A New Year's Gift From Samuel Davies

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This year marks the 300th birthday of Samuel Davies (born on November 3, 1723). Minister of the gospel, missionary known as the “Apostle to Virginia,” President of Princeton, poet and more, Davies lived a brief life, but was a candle that burned very brightly.

At the age of 36, on January 1, 1760, Davies delivered A New Year’s Gift at the College of New Jersey at Princeton, a sermon based on Rom. 13:11: "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed" (see Sermons, Vol. 3 [1864 ed.], pp. 52 ff).

Time, like an ever-running stream, is perpetually gliding on, and hurrying us and all the sons of men into the boundless ocean of eternity. We are now entering upon one of those imaginary lines of division, which men have drawn to measure out time for their own conveniency; and, while we stand upon the threshold of a new year, it becomes us to make a solemn contemplative pause; though time can make no pause, but rushes on with its usual velocity. Let us take some suitable reviews and prospects of time past and future, and indulge such reflections as our transition from year to year naturally tends to suggest. 

The grand and leading reflection is that in the text, with which I present to you as a New-Year's Gift: Knowing the time, that it is high time to awake out of sleep.

The following year, his last on earth, on January 1, 1761, Davies preached A Sermon on the New Year (Sermons, Vol. 2 [1864 ed.], pp. 195 ff), from Jer. 28:16: "This year thou shalt die." Because Davies died just one month later, on February 4, 1761, it has often been said (even by Davies himself before he died) that on this occasion Davies preached his own funeral sermon. Interestingly, he borrowed the same text that College of New Jersey Founder and President Aaron Burr, Sr. (1716-1757) had preached on his last New Year's Day on earth, as well as Jonathan Edwards, his father-in-law and successor. All three men — Jonathan Edwards, Jr. too can be added to the list — died in the same year that they preached a New Year’s sermon on Jer. 28:16. Davies said:

Thus it appears very possible, that one or other of us may die this year. Nay, it is very probable, as well as possible, if we consider that it is a very uncommon, and almost unprecedented thing, that not one should die in a whole year out of such an assembly as this. More than one have died the year past, who made a part of our assembly last new year's day. Therefore let each of us (for we know not on whom the lot may fall) realize this possibility, this alarming probability, 'this year I may die.' 

Time is a precious gift, and while long life is a blessing that we all hope for, yet, our times are wholly in God’s hand (Ps. 31:15), and each day we ought to treasure, with thankful hearts, doing good while we can with the time given to us.

Therefore conclude, every one for himself, 'It is of little importance to me whether I die this year, or not; but the only important point is, that I may make a good use of my future time, whether it be longer or shorter.' This, my brethren, is the only way to secure a happy new year: a year of time, that will lead the way to a happy eternity.

Note: An earlier version of this post was published on December 30, 2017.

A New Year's Prayer

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James W. Weir (1805-1878) was a Presbyterian ruling elder for 44 years (from 1834 until his death in 1878) at the Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was a godly man who made a deep impression upon many who knew him.

John DeWitt’s mention of him in an 1894 sermon on the Beginnings of Presbyterianism in the Middle Colonies speaks volumes:

I dare not trust myself to speak of the tender personal associations and the sacred memories which make a return to Harrisburg almost a holy pilgrimage. For, though I am tempted to be very free and personal to-day, I must pause before I stir up the deepest fountains of feeling in you and in myself. But I cannot forbear to say, that every Harrisburger, who is also a son of this church, must feel himself made better by returning to the place in which that man of God and friend of man, James Wallace Weir, so long did justice and loved mercy and walked humbly with his God.

He is primarily known today for the devotional manual The Closet Companion; or, Manual of Prayer: Consisting of Topics and Brief Forms of Prayer, Designed to Assist Christians in Their Devotions (1854), published with an introduction by Albert Barnes.

From this volume we extract a suggested prayer for the New Year which is worthy of meditation at the close of one year and the beginning of another.

O thou God of the rolling seasons, I thank thee for thy mercies to me during the last year. There has not been an hour nor a moment of it, which has not brought me tokens of thy care and kindness. Assist me now to bring its transactions, in which I have been engaged, in solemn review before my conscience. Though the record of them is fast wasting away from the treacherous tablet of my memory, yet they are written, as with a pen of iron, on the books of thy remembrance; where they will remain until that fearful hour of trial, when the books shall be opened, and all men shall be judged out of the things that are written therein, whether they be good or evil.

Lord, I desire to acknowledge before thee, with godly sorrow, that I have neglected many duties, and abused many privileges, during the past year. My heart, and my lips, and my hands, have often been agents of transgression. Many of thy mercies have been ungratefully perverted or forgotten; and thy chastenings have often been despised or unheeded. O, my tongue would grow weary, and my heart would sicken, if I should undertake to recite all my iniquities before thee. Help me, I pray thee, for the sake of our Great Advocate, to repent over them, to loathe and forsake them, and to look to thee for strength, that the time past of my life may suffice to have wrought the deeds of the flesh, and that henceforth I may live to the will of God.

O Lord, I desire to enter the coming year, feeling the solemn responsibilities of human life. I know not what a day may bring forth, nor what the approaching months may reveal respecting me: except that they will bring me so much nearer eternity, and be full of records of my growth in grace, or of my backslidings from thy holy law. Yet I thank thee that my span of life is still lengthened out, and that I am still permitted to enjoy the precious opportunities that have been vouchsafed to me in days past. O God, assist me, I beseech thee, to discharge aright all the duties that lie before me. Make me understand the uncertainty of time, the worth of my soul, the multiplied interests of my fellow-travellers to eternity, and the righteous claims of thy service. Make me watchful against the many dangers to which I am exposed. Strengthen my love to thee; deepen my convictions of sin; animate my desires after holiness; increase my spirit of prayer; enlarge my benevolence; and lead me in thine own way, for thy name’s sake. Protect me by thy care; supply me by thy bounty; and grant me an increasing meetness for that state, where these changing seasons will give place to an endless life.

Lord, make this opening year, a year of the right hand of the Most High. Pour the healing balm of peace on all the bleeding wounds of thy church. Spread over her the spotless mantle of purity. Invigorate her by the reviving power of truth. Awaken her to renewed efforts in doing good. O may these months stand forth in the history of redemption, as precious seasons of refreshing from thy holy and life-giving presence.

This a devotional manual full of treasures which can be read here. And, if you are seeking a devotional read for the New Year (see our recommendations from years past here and here), be sure to consult our Devotionals page (available to members of the Dead Presbyterians Society). Meanwhile, it is our prayer that the New Year would be filled with joy and peace for our readers, and that we would all, by the grace of God, walk closer with our Lord. The Lord bless and keep you in the palm of his hand.

The Presbyterian Church That George Whitefield Built

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Although George Whitefield was an Anglican minister who promoted the revivalism of the Great Awakening and in particular, Calvinistic Methodism, he had close ties to colonial American Presbyterians such as Gilbert and William Tennent, Sr. [Whitefield’s journal entry following his visit to the elder Tennent in 1739 is one of the earliest and most significant descriptions of the original Log College], Ebenezer Pemberton, Jonathan Parsons, Samuel Davies, among others.

Davies may have heard Whitefield preach at Faggs Manor, Pennsylvania in 1739-1740. Davies certainly heard him preach in England in late 1753 and visited him at his house, as noted in his journal. It is noteworthy that the literature acquired by Samuel Morris that helped to inspire the 1740s Great Awakening in Virginia prior to Samuel Davies’ arrival there included the published sermons of George Whitefield, who had preached previously at the Bruton Parish Anglican Church in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1739.

In 1743, following Whitefield’s ministry in Philadelphia, the Second Presbyterian Church in that city was organized, and Gilbert Tennent was called to serve as the pastor.

On another New England preaching tour, in October 1740, at New Haven, Whitefield encountered Jonathan Parsons, who, although he had studied under Jonathan Edwards, was at the time an Arminian-leaning Congregational minister at Lyme, Connecticut. The Great Awakening that Whitefield promoted also deeply affected Parsons, whose ministry changed dramatically after Parsons embraced the experimental piety that Whitefield preached. Following another Whitefield tour of New England in 1746, a congregation began meeting in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and with Whitefield’s guidance, Parsons was called to serve as the pastor. The present building of the First Presbyterian Church of Newburyport (more popularly known as Old South Church - and sometimes, as “Whitefield’s Church”) was constructed in 1756 in three days by over 100 men working together. Later, a church bell cast by Paul Revere was installed in the clock tower.

