-1939) was a Dutch-born Presbyterian minister who served as pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey and elsewhere. His contribution to the church was significant in making available in English works by Dutch pastors such as Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck.

We have recently added some of his translations and other works to Log College Press. Take note of these translation works by De Vries:

  • Pantheism’s Destruction of Boundaries (1893) - by Abraham Kuyper

  • Calvinism: The Origin and Safeguard of Our Constitutional Liberties (1895) - by Abraham Kuyper

  • Encyclopedia of Sacred Theology: Its Principles (1898) - by Abraham Kuyper with an introduction by B.B. Warfield

  • Abraham Kuyper’s Stone Lectures on Calvinism (1898) - This edition includes B.B. Warfield’s handwritten notes about the translation process. J. Hendrik De Vries translated lectures one and five (Calvinism in History, and Calvinism and Art), and Geerardhus Vos translated the final lecture (Calvinism and the Future).

  • The Work of the Holy Spirit (1900) — by Abraham Kuyper

  • Creation or Development (1901) — by Herman Bavinck

  • The Biblical Criticism of the Present Day (1904) — by Abraham Kuyper

  • To Be Near Unto God (1918) — by Abraham Kuyper

De Vries translated other works by Kuyper, which we hope to add to Log College Press in the future, but for now be sure to check out his page for the works that we have currently. The ties between Princeton and Kuyper were strong, and De Vries was an important link in the chain.

Recent Additions to Log College Press -- October 13, 2020

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We are always busy adding to the Log College Press website, but we don’t always announce what’s new. Today’s post highlights some recent additions to the site that are worth special notice.

  • Archibald Alexander and Samuel Davies Alexander, Dr. Alexander’s Sketch of Dr. Robert Smith (1855) - This biographical sketch by Archibald Alexander was among papers received by his son S.D. Alexander, and later submitted for publication in The Presbyterian. We also added Life Sketches From Scottish History, or, Brief Biographies of the Scottish Presbyterian Worthies (1855) by S.D. Alexander, which is a wonderful collection of biographical sketches.

  • Donaldina MacKenzie Cameron (1869-1968), The Story of Wong So (1925); and Ming Quong Home (1925). She was a New Zealand-born Presbyterian missionary who worked in San Francisco to help Chinese women escape from slavery and sex trafficking.

  • Anne James Carter (1834-1908), Recollections of the Early History of the Presbyterian Church of Fredericksburg, VA (1906) — This fascinating, brief and rare work was recently acquired, scanned and uploaded to LCP. It was written by a church member on her 72nd birthday and gives an account of the early ministers of the church, including Samuel B. Wilson, A.A. Hodge, and much more.

  • Isabella Marshall Graham (1742-1814), The Power of Faith: Exemplified in the Life and Writings of the Late Mrs. Isabella Graham, of New-York (1816); and The Unpublished Letters and Correspondence of Mrs. Isabella Graham, From the Year 1767 to 1814; Exhibiting Her Religious Character in the Different Relations of Life (1838). She was a member of John Witherspoon’s church in Scotland, before coming to America and beginning a life of philanthropy to help others in need.

  • Andrew Patton Happer (1818-1894), A Professorship of Missionary Instruction in Our Theological Seminaries (1876); Is the Shang-Ti of the Chinese Classics the Same Being as Jehovah of the Sacred Scriptures? (1877); A Visit to Peking, With Some Notice of the Imperial Worship at the Altars of Heaven, Earth, Sun, Moon and the Gods of the Grain and the Land (1879); The Missionary Enterprise: Its Success in Other Lands the Assurance of Its Success in China (1880); The State Religion of China (1881); The Population of China (1883); What Shall Be Done With Converts Who Have More Than One Wife? (1883); The Number of Buddhists in the World (1883); A Retrospect (1884); and Influence of the College in the Civilization of the World: A Sermon (1894). He was a Presbyterian missionary in China for 40 years. 

  • David Raymond Taggart (1880-1958), Science and the Flu (1919); The Faith of Abraham Lincoln (1943); and A Catechism For Covenanter Children (n.d). Taggart was a Reformed Presbyterian minister. His 1919 article concerns the Spanish Flu pandemic, and in it he writes: “Would it not be the part of wisdom, and the ultimate conclusion of science, that instead of closing the churches first, as the nonessential gathering of the people, that they should be made the exception, and considered one of the essentials for the health of the community.”