Old South had a special place in George Whitefield’s heart. He returned on occasion to preach there, and maintained a close friendship with Parsons. It was on a visit there that George Whitefield passed away suddenly on a Lord’s Day morning, September 30, 1770 at Parson’s house. Parsons was called upon to preach his funeral sermon later that day, “To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain” (published in 1771). At Whitefield’s own stated request, he was buried under the pulpit of Old South.

Parsons served as pastor of Old South from 1746 until his death in 1776, a few days after the Declaration of Independence. He, too, was buried in the vault under the Old South pulpit, as was Joseph Prince, the famous blind minister, who died in 1791.

After Parsons, John Murray ministered to the congregation from 1781 to 1793. The third pastor of Old South was Daniel Dana, who served from 1794 to 1820. The long line of faithful ministers in Newburyport includes Jonathan F. Stearns, who delivered A Historical Discourse, Commemorative of the Organization of the First Presbyterian Church, in Newburyport, Delievered at the First Centennial Celebration, Jan. 7, 1846 (1846); and Ashbel G. Vermilye, author of A Discourse Delivered at Newburyport, Mass., November 28, 1856, on Occasion of the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Building of the First Presbyterian Church (1856).

To this day, those who want to see where the earthly remains of the great revival preacher George Whitefield are laid to rest will make the trek to Newburyport, Massachusetts to a Presbyterian church in which his memory is cherished, along with that of Parsons and Prince. This Presbyterian church, and the line of faithful ministers who served it for many years, may rightly be considered fruits of George Whitefield’s remarkable ministry. His labors were legendary, as was his preaching voice; he spent his life for Christ, and preached around 18,000 times to an estimated approximately 10 million listeners. When the Lord took him home it was at the house of a dear old friend, with whom he would be reunited in Christ a few years later.

If one makes the trip to see where Whitefield and Parsons are buried, consider not only the happy fruit of their ministry, but also the very words of the Apostle Paul chosen by Parsons to preach on after Whitefield’s death: “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Old South was but a waystation for them, and a very special one at that.

What's New at Log College Press? - December 20, 2022

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At the close of 2022, Log College Press is staying very active as we continue to expand the site and make accessible even more literature from early American Presbyterians.

Last month, in November 2022, we added 582 new works to the site. There are currently over 17,000 free works available at LCP. Today we are highlighting some of the new free PDFs available as found on our Recent Additions and Early Access pages, two features provided to members of the Dead Presbyterians Society.

Some highlights at the Early Access page:

  • Two works by Thomas Cleland, A Familiar Dialogue Between Calvinus and Arminius (1805, 1830); and The Socini-Arian Detected: A Series of Letters to Barton W. Stone, on Some Important Subjects of Theological Discussion, Referred to in His "Address" to the Christian Churches in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio (1815);

  • Abraham Brooks Van Zandt, God's Voice to the Nation: A Sermon Occasioned by the Death of Zachary Taylor, President of the United States (1850);

  • Cornelius Van Til, The Defense of the Faith (1955); and Christianity and Barthianism (1962);

  • John Murray, The Reformed Faith and Modern Substitutes (1935-1936); and The Application of Redemption (1952-1954) [a series of many articles which served as the basis for his 1955 book Redemption Accomplished and Applied];

  • Geerhardus Vos, A Song of the Nativity (1924, 1972) [a Christmas poem]; and

  • early sermons by Francis James Grimké, Our Duty to the Poor — How We Observed It on Christmas (1881); Wendell Phillips: A Sermon Delivered Sunday, Feb. 24, 1884, at the Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church, Washington, D.C. (1884); Our Future as a People (1890), each of which was contributed by a reader.

Some highlights at the Recent Addtiions page:

Also, be sure also to check out the quotes we have been adding at our blog for DPS members: Though Dead They Still Speak, including John Holmes Agnew: The Lord Loves the Gates of Zion; B.B. Warfield on Theological Study as a Religious Exercise and on What it Means to Glorify and Enjoy God; William H. Green on How the Child of God May Rightly Undergo Frowning Providences; John Murray: To the Calvinist Who Once Struggled With the Arminian Idea of Free Will; E.C. Wines: Christ is the Fountain of the Promises; James Gallaher on the Difference Between Calvinism and Fatalism; William S. Plumer's Suggested Guidelines for Making Family Worship More Profitable; Elizabeth Prentiss on Dying Grace; and T. De Witt Talmage: The Sabbath a Taste of Heaven.

We appreciate hearing from our readers if they find matters needing correction, or if they have questions about authors or works on the site, or if they have suggestions for additions to the site. Your feedback helps the experience of other readers as well.

Meanwhile, please feel free to browse the many resources available to our readers in print and in digital format. There is a lot to explore, and many Presbyterian voices from the past to hear. We look forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for Log College Press in 2023. Thank you, as always, for your interest and support, dear friends, and best wishes to you in the New Year!

American Presbyterians and Freemasonry

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Anyone who has followed the National Treasure saga (two movies starring Nicolas Cage and a Disney+ show that has recently aired) will recall the Masonic background to the plot, and may recall an adventure that took place in the graveyard at the Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia (where Archibald Alexander* (1772-1851) once served as pastor). The question of the relationship between American Presbyterians and Freemasonry is raised by such a story, and it turns out the connections are rather intriguing.

As a secret society, Freemasonry has fallen under the condemnation of such denominations as the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The RPCNA specifically targeted “secret oath-bound societies and orders” in the Covenant of 1871, declaring that they were “ensnaring in their nature, pernicious in their tendency, and perilous to the liberties of both Church and State.” W.M. Glasgow, in History of the Reformed Presbyterian Church (1888), wrote that “The Reformed Presbyterian Church has always excluded members of oath-bound secret societies from her Communion” (p. 135). The OPC officially expressed its disapprobation of Freemasonry in a 1942 report by a committee chaired by R.B. Kuiper titled “Christ or the Lodge?”, concluding that “membership in the Masonic fraternity is inconsistent with Christianity.” Other denominations have addressed (or continue to address) the issue membership of Christian in the Masonic fraternity, but not as decisively (see the 1987 report of the Ad-Interim Committee to Study Freemasonry in the Presbyterian Church in America, for example).

Freemasonry in America dates back to colonial times. At least nine signers of the 1776 Declaration of Independence were Freemasons, including Benjamin Franklin and Richard Stockton (1730-1781). At least nine signers of the 1787 U.S. Constitution were Freemasons, including George Washington.

Washington occasionally worshiped and attended Masonic meetings at the Old Presbyterian Meetinghouse in Alexandria, Virginia, where James Muir (1757-1820) served as pastor from 1789 to 1820. Muir also served as chaplain of the Masonic Lodge, and participated in the Masonic ceremonies that attended the death of Washington. William B. McGroarty writes that "The Old Meeting House is often spoken of as the Masonic Westminster Abbey, because of the number of distinguished Masons buried in and near it" (The Old Presbyterian Meeting House at Alexandria, Virginia, 1774-1874, p. 58).

William McWhir (1759-1851), a friend of Washington who taught some of Washington’s nephews at McWhir’s Alexandria academy preached a sermon at the Masonic Lodge in Alexandria on December 27, 1785 (source: The Lodge of Washington: A History of the Alexandria Washington Lodge, No. 22, A.F. and A.M. of Alexandria, Va. 1783-1876 (1876), p. 75).

Alexander MacWhorter (1734-1807) was a Freemason, and preached at Washington’s funeral (source: Steven C. Bullock, Revolutionary Brotherhood: Freemasonry and the Transformation of the American Social Order, 1730-1840 (1996), p. 176).

John Rodgers (1727-1811), first moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, delivered a sermon at a Masonic Lodge in 1779: Holiness the Nature and Design of the Gospel of Christ: A Sermon, Preached at Stockbridge, June 24, 1779, Before the Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, of Berkshire County, State of Massachusetts, and Published at Their Request [not yet available at LCP].

David Austin (1759-1831), who published four volumes of The American Preacher, also wrote Masonry in its Glory: or Solomon's Temple Illuminated: Discerned Through the Flashes of Prophetic Light, Now Darting Through the Region of the Blazing Star, to Lie at the Threshold of the Temple of God, During the Glory of the Latter Day: -- Waiting the Rays of the Seven Lamps, that the Light of its Existence Might Break Forth (1799) [not yet available on LCP, but it can be read here].

In 1794, David McClure (1748-1820), who also delivered a discourse at Washington’s funeral, preached two sermons at Masonic Lodges: A Sermon, Delivered at the Installation of the Morning-Star Lodge, of Free Masons: in East-Windsor, Connecticut, August 21, 1794; and A Sermon, Delivered at the Installation of Village Lodge, of Free Masons: in Simsbury, Connecticut, October 7th, 1794 [not yet available on LCP].

Samuel Miller (1769-1850), a Freemason, preached A Discourse Delivered in the New Presbyterian Church, New-York: Before the Grand Lodge of the State of New-York. And the Brethren of that Fraternity, Assembled in General Communication, on the Festival of St. John the Baptist, June 24th, 1795, a sermon that he sent to George Washington (Miller delivered a discourse upon Washington’s death as well). Miller’s son sheds valuable insight into Miller’s views on Freemasonry, which changed over time:

Before this date, probably soon after his settlement in New York, Mr. Miller joined the Masonic order; he seems to have taken, for years, an active part in its proceedings, and a deep interest in its prosperity: and he reached the dignity of a Royal Arch Mason. His discourse seems to prove, that his confidence had been already shaken, if not in some of the principles of the order, at least in its practical results. But whatever may be thus inferred as to his views of Masonry at this time, certain it is that subsequently — perhaps from the date of his removal to Princeton, where there was no Masonic lodge — he renounced all connexion with the order; at least he never attended their meetings; and that he distinctly, carefully, and emphatically advised his sons not to become Masons. Whether the abduction of Morgan, in 1826, which brought a reproach upon the institution from which it has never recovered, and probably sealed its doom in the United States, had any influence, even to deepen his disapprobation, cannot now, perhaps, be determined. But probably his more mature reflections satisfied him, that such a secret order was incompatible with the spirit of good civil government, and especially of free institutions; and that too easily it might be made a cloak for disorderly, seditious, and treasonable designs; might be abused to base party purposes: might become the active enemy of sound morals, pure Christianity, and the Church of Christ; while it must, naturally, ever prove, in some sort, and in a greater or less degree, a rival of that Church, by proposing its own principles as a sufficient religion, drawing men away from church intercourse and worship, and suggesting, by its very existence, that the institutions of Christianity were not adequate to the fulfilment of the grand philanthropic purposes, for which they were founded. If this order might interfere with the normal workings of the commonwealth, it might interfere much more with those of the Redeemer’s visible kingdom (Samuel Miller, Jr., The Life of Samuel Miller, D.D., LL.D., Vol. 1, p. 99).

Another Presbyterian who once took an active role in Freemasonry but later took on role in opposition to the Masonic Order is William Wirt (1772-1834). He took the first two degrees in the Masonic Rite at a lodge in Richmond, Virginia, but after the 1826 Morgan affair alluded to above (William Morgan had announced his intention to publish a book exposing the secrets of Freemasonry and was soon after abducted and murdered), Wirt was persuaded to accept the 1831 nomination for U.S. President from the Anti-Masonic Party. He was a reluctant nominee, and his campaign was unsuccessful. He died just a few years later.

Aaron Whitney Leland (1787-1871) delivered A Discourse Delivered on the 27th, December, 1815, Before the Grand Lodge of South-Carolina.

Hooper Cumming (1788-1825) preached an Independence Day sermon before a Masonic Lodge: A Sermon, Delivered at Schoharie, Before the Grand Lodge, at the Installation of Hicks Lodge No. 305, July 4th, 1818.

One of the first publications by Robert Jefferson Breckinridge (1800-1871) was A Masonic Oration: Delivered Before the Grand Lodge of Kentucky at Its Annual Communication in Lexington, on the 26th of August, A.D. 1828. He achieved the rank of Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky (source: John Winston Coleman, Masonry in the Bluegrass: Being an Authentic Account of Masonry in Lexington and Fayette County, Kentucky, 1788-1933 (1933), p. 208).

William Stephen Potts (1802-1852) published A Masonic Discourse, Delivered Before the Missouri Lodge, No. 1, on St. John's Day, at St. Louis, 1828 [not yet available on LCP].

U.S. President Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) was a well-known Freemason. “Jackson was initiated into Harmony Lodge No. 1 in Tennessee. He would be instrumental in founding other lodges in the state. He was the only President to have been a Grand Master of the state until Harry S. Truman in 1945 (source).

A biographical sketch of Obadiah Jennings (1778-1832) published in the Masonic Voice Review (Jan. 1859) indicates that not only was Jennings a dedicated Mason, but also that “Through the unbounded influence of Rev. Bro. Jennings, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, when the question of Masonry was presented to them, immediately postponed its consideration for two reasons: 1st. Because some of their own excellent Divines and members were Masons, and 2d. That they had not sufficient information upon the subject.”

John Matthews (1772-1848) delivered A Sermon Preached Before a Lodge of Freemasons [not yet available on LCP] (see William B. Sprague, Annals of the American Pulpit, Vol. 4, p. 294).

Colin McIver (1784-1850) was a member of and chaplain for the Masonic Order (source).

George Musgrave Giger (1822-1865, translator of Francis Turretin’s Institutes, was a Freemason while at Princeton. After his death a tribute was published: Proceedings of the Sorrow Lodge: and the Address Delivered in Honor of the Memory of Bro. George Musgrave Giger, D.D., December 20, 1865.

Thomas Rice Welch (1825-1886) was a prominent Mason in Arkansas (source).

Thomas Henry Amos (1826-1869) served as Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Masonic Lodge of Liberia, which he co-founded in 1867 (source: Cheryl R. Gooch, On Africa's Lands: The Forgotten Stories of Two Lincoln-Educated Missionaries in Liberia (2014), p. 119).

Jonathan Greenleaf (1785-1865) served as chaplain of the Grand Lodge of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (source: Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1856), p. 115).

James Henley Thornwell II (1846-1907) was a Grand Secretary of the Masonic Order of the Eastern Star in South Carolina (source).

Arista Hoge (1847-1923), businessman and historian of the First Presbyterian Church of Staunton, Virginia, was a “Knight Templar Mason” (source).

John Simonson Howk (1862-1942) was a prominent Indiana Presbyterian minister and a member of a Masonic Lodge (source: Lewis C. Baird, Baird’s History of Clark County, Indiana (1909), p. 792),

The Belk Brothers were both prominent Freemasons. John Montgomery Belk (1864-1928) was a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason. He had also been active in Pythian ranks in former years (source). William Henry Belk (1862-1952) was a member of the Scottish and York Rite Masons  and the Order of the Mystic Shrine (source).

Lucien V. Rule (1871-1948), a Freemason, wrote Pioneering in Masonry: The Life and Times of Rob Morris, Masonic Poet Laureate; Together With the Story of Clara Barton and the Eastern Star (1920).

Ralph Earl Prime (1840-1920) was a Freemason from 1865 forward. In 1879, he served as District Deputy Grand Master of the Ninth Masonic District, comprised of Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess Counties in New York (source: Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York (1923), p. 19).

James Naismith (1861-1939), Presbyterian minister and inventor of basketball, was also a Freemason (source).

There were some notable opponents of Freemasonry within the early American Presbyterian Church. Lebbeus Armstrong (1775-1860) was very passionate on the subject and wrote The Man of Sin Revealed, or, The Total Overthrow of the Institution of Freemasonry: Predicted by St. Paul, and Now Fulfilling: Illustrated, and Proved, in a Sermon on II. Thessalonians, II. 8 (1829); Masonry Proved to be a Work of Darkness (1831), and William Morgan, Abducted and Murdered by Masons, in Conformity with Masonic Obligations: and Masonic Measures, to Conceal that Outrage Against the Laws: a Practical Comment on the Sin of Cain: Illustrated and Proved in a Sermon (1831) [Masonry Proved to be a Work of Darkness is available on LCP].

Charles G. Finney (1792-1875) published The Character, Claims and Practical Workings of Freemasonry (1869). In this book Finney aims to thwart the spread of Freemasonry and acknowledges having once been a Mason himself.

Several Presbyterian authors have written against secret societies generally, including Thomas Smyth (1808-1873), James McCosh (1811-1894), David MacDill (1826-1903), James Harper (1823-1913), Robert J. George (1844-1911) [see his Lectures on Pastoral Theology, Vol. 3] and H.H. George (1833-1914). Robert E. Thompson (1844-1924) has written on The Origin of Free Masonry (1871).

As we have already well exceeded the length of a normal LCP blog post, we will rest here having only highlighted some particular historical connections to Freemasonry within American Presbyterianism of special interest. Much more could be said and further avenues explored (for example, the note concerning Obadiah Jennings’ efforts to have the PCUSA General Assembly table the question of Masonry). It is both a mixed picture that we present and a controversial subject for many, but we have strived to represent individuals correctly and without going beyond what can be ascertained factually. We welcome any needful corrections as to the statements above. As to the merits or not of Freemasonry, we have not attempted to analyze its distinctive teachings in this article, but we would refer the reader to Kuiper’s Christ or the Lodge?, among the many resources already cited.