  • Isaac Malek Yonan (1871-1941), Persia, Its Religions and Mission Work (1894); Persian Women: A Sketch of Woman’s Life From the Cradle to the Grave, and Missionary Work Among Them, With Illustrations (1898); The Armenian Church (1898-1899); and March 27, 1917 Letter (1917). Yonan was a Persian-born Presbyterian pastor who studied under T.D. Witherspoon.

  • Nez Perce Presbyterian Mission, Idaho — Robert Williams (1846-1896), Gospel Hymns in the Nez Perce Language (1897). He was the first Nez Perce ever ordained as a Presbyterian minister. James Hayes (1857-1928), Gospel Hymns in the Nez Perce Language (1897). He was a Nez Perce Presbyterian minister. Kate Christine McBeth (1832-1915), Gospel Hymns in the Nez Perce Language (1897); and The Nez Perces Since Lewis and Clark (1908). Susan Law McBeth (1830-1893), Diary entries from 1858 and 1860. These sisters were missionaries to the Nez Perce in Idaho. Henry Harmon Spalding (1803-1874) also contributed to the making of Gospel Hymns in the Nez Perce Language (1897).

Many more authors and works have been added in recent weeks, but these may serve to whet the reader’s appetite. Church history and biography is so rich with fascinating accounts of servants of the Most High King, and their contributions to the work of the kingdom. These authors — who were pastors, missionaries, and regular church members — all lived remarkable lives and have remarkable things to tell. Take a look at these new additions, and keep checking back for more.

Charlotte Grimké and the Port Royal Experiment

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When Rev. Francis J. Grimké (1850-1937) and Charlotte Louise Bridges Forten (1837-1914) were married on December 19, 1878, he was 28 and she was 41 years old. Lottie (as she was known) was already a published translator, writer and poet, and had worked as a teacher, and as a volunteer nurse in the War. Born into a prominent free, abolitionist African-American family, Lottie was outspoken in her convictions that slavery was morally wrong. She would go on to co-found the National Association for Colored Women. Among her many and varied life experiences, one that especially stands out is her role as a teacher in the Sea Islands of South Carolina, a project known to history as the Port Royal Experiment.

Following the November 7, 1861 Battle of Port Royal, Union forces took control of the Sea Islands. Refugee slaves — termed “contraband” by the U.S. government — were encouraged to assemble here (as was done in a few other locations) to prove their ability to own and manage land, to grow and sell cotton and thereby contribute revenue to the government, and in general to show that they could be self-sufficient. With encouragement from poet and abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier, she served under the auspices of the Port Royal Relief Association as a teacher of freed slaves from 1862 to 1864.

She was a well-educated woman from the North who taught former slaves, many of whom had little to no knowledge of basic reading and writing, and thus she experienced many challenges and difficulties. But she wrote in a letter published by William Lloyd Garrison, editor of The Liberator, that her first Thanksgiving on St. Helena Island, South Carolina was “the happiest and most jubilant Thanksgiving Day of my life.” She wrote additional letters describing the situation amongst the freed slaves on the Sea Islands, including a vivid account of New Year’s Day, 1863, the day upon which the Emancipation Proclamation took effect in Confederate states and territory occupied by federal forces. A more lengthy account of her experiences was published by The Atlantic Monthly in a two-part article that appeared in May and June 1864 under the title Life on the Sea Islands. It is striking how many hymns sung by the freedmen Lottie takes note of in these writings. It is also said that the the African-American spiritual “Michael Row the Boat Ashore” originated on St. Helena Island during this period.

Her summation of the experience reflects the hope and optimism gained from seeing hard-working, free people realizing their dreams.

Daily the long-oppressed people of these islands are demonstrating their capacity for improvement in learning and labor. What they have accomplished in one short year exceeds our utmost expectations. Still the sky is dark; but through the darkness we can discern a brighter future. We cannot but feel that the day of final and entire deliverance, so long and often so hopelessly prayed for, has at length begun to dawn upon this much-enduring race. An old freedman said to me one day, “De Lord make me suffer long time, Miss. ‘Peared like we nebber was gwine to git troo. But now we’s free. He brings us all out right at las’.” In their darkest hours they have clung to Him, and we know He will not forsake them.

“The poor among men shall rejoice,
For the terrible one is brought to nought.”