* We have not confirmed that Archibald Alexander was ever a Freemason. However, there is a hint that this may have been the case in James H. Moorhead, Princeton Seminary in American Religion and Culture (2012), p. 81: “Moreover, there was the example of Freemasonry — the secret society par excellence — which was growing dramatically at this time with its promise to promote benevolent ends for all. In any event, the secrecy of the Brotherhood was scarcely seen to be subversive by the faculty, who were sometimes party to it. As one student remarked, he was taken into the inner circle — ‘a wheel within a wheel’ — of the secret society — and on several occasions ‘Dr. Alexander…met with us in this inside organization, and we got from him a great deal of useful instruction and advice.’”

Sampson's Essay on Qualifications For Faithful Interpreters of Scripture

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Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

An interesting gem to be found in a posthumously-published commentary on the Book of Hebrews by Francis S. Sampson (edited by Robert L. Dabney) is the introductory essay on the critical interpreter of the sacred Scriptures. Sampson served as a professor of Oriental literature and languages in the Union Theological Seminary, Virginia, and was a colleague and dear friend of Dabney, who was also his biographer.

Sampson highlights the importance of the faithful interpreter of Scripture in the context of the Satan’s war against Christ and His Church. He argues that one of greatest means by which the devil causes harm to the Church is through the efforts of unfaithful theological professors and preachers who undermine the foundations of the Church. By the mangling and perversion of God’s Word, such sabotage from within greatly aids his efforts, by suppressing and distorting the truth, to derail the advancement of Christ’s kingdom. But to the contrary, faithful interpreters of Scripture who handle God’s Word with wisdom are indispensable instruments in the work of the Church to advance the cause of the gospel in the world.

Here is a brief summary of the qualifications which Sampson gives for the faithful interpreter of Scripture:

  1. The first qualification which I shall mention is, that he have a thorough conviction that the Scriptures are indeed the Word of God: in other words, that he be a firm believers in the plenary inspiration of the Sacred Scriptures.

  2. The next essential qualification for the sacred Scriptures which I shall mention is, that he be truly enlightened and regenerated by the Spirit which gave them.

  3. The third qualification, which I mention as essential to the critical interpreter of the Scriptures, is a thorough knowledge of the original languages in which they are written, as well as a good knowledge, at least, of their cognates.

  4. But not only is a thorough knowledge of the original and cognate languages of the Scriptures necessary to the interpreter; he has need, in the fourth place, of a very extensive and often minute acquaintance with various collateral knowledge.

  5. The next requisite to the interpreter of the sacred Scriptures which I shall mention is, a thorough and comprehensive acquaintance with the Scriptures themselves.

  6. The last qualification of the interpreter of the sacred Scriptures which I shall mention, is, that he possess correct principles of interpretation, and have the skill and judgment to apply them.

In the last discussion, Sampson highlights the importance of the principle of “historico-grammatical system of interpretation.” He adds: “In this last qualification, we only allow what, in strict accordance with the true nature of language, is allowed to all writings, — that they be interpreted according to themselves and according to the nature of the subjects of which they treat.”

The full essay explores the the value of each of these criteria for sound interpretation of what the Scriptures teach. It is remarkable that, though each point is so fundamental and basic as to seemingly go without saying, yet, departures from each of these points are widespread in the Church today with consequent harmful effects.

Read the full essay at Sampson’s page or Dabney’s and consider the importance of faithful teachers of God’s Word. Such men who meet those qualifications are treasures worthy of the great honor to handle the Word of God rightly.

Introducing the Century Club at Log College Press

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Among the nearly 2,000 authors found at Log College Press there are at least three centenarians (Arthur Judson Brown [1856-1963, 106]; William Rankin III [1810-1912, 102]; and George Summey [1853-1954, 101]), as well as at least three authors who were 99 years old when they entered into their eternal rest (Littleton Purnell Bowen, David Caldwell, and Maria Fearing). But the Log College Press Century Club which we are introducing today has to do with something a little different.

To be a member of this club, there must be at least 100 works by (and sometimes about) the author on their particular pages. At this point in time, there are 27 such individuals in the LCP Century Club, as follows:

There are some other prolific writers who we anticipate may join this club at some point in the future, such as Isabella Macdonald Alden, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Finley Milligan Foster, Robert Jefferson Breckinridge and Cleland Boyd McAfee, to name a few. As the Lord gives us strength and ability, we continue to add works by these and many other writers. We still have our work cut out for us, especially, for example, with respect to T.L. Cuyler, who penned over 4,000 separate published articles. Meanwhile, if viewed as a snapshot of our most prolific authors, the LCP Century Club invites readers to explore a representative cross-section of early American Presbyterianism. We hope you will take this opportunity to see what’s available among these prolific writers’ pages (as well as those not-so-prolific), and to enjoy a visit to the past, which we trust will be a blessing to you in the present.

Happy Thanksgiving From Log College Press!

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The history of Thanksgiving is always a fascinating (and sometimes, controversial) topic. The site of the first Protestant Thanksgiving in America is usually associated with the Pilgrims of Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621, but Virginia also puts forth a claim to an earlier observance of Thanksgiving at Jamestown in 1610, and even prior to that, Thanksgiving, including the singing of a psalm, was observed by the French Huguenots at Fort Caroline, near modern-day Jacksonville, Florida in 1564.

Moving forward to the colonial and early American eras, magistrates began to follow these earlier examples of gathering to give thanks at appointed occasions and they issued Thanksgiving proclamations. Two notable Presbyterians who had a hand in this were John Witherspoon and Elias Boudinot IV.

Witherspoon served on a committee which drafted the Thanksgiving proclamations by the Confederation Congress for 1781 and 1782. Boudinot, who served as President of the Confederation Congress, and later, as a representative of New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives, signed the Congressional Thanksgiving Proclamation for 1783, and also proposed the resolution calling upon President George Washington to issue a Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789.

Witherspoon’s 1781 Thanksgiving proclamation called upon Americans to:

assemble on that day, with grateful hearts, to celebrate the praises of our gracious benefactor; to confess our manifold sins; to offer up our most fervent supplications to the God of all grace, that it may please Him to pardon our offences, and incline our hearts for the future to keep all his laws; to comfort and relieve all our brethren who are in distress or captivity; to prosper our husbandmen, and give success to all engaged in lawful commerce; to impart wisdom and integrity to our counsellors, judgment and fortitude to our officers and soldiers; to protect and prosper our illustrious ally, and favor our united exertions for the speedy establishment of a safe, honorable and lasting peace; to bless all seminaries of learning; and cause the knowledge of God to cover the earth, as the waters cover the seas.

Boudinot’s 1789 Thanksgiving resolution called upon President Washington to

recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably a Constitution of government for their safety and happiness.

Corporate giving of thanks to God as Creator and Governor of the Nations, through Christ, King of the Church and the Nations, has been the practice of Christian families, churches and nations for centuries, but as the holiday of Thanksgiving is a peculiarly American institution, it is helpful to reflect on its early history in colonial times leading up to the foundation of our republic.

Theodore L. Cuyler once wrote:

Thanksgiving Day is a fitting time to inventory your mercies and blessings. Set all your family to the pitch of the one hundred and third Psalm; and hang on the wall over your Thanksgiving dinner these mottoes -- 'A merry heart is a good medicine' -- and 'He that is of a cheerful heart hath a continual feast' ["'A Merry Heart Doeth Good': A Talk For Thanksgiving Day" (1897)].

We at Log College Press are thankful for our readers and their support, and we wish each of you a very joyful and Happy Thanksgiving. May God bless you and yours richly!

What's New at Log College Press? - November 15, 2022

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As the year winds down, Log College Press remains in high gear as we continue to expand the site and make accessible more and more literature from early American Presbyterians.

Last month, in October 2022, we added 494 new works to the site. There are currently over 16,000 free works available at LCP. Today we are highlighting some of the new free PDFs available as found on our Recent Additions and Early Access pages, two features provided to members of the Dead Presbyterians Society.

Some highlights at the Early Access page:

Some highlights at the Recent Addtiions page:

  • Philip Schaff edited both The American Church History series and A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church (first and second series). All of the above has now been added to Log College Press (approximately 23,000 pages of material);

  • Working for the Presbyterian Board of Publication, William M. Engles edited the 12-volume British Reformers series, which has now been added to his page;

  • The full run of The Penn Monthly Magazine under Robert E. Thompson’s editorship (13 volumes);

  • Dozens of works by Theodore L. Cuyler, Benjamin M. Palmer and Thomas DeWitt Talmage;

  • Joshua L. Wilson’s 1845 first sermon on witchcraft; and much more.

Also, be sure also to check out the quotes we have been adding at our blog for DPS members: Though Dead They Still Speak, including George Howe on the importance of a well-educated spiritual ministry; E.S. Ely on the duty of civic rulers to "kiss the Son"; Alexander Proudfit on the Biblical qualifications for public office; and Robert D. Wilson’s life plan to defend the Old Testament.

We appreciate hearing from our readers if they find matters needing correction, or if they have questions about authors or works on the site, or if they have suggestions for additions to the site. Your feedback helps the experience of other readers as well.

Meanwhile, please feel free to browse the many resources available to our readers in print and in digital format. There is a lot to explore, and many Presbyterian voices from the past to hear. Thank you, as always, for your interest and support, dear friends.

R.L. Dabney: Poet

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When we think of Robert Lewis Dabney, most associate him with his systematic theology or the War Between the States. He was one of the most prominent American theologians of the 19th century, and notably served as chief of staff for Gen. Stonewall Jackson during the War. He wore many others hats as well as a farmer, an architect, a professor, a pastor, and a poet.

The last hat mentioned is one that — contrary to popular impressions of Presbyterian divines as disinclined to artistic interests — is shared by many authors on Log College Press: B.B. Warfield, Geerhardus Vos, J. Addison Alexander, Samuel Davies, Charles L. Thompson, Henry J. Van Dyke, Jr., and many more come to mind, who were all known for their poetry. Dabney is a name rarely included in such a list, but it should be.

In Dabney’s case, there are some remarkable and fascinating poetic compositions that are very much worth noting, which help us today to better understand the many facets of his character. Some of his poems were published — in periodicals and/or Thomas C. Johnson’s biography of Dabney — and some were instead shared privately. His biographer notes that his poetry was not of the highest quality, but often expressed his passion. Few would say that Dabney's poetry was his forte, but he certainly applied himself to verse in his "leisure hours."

If the art of poetry be the art of apprehending and interpreting ideas by the faculty of the imagination, the art of idealizing in thought and expression, then Dr. Dabney possessed the art. That he had the necessary constructive imagination, and the power of expressing himself in the concrete, simply and sensuously, there is no ground for doubt. He usually attempted poetical composition, too, only on subjects on which he felt very deeply. In consequence, most of his work of this sort had the ring of passion. (T.C. Johnson, The Life and Letters of Robert Lewis Dabney, p. 455)

Recently, we have made an effort to identify and compile many of his known, published poems to provide a glimpse into his powers of imagination. Today, we will look briefly at some of his poems as found on Log College Press.

  • Tried, But Comforted — First published in The Central Presbyterian in 1863, this poem is also found in Johnson’s biography. It was written after the death of his five-year-old son, Tom, who died in 1862 and was buried in the same cemetery in which his father would later be laid to rest. Dabney’s heart was “bursting,” but he had hope that he would follow little Tom “to Christ, our Head.”

  • The Christian Womans Drowning Hymn: A Monody — Written in 1886, this poem was published in his Discussions, Vol. 4 (1897). The story behind the poem is this: “(A Christian lady and organist, went July 1886, with, and at the request of her sister, for a few days" excursion to Indianola. They arrived the day before the great night storm and tidal wave, which submerged the town. Both the ladies and children, after hours of fearful suspense, were drowned, the house where they sought refuge being broken to pieces in the waves. A survivor stated that the organist spent much of the interval in most moving prayer. Their re- mains were recovered on the subsidence of the tempest, and interred at their homes., amidst universally solemn and tender sympathy. The following verses are imagined, as expressing the emotions of the Christian wife, sister and mother, during her long struggle with the waters.”

  • Dream of a Soldier — This poem was written in 1886, but only referenced, not included, in Johnson’s biography, apparently because it was so dark and bitter (reflecting Dabney’s feelings about the War) that Dabney’s biographer thought it best to not publish it.

  • General T.J. Jackson: An Elegy — Written in 1887 (over two decades after the death of his beloved general), this tribute appeared in Discussions, Vol. 4. (1897). It is a noble lament for his dear friend, highlighting the loss keenly felt by Robert E. Lee and the South.

  • The Texas Brigade at the Wilderness — Written in May 1890, this poem also appeared in Discussions, Vol. 4 (1897). It memorializes the valor of the Texas Brigade at the Battle of the Wilderness, which took place in central Virginia in May 1864.

  • The Death of Moses — This poem was published in the Jan.-Feb. 1891 issue of The Union Seminary Magazine. It is largely an imagined speech delivered by Moses before his entrance into the Heavenly Canaan.

  • Annihilation — This eschatological defense of traditional views of heaven and hell as opposed to the idea of “soul sleep” (an idea refuted by John Calvin in his Psychopannychia, but which nevertheless lingers) appeared in the January 1893 issue of The Presbyterian Quarterly.

  • The San Marcos River — Dabney’s time spent in central Texas inspired this poetic composition, which is found in Discussions, Vol. 4 (1897).

  • A Sonnet to Lee — This tribute to General Robert E. Lee appeared in Discussions, Vol. 4 (1897).

  • Lines Written on the Illness of His Granddaughter — Dictated in 1897 (he was blind by then), these verses were composed when his beloved granddaughter Marguerite lived with him for a time at Asheville, North Carolina. She died in 1899, a year after Dabney, at the age of 17.

  • Conquest of the South — An extract from this poem is given in Johnson’s biography (1903) which expresses his his angst at “the present and impending degradation of his country.”

  • Christology of the Angels — This epic poem, reminiscent of Milton’s Paradise Lost, remained unpublished in manuscript form until it was included in Discussions, Vol. 5 (1999). It is a 115-page long celestial discourse between Gabriel, Michael and other angels on the second night after Jesus’ crucifixion.

The poetic side of Dabney is not well-known, but is worth exploring. Take time to peruse his poetry at Log College Press here, and to look at more Presbyterian poetry here.

What's New at Log College Press? - October 18, 2022

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Here is an October report on what’s been going on lately at Log College Press.

In September 2022, we added 370 new works to the site. There are now over 16,000 free works available at LCP. Today we are putting the spotlight on some of the new free PDFs available as found on our Recent Additions and Early Access pages, two features provided to members of the Dead Presbyterians Society.

Some highlights at the Early Access page:

  • John Moorhead and Ebenezer Pemberton, Jr. were among several New England ministers who attested to the originality of the 1773 landmark volume of poetry by Phillis Wheatley titled Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral;

  • James Porter Smith, An Open Door in Brazil: Being a Brief Survey of the Mission Work Carried on in Brazil Since 1869 by the Presbyterian Church in the United States (1925);

  • Charles Stelzle’s autobiography, A Son of the Bowery: The Life Story of an East Side America (1926);

  • Some new discourses by William B. Sprague; and

  • several works by James Renwick Willson, including the complete run of The Evangelical Witness (1822-1826).

Some highlights at the Recent Addtiions page:

  • John Breckinridge, The Annual of the Board of Education of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, Vol. 1 (1832), a remarkable compilation of valuable discourses;

  • Dozens of new works — including many biographical sketches — by Louis Meyer, the Jewish Reformed Presbyterian minister, who also served as an editor for The Fundamentals;

  • Dozens of articles and sermons by Thomas Smyth; and

  • Thomas Cary Johnson, God’s Answer to Evolution (1924).

Be sure also to check out the quotes we have been adding at our blog for DPS members: Though Dead They Still Speak, including A.A. Hodge on God’s moral law; C.W. Grafton on the design of the Christian Sabbath; and a set of quotes from the ecclesiastical catechisms of Alexander McLeod and Thomas Smyth on the divine right of Presbyterianism.

In general, we have also been seeking to add biographical information and photos to author pages that have been around for a while, giving many of them a fresh look and more usefulness to our readers.

Please feel free to browse the many resources available to our readers in print and in digital format. There is a lot to explore, and many Presbyterian voices from the past to hear. Thank you, as always, for your interest and support, dear friends.

B.M. Palmer on the Warrant and Nature of Public Worship

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Have you read the 1853 sermon by Benjamin Morgan Palmer on the Warrant and Nature of Public Worship? A review in Cortlandt Van Rensselaer’s The Presbyterian Magazine (Vol. 4 [1854], p. 39) says that “This discourse belongs to the permanent documents of sacred literature” [italics in the original].

Delivered at the dedication of a new edifice for his church in Columbia, South Carolina, Palmer sketched three principles which relate to the raison d'être of any true place of public worship:

  1. That man, endowed with a social nature, cannot attain the perfection which is possible to him, in the privacy and insulation of his own being.

  2. Public worship is necessary to the Church, as the visible kingdom of Christ.

  3. It is by means of the worship and ordinances of the sanctuary, this kingdom of Christ makes its aggressions upon the surrounding and opposing powers of darkness.

Palmer supports each proposition with Scriptural arguments, all derived from the text of John 4:23-24:

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

We have the text of this sermon on Log College Press, which has been extracted from T.C. Johnson’s biography of Palmer. The original published discourse [not yet available on LCP] also includes at the end Palmer’s concluding prayer, akin to Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple in 2 Chronicles 6. A portion of that prayer is found in the extract that is on Palmer’s page, but the final lines are not included in the extract. Those remaining lines from the original are given here to whet the reader’s appetite for the rest of the sermon.

And now, “O Lord God of Israel, which keepest covenant, and showest mercy unto thy servants that walk before thee with all their hearts! Behold the Heaven, and the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which we have built! Have respect, therefore, to the prayers and supplications of thy servants; let thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place! Here choose Zion, and desire it for an habitation. Here abundantly bless her provision, and satisfy her poor with bread! Arise, O, Lord God, into thy resting-place, — thou, and the ark of thy strength; let thy priests, O, Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints shout aloud for joy. Let these walls be called salvation, and these gates praise.”

Take time to peruse this valuable discourse here. It is an excellent reminder of why as Christians we gather together corporately to praise and exalt our God, and how God is thereby glorified and the work of the kingdom is advanced.

A Hurricane 250 Years Ago Changed American History

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God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm — William Cowper (1773)

Recently, Hurricane Ian became one of the strongest storms ever to hit the American coast, leaving a trail of destruction and causing great loss of life in Florida and other parts of the Southeast. Two-hundred and fifty years ago, another major hurricane left devastation in its wake throughout the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and, eventually, the area between what is now Pensacola, Florida and Mobile, Alabama. This particular is known to history by several different names — Hurricane San Agustin of 1772, the Alexander Hamilton Hurricane of 1772 or Bernard Roman's Gulf Coast Hurricane of 1772 — and its association with Alexander Hamilton is what we aim to highlight today.

In August 1772, Alexander Hamilton, a native of the island of Nevis (now the nation of St. Kitts and Nevis), was living in Christiansted, on the island of St. Croix (then a Danish territory, now part of the U.S. Virgin Islands) and working as a store clerk. Earlier that year, in May, Hugh Knox — an Ulster Scot Presbyterian who had studied at the College of New Jersey (Princeton) and was ordained by Aaron Burr, Sr. — had arrived at St. Croix from Saba, also in the Dutch West Indies. He had assumed the pastorate of the Scotch Presbyterian church in St. Croix but also served on occasion as the editor of the Royal Danish American Gazette. In God’s Providence, the hurricane that struck Christiansted on August 31, 1772 (reckoned by modern standards to have been a Category 5 storm) was to bring Hamilton and Knox together in such a way as to change American history.

A few days after the storm had left almost total devastation in St. Croix, Rev. Knox gathered his flock at the local Dutch Reformed church and delivered a sermon titled A Discourse Delivered on the 6th of September, 1772, in the Dutch Church of St. Croix: On Occasion of the Hurricane (1772). Young Hamilton had previously written some poetry that had been published in the Gazette. The same day that Knox delivered his discourse, Hamilton, then seventeen years old, wrote a letter to his father which, having shown it to Knox, was persuaded to allow it to be published in the Gazette. It appeared in the October 3rd issue, with a preface by Knox, and caused a sensation. Local businessmen were motivated to raise funds for the education of the young clerk who had described the destruction of his city and island so eloquently and vividly.

It is believed that Knox became Hamilton’s chief sponsor as well as his tutor and mentor. Hamilton’s biographer, Ron Chernow, attributes a change — as it appeared before and after the hurricane — in Hamilton’s poetry to a more religious tone, to the mentorship of Knox (Alexander Hamilton [2004], p. 34). By 1773, the funds had been raised for Hamilton to sail to the mainland, where he would go on to study at King’s College (now Columbia University) in New York City, and later served his adopted country as a Founding Father of the United States, as Secretary of the Treasury, and as an author of The Federalist Papers. His image appears today on the $10 bill. Tragically, he was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr, Jr. in July 1804. Chernow notes that it was almost certainly from the lips of Hugh Knox that Alexander Hamilton first heard the name Aaron Burr. It is one of the remarkable ironies of history that the son of the man who ordained Hugh Knox — it was Knox who, recognizing his talent, primarily encouraged Hamilton to come to America to study — should be the one who took Hamilton’s life.

Knox’s Discourse and Hamilton’s letter are both available to read at Log College Press here. It is worthwhile to contemplate the providential path that brought such a storm to St. Croix, that inspired Hamilton’s letter, that led to his removal to America, where he would go on to contribute to the founding of the new nation of the United States. Rather than remaining an unknown illegitimate store clerk in the Caribbean, because of a storm and a friend who saw something remarkable in his writing, Hamilton left a profound mark on a young nation despite his premature death. As Cowper has so wisely said, “God moves in a mysterious way.”

Clarence E.N. Macartney: Come Before Winter

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Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me…Do thy diligence to come before winter (2 Tim. 4:9, 21).

The most famous sermon delivered by Clarence E.N. Macartney (1879-1957) was Come Before Winter, a sermon he first preached at the Arch Street Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 3, 1915 — and every October thereafter. It was a sermon about the need to take advantage of the opportunities given by God before those opportunities pass away. A 30th anniversary edition of this sermon was added to Log College Press earlier this summer and on this first day of October, 2022, it seems good to highlight what he had to say.

Before winter or never! There are some things which will never be done unless they are done “before winter.” The winter will come and the winter will pass, and the flowers of the springtime will deck the breast of the earth, and the graves of some of our opportunities, perhaps the grave of our dearest friend. There are golden gates wide open on this autumn day, but next October they will be forever shut. There are tides of opportunity running now at the flood. Next October they will be at the ebb. There are voices speaking today which a year from today will be silent. Before winter or never!

What are those voices to which Macartney refers? He names three:

  1. The Voice Which Calls For Reformation

  2. The Voice of Friendship and Affection

  3. The Voice of Christ

To each of these we ought to give heed and not delay to respond. None of us knows what the year ahead may bring. But we know that we are called to repent, to serve, to believe.

The greatest subject which can engage the mind and attention of man is eternal life. Hence the Holy Spirit, when he invites men to come to Christ, never says “Tomorrow” but always “Today.” If you can find me one place in the Bible where the Holy Spirit says, “Believe in Christ tomorrow,” or “Repent and be saved tomorrow,” I will come down out of the pulpit and stay out of it — for I would have no Gospel to preach. But the Spirit always says, “Today,” never “Tomorrow.” “Now is the accepted time.” “Now is the day of salvation.” “Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” “While it is called Today.”

Let not the beautiful colors of October pass into grey November without responding to the call.

Once again, then, I repeat these words of the Apostle, “Come before winter”; and as I pronounce them, common sense, experience, conscience, Scripture, the Holy Spirit, the souls of just men made perfect, and the Lord Jesus Christ all repeat with me, “Come before winter!” Come before the haze of Indian summer has faded from the fields! Come before the November wind strips the leaves from the trees and sends them whirling over the fields! Come before the snow lies on the uplands and the meadow brook is turned to ice! Come before the heart is cold! Come before desire has failed! Come before life is over and your probation ended, and you stand before God to give an account of the use you have made of the opportunities which in his grace he has granted to you! Come before winter!

Consider the words of Dr. Macartney and hear the voice of Christ which calls us to follow Him in season and out.

Samuel Doak's 1780 Sycamore Shoals Muster Sermon & Prayer

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In the summer of 1780, five years into the American War of Independence, Major Patrick Ferguson of the British Army was assigned the task of organizing Loyalist militia forces and protecting the flank of Lord Cornwallis’ main force in the Carolina backwoods. A pivotal event in the Southern campaign of the war was the Patriots’ victory over Tory and regular forces at the Battle of Musgrove Mill In Laurens County, South Carolina on August 18, 1780. It inspired Patriots in the area to believe that the South Carolina backcountry was up for grabs. By September 25, Colonels Isaac Shelby, John Sevier and Charles McDowell, with their 600 Overmountain Men, had united with Col. William Campbell and his 400 men from Virginia in the territory of the Watauga Association at Sycamore Shoals near what is now Elizabethton, Tennessee, in preparation for what would become a major battle in the war at Kings Mountain in South Carolina.

On September 26, 1780, at the Sycamore Shoals muster, Rev. Samuel Doak led the Patriots in a religious service which has become legendary in American history. The text from his sermon and prayer, given below, is handed down to us through the courtesy of Mrs. Rollo H. Henry of Washington College, Tennessee and comes from the scrapbook of her father, J. Fain Anderson, as recounted in Pat Alderman, One Heroic Hour at King's Mountain (1968).

Samuel Doak’s Sermon:

My countrymen, you are about to set out on an expedition which is full of hardships and dangers, but one in which the Almighty will attend you.

The Mother Country has her hands upon you, these American Colonies, and takes that for which our fathers planted their homes in the wilderness — OUR LIBERTY.

Taxation without representation and the quartering of soldiers in the home of our people without their consent are evidence that the Crown of England would take from its American Subjects the last vestige of Freedom.

Your brethren across the mountains are crying like Macedonia unto your help. God forbid that you shall refuse to hear and answer their call — but the call of your brethren is not all. The enemy is marching hither to destroy your homes.

Brave men, you are not unacquainted with battle. Your hands have already been taught to war and your fingers to fight. You have wrested these beautiful valleys of the Holston and Watauga from the savage hand. Will you tarry now until the other enemy carries fire and sword to your very doors? No, it shall not be. Go forth then in the strength of your manhood to the aid of your brethren, the defense of your liberty and the protection of your homes. And may the God of Justice be with you and give you victory.

Samuel Doak’s Prayer which followed:

Let us pray.

Almighty and gracious God! Thou has been the refuge and strength of Thy people in all ages. In time of sorest need we have learned to come to Thee — our Rock and our Fortress. Thou knowest the dangers and snares that surround us on march and in battle.

Thou knowest the dangers that constantly threaten the humble, but well beloved homes, which Thy servants have left behind them.

O, in Thine infinite mercy, save us from the cruel hand of the savage, and of tyrant. Save the unprotected homes while fathers and husbands and sons are far away fighting for freedom and helping the oppressed.

Thou, who promised to protect the sparrow in its flight, keep ceaseless watch, by day and by night, over our loved ones. The helpless woman and little children, we commit to Thy care. Thou wilt not leave them or forsake them in times of loneliness and anxiety and terror.

O, God of Battle, arise in Thy might. Avenge the slaughter of Thy people. Confound those who plot for our destruction. Crown this mighty effort with victory, and smite those who exalt themselves against liberty and justice and truth.

Help us as good soldiers to wield the SWORD OF THE LORD AND GIDEON.

AMEN.

Following these inspiring words, the Overmountain Men departed and headed towards the forces under Major Ferguson’s command. Encamped in Cherokee County, South Carolina, Ferguson was given a warning of the Patriot advance by two informants. He is reported to have exclaimed that, "he was on King's Mountain, that he was king of that mountain, and God Almighty could not drive him from it.” However, on October 7, 1780, the Overmountain Men contributed to the Patriot victory at the Battle of Kings Mountain, which in fact proved to be a major turning point in the war, and in fact Major Ferguson died in battle. The words of Samuel Doak still echo through time, as do these words from Scripture:

And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's (1 Sam. 17:47).

What's New at Log College Press? - September 20, 2022

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It’s been a busy summer at Log College Press. Here is an update on what’s been going on lately.

In August 2022, we added 301 new works to the site. Today we aim to highlight some of the new free PDFs available as found on our Recent Additions and Early Access pages, two features provided to members of the Dead Presbyterians Society.

Some highlights at the Early Access page:

Some highlights at the Recent Addtiions page:

Be sure also to check out the quotes we have been adding at our blog for DPS members: Though Dead They Still Speak, including one by Cornelius Van Til on the authority of Scripture.

Please feel free to browse the many resources available to our readers in print and in digital format to our readers. There is a lot to explore, and many Presbyterian voices from the past to hear. Thank you, as always, for your interest and support, dear friends.

Matthew Henry at Log College Press

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There are some names that die, in spite of all that can be done to keep them alive; there are others that live, whoever may combine to blot them out of existence. Be it that no monument tells where their ashes repose; that no orator commemorates their fame; that no memoir proclaims to the world their character or their doings; yet let them, by the greatness of their intellectual efforts or public services, identify themselves with the character of the age in which they live, and it were scarcely a more hopeless task to undertake to pluck a star from the heavens, than to quench the lustre of their names, or to limit the usefulness of their lives.

It will hardly be questioned at this day, that the name of Matthew Henry belongs somewhere on the comparatively small list of names, which are not destined to lose their lustre with the lapse of ages. Passing by all the other important services which he rendered to the great cause of truth and piety, his commentary is an imperishable monument both of his greatness and his goodness — William B. Sprague

American Presbyterians have long expressed a love for the Puritans generally. We have highlighted their appreciation for John Flavel previously, and today the spotlight is on Matthew Henry (1662-1714). He was an English Puritan, the son of Philip Henry, whose commentary on the Bible (completed with the assistance of friends after his death), is still valued today.

  • Archibald Alexander, Preface to Matthew Henry's Commentary (1828, 1833)

    Recommendation to Colin McIver’s edition of Matthew Henry’s Exposition of the Westminster Shorter Catechism (1846)

  • James R. Boyd, Daily Communion with God on the Plan Recommended by Rev. Matthew Henry, V.D.M., For Beginning, Spending, Concluding Each Day With God (1873)

  • John Forsyth, Exposition of James in Matthew Henry’s Commentary (1848)

  • Charles Hodge, Exposition of Romans in Matthew Henry’s Commentary (1848)

  • Colin McIver, Matthew Henry’s Exposition of the Westminster Shorter Catechism (1846)

    The Rev. Matthew Henry’s Aphorisms on the Ministry, the Church, and Other Kindred Subjects (1847)

  • William B. Sprague, Review of the Memoirs of Matthew Henry (1834)

In every age, God raises up men for the defence of the gospel, and also for the exposition of his word; and some of these are honoured not only with usefulness while they live, but with more abundant and ex tensive usefulness after their decease; so that being dead they still speak. — Archibald Alexander on Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Behold the Bridegroom Cometh: Tracking Down a Poet

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Near the end of William S. Plumer’s classic 1869 work Earnest Hours, the reader will take note of a poem titled “Behold the Bridegroom Cometh.” Plumer indicates that he does not know who wrote it but commends its “sweet spirit” to all. The first stanza runs thus:

Behold, a royal bridegroom
Hath called me for his bride!
I joyfully make ready and hasten to his side.
He is a royal bridegroom,
But I am very poor!
Of low estate he chose me
To show his love the more;
For he hath purchased for me
Such goodly rich array —
Oh! surely never Bridegroom
Gave gifts like these away.

The poem does indeed have a “sweet spirit” and the composition became a popular hymn. It was often published in the second half of the nineteenth century and has been republished even to the present day. [This poem was brought to the present writer’s remembrance while reading the 2021 reprint of Thomas Houston’s The Adoption of Sons, which includes the poem as an appendix, ascribing it, as Plumer did, to “the pen of an unknown author.”]

In many places, the author’s name is left out altogether or one might see it ascribed to “anonymous” or “unidentified.” But there are some 19th century publications (journals and books) which ascribe it to “A.S.” or “Anna Shipley” or “Mrs. S.R. Shipley.” And, although information about the author is sparse, we are able to confirm that the poet who composed “Behold the Bridegroom Cometh” is indeed one Anna Shinn Shipley (1826-1828), who was the first wife of noted Philadelphia businessman Samuel Richards Shipley (1828-1908). The Shipleys were Quakers, and Anna’s famous poem did appear in an 1861 issue of Friends’ Review, a Quaker periodical, although the first appearance that this writer has located of the poem was ten years earlier in an 1851 book of Religious Poems published in Philadelphia which ascribes authorship of the poem to “unidentified.” Anna would have been around 25 years old at that time, and it was in 1851 that the Shipleys were married, which gives some added significance to the focus on the “bridegroom.”

Not everyone goes to bed at night wondering about the identity of an “anonymous” writer of a particular poem or hymn, but if you are among those who do, we hope that this research will provide some measure of solace, and perhaps also some encouragement to read (or re-read) Plumer’s Earnest Hours and Mrs. Shipley’s poetic contribution thereto.

Davidson's Desiderata

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Early on in its history, in May 1853, a discourse was delivered at the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Robert B. Davidson: Presbyterianism: Its True Place and Value in History (1854). After an overview of the history of Presbyterianism in Scotland and in early America, Davidson left his hearers with a list of things things desired or wanted in connection with the goal of preserving the history of Presbyterianism - a desiderata. This list was an inspired effort to steer the work of the Presbyterian Historical Society as it began to put into practice the vision of its founder, Cortlandt Van Rensselaer.

  1. Collections of pamphlets, tractates, controversial and other essays, bearing on the history of the Presbyterian church in this country, especially touching the Schism of 1741. These should be bound in volumes, and arranged in chronological order, handy for reference. No time should be lost in this work, for pamphlets are very perishable commodities, and speedily vanish out of sight. A copy of Gilbert Tennent’s Remarks on the Protest cannot now be obtained. One was understood by Dr. Hodge, when he wrote his History, to be in the Antiquarian Library, in Worcester, Mass., but the work is reported by the librarian as missing. This shows us that we should hoard old pamphlets and papers with Mohammedan scrupulosity, especially when there are no duplicates.

  2. Collections, like Gillies’, of accounts of Revivals, and other memoranda of the progress of vital religion. Such collections would be supplementary to Gillies’ great work, which does not embrace the wonderful events of the present century in America.

  3. Collections of memoirs of particular congregations, of which quite a number have been at various times printed, and which ought to be brought together and preserved.

  4. Collections of occasional Sermons, both of deceased and living divines. As old productions are of interest to us, so such as are of recent publication may interest posterity. Such collections would furnish good specimens of the Presbyterian pulpit, and might be either chronologically or alphabetically arranged.

  5. Collections of discourses delivered about and after the era of the Revolution. They would exhibit in a striking and favorable light the patriotic sympathies of the clergy at that period, as also the popular sentiment on the independence of the States, and their subsequent union under the present constitution.

  6. A similar collection of Discourses preached on the day of Thanksgiving in the year 1851, would be very interesting; exhibiting the various views held on the Higher Law, and the preservation of the Union, and also the value of the Pulpit in pouring oil on the strong passions of mankind.

  7. Biographical sketches of leading Presbyterian divines and eminent laymen. It is understood that one of our most esteemed writers is engaged in the preparation of a work of this sort, embracing the different Christian denominations. Whatever emanates from his elegant pen will be sure to possess a standard value; but it is thought, from the very structure of his projected work, such a one as is now recommended will not interfere with it, nor its necessity be superseded. Mark the stirring catalogue that might be produced, names which, though they that bare them have been gathered to their fathers, still powerfully affect us by the recollection of what they once did, or said, or wrote, and by a multitude of interesting associations that rush into the memory: Makemie, the Tennents, Dickinson, Davies, Burr, Blair, the Finleys, Beattie, Brainerd, Witherspoon, Rodgers, Nisbet, Ewing, Sproat, the Caldwells, S. Stanhope Smith, John Blair Smith, McWhorter, Griffin, Green, Blythe, J.P. Campbell, Boudinot, J.P. Wilson, Joshua L. Wilson, Hoge, Speece, Graham, Mason, Alexander, Miller, John Holt Rice, John Breckinridge, Nevins, Wirt. Here is an array of names which we need not blush to see adorning a Biographia Presbyterianiana. And the materials for most of the sketches are prepared to our hand, and only require the touch of a skilful compiler.

  8. Lives of the Moderators. There have been sixty-four Moderators of the General Assembly; and as it is usual to call to the Chair of that venerable body men who enjoy some consideration among their brethren, it is fair to infer that a neat volume might be produced. Many were men of mark; and where this was not the case, materials could be gathered from the times in which they lived, or the doings of the Assembly over which they presided.

  9. A connected account or gazetteer of Presbyterian Missions, both Foreign and Domestic, with sketches of prominent missionaries, and topographical notices of the stations. Dr. Green prepared something of this sort, but it is meagre, and might be greatly enlarged and enriched.

  10. Reprints of scarce and valuable works. It may be objected that we have already a Board of Publication, who have this duty in charge; but it is not intended to do anything that would look like interference with that useful organ. The Board are expected to publish works of general utility, and likely to be popular, and so reimburse the outlay; this society would only undertake what would not fall strictly within the Board’s appropriate province, or would interest not the public generally, but the clerical profession.

  11. A continuation of the Constitutional History of the Presbyterian Church to the present time. The valuable work of Dr. Hodge is unfinished; and whether his engrossing professional duties will ever allow him sufficient leisure to complete it is, to say the least, doubtful.

  12. Should that not be done, then it will be desirable to have prepared an authentic narrative of the late Schism of 1838; or materials should be collected to facilitate its preparation hereafter, when it can be done more impartially than at present. Dr. Robert J. Breckinridge did a good service in this way, by publishing a series of Memoirs to serve for a future history, in the Baltimore Religious and Literary Magazine.

  13. It might be well to compile a cheap and portable manual for the use of the laity, containing a compact history of the Presbyterian Church in America.

Other proposals on Davidson’s list include a history of the rise and decline of English Presbyterianism; a history of the French Huguenots; and a history of the Reformation in Scotland as well as biographical sketches of Scottish divines.

It is a useful exercise for those who share Davidson’s interest in church history to pause and reflect on the extent to which the goals that he proposed have been met. The Presbyterian Historical Society itself — located in Philadelphia — has certainly done tremendous legwork in this regard as a repository of valuable historical materials which has allowed scholars the opportunity to study and learn from the past. We are extremely grateful for the efforts of the Presbyterian Historical Society. Samuel Mills Tenney’s similar vision led to the creation of the Historical Foundation of the Presbyterian and Reformed Churches in Montreat, North Carolina. The PCA Historical Center in St. Louis, Missouri is another such agency that has done great service to the church at large as a repository of Reformed literature and memorabilia.

We do have access today to Gilbert Tennent’s Remarks Upon a Protestation Presented to the Synod of Philadelphia, June 1, 1741. By 1861, we know that a copy was located and deposited, in fact, at Presbyterian Historical Society. Though not yet available in PDF form at Log College Press, it is available for all to read online in html through the Evans Early American Imprint Collection here.

The biographical sketches then in progress that Davidson referenced in point #7 were carried through to publication by William B. Sprague. His Annals of the American Pulpit remain to this day a tremendous resource for students of history, yet, as Davidson wisely noted, though many writers have followed in Sprague’s footsteps on a much more limited basis, there is always room for more to be done towards the creation of a Biographia Presbyterianiana.

Regarding the Lives of Moderators (point #8), we are grateful for the labors of Barry Waugh of Presbyterians of the Past to highlight the men that Davidson had in mind. The lists and biographical sketches that he has generated are a very useful starting point towards achieving the goal articulated by Davidson, and help to bring to mind the contributions of Moderators to the work of the church.

There are a number of organizations that have taken pains to reprint older Presbyterian works of interest. Too many to list here, the contributions of all those who share this vision to make literature from the past accessible to present-day readers is to be applauded, including the efforts of Internet Archive, Google Books and others who digitize such works. We at Log College Press also strive to do this both with respect to reprints and our library of primary sources. For us, the past is not dead, primary sources are not inaccessible, and the writings of 18th-19th century Presbyterians are not irrelevant. It is worth noting that there are topical pages with growing resources available on Log College Press that highlight material on biographies, church history, the 1837 Old School / New School division, sermons and much more.

Much more could be said in regards to the extent to which organizations, historians and others have carried forward the goals articulated by Davidson. But for now we leave it to our readers to consider Davidson’s Desiderata, articulated over 150 years ago, and its connection to our shared interest in preserving the history and literature of early American Presbyterianism.

Historian of the Alabama Presbyterian Church: James W. Marshall

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The monumental labors of Rev. James Williams Marshall (1882-1964) to document the history of the Presbyterian Church in Alabama are legendary. His 8,000 page typewritten manuscript is held by the Presbyterian Historical Society, along with many other materials collected and donated by him. But it was largely through the determined quest of his wife, Marion (who passed away in 1983), and the editorial labors of others, that led to the posthumous publication of his history.

Rev. Marshall had a vision to do for the Presbyterian Church in Alabama what George Howe had done for the history of the Presbyterian Church in South Carolina. In the preface to Marshall’s history he wrote:

I like to think that the work may prove a link in the chain which began to be forged by our forefathers. Dr. Charles Hodge issued his Constitutional History of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America from his home in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1840, which brought the story down to 1788. Dr. George Howe by order of the Synod of South Carolina almost completed his History of the Presbyterian Church in South Carolina before he died in Columbia, 1883, ending the story at 1850. Dr. James Stacy almost completed his History of the Presbyterian Church in Georgia before he died in Newnan, 1912. Next in the line geographically and chronologically stands Alabama.

Yet Rev