While writing these pages I am once more nearing Port Royal. The Fortunate Isles of Freedom are before me. I shall again tread the flower-skirted wood-paths of St. Helena, and the sombre pines and bearded oaks shall whisper in the sea-wind their grave welcome. I shall dwell again among “mine own people.” I shall gather my scholars about me, and see smiles of greeting break over their dusk faces. My heart sings a song of thanksgiving, at the thought that even I am permitted to do something for a long-abused race, and aid in promoting a higher, holier, and happier life on the Sea Islands.

As a teacher, Lottie was a blessing to many who were finally able to learn in ways that had longed to do, and in turn, her heart’s desire to help those in need was granted. It was a noble experiment which bore a happy and pleasant fruit. As long as she lived, she continued to serve. Read more about and by Charlotte F. Grimké at Log College Press, and get to know this servant of the King who helped the freed slaves among the Sea Islands.

RP Minister Nathan R. Johnston's 200th Birthday

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Horace Greeley said that "no man should die without planting a tree or writing a book." I have planted many a tree and I have written much in various forms; why should I not write a book also? The only apology I feel like making is that it has in it so much about myself. But if I had not written it the book would never have been written. — Nathan R. Johnston, Preface to Looking Back From the Sunset Land: Or, People Worth Knowing

It was 200 years ago today that Reformed Presbyterian minister Nathan Robinson Johnston was born on October 8, 1820. He lived a remarkable life, as told in his 1898 autobiography, Looking Back From the Sunset Land: Or, People Worth Knowing, and in biographical sketches found in the histories of the Reformed Presbyterian Church by W. Melancthon Glasgow and Owen F. Thompson.

Nathan R. Johnston — younger brother of John Black Johnston (1802-1882) — was born near Hopedale, Ohio, studied at Richmond Academy and Miami University, and ultimately graduated from Franklin College in 1843. Before commencing his seminary studies, he served as Principal of the Academy in St. Clairsville, Ohio for two years. He also edited the New Concord, Ohio Free Press in 1848. Johnston was ordained as a minister in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) in 1852, and his first of many pastorates was at Topsham, Vermont.

Johnston, Nathan Robinson photo cropped smaller.jpg

With a heart for reaching the lost, he served as a missionary at Port Royal, South Carolina in 1863. He also engaged in missions work in Minnesota and founded a missions school for the Chinese at Oakland, California. In Johnston’s autobiography, he writes about a missionary tour he took through the Southern United States, including Selma, Alabama. His thoughts on the RP Mission to Syria are expressed as well (he was called to serve there but declined).

He served as Principal of Geneva College for two years, thus helping to revive that institution founded by his brother. He later served briefly as a Professor there. He also opened his own academy, located variously at New Castle, Blairsville and New Brighton, Pennsylvania.

As a Covenanter, Johnston was a committed abolitionist. His support for the cause of freedom and activities of the Underground Railroad are evident in his autobiography, and in correspondence with his friend William Still, who included Johnston’s letters in his important work The Underground Railroad. His heart bled, as he himself says, for those in bondage, and both before and after the War, he made every effort to aid those suffering oppression.

What stands out particularly in his autobiography is the notice he takes of the people he met and formed friendships with over the years. His observations and reflections are valuable as they reveal insights about the famous and those who ought to be more so. They include William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, Samuel May; Chinese ministers Jee Gam and Chan Hon Fan; Covenanter ministers such as Lewis Johnston and George Elliott, James Renwick Willson, John M. Armour, J.R.W. Sloane, Samuel O. Wylie, Alexander McLeod Milligan, and others. They are not biographical sketches but a record of the interactions with and thoughts concerning those of great interest to church history and history in general, as well as an appreciation of the times in which Johnston lived. He crisscrossed the country in the service of the church, and met many along the way. As a journalistic editor and correspondent, as a pastor and missionary, and as an educator, his experiences are well-rounded and varied. And the people he met are, as he says, “people worth knowing.” So is Johnston himself, who, in a lifetime of contributions to the cause of Christ, “planted” many trees and wrote a book.

In his later years, he returned to Topsham, Vermont, where he entered into glory on March 21, 1904.

Get to know Nathan R. Johnston, Reformed Presbyterian minister and author, by reading his fascinating autobiography and other writings here. Happy birthday to a saint now at rest after a long and valuable life of service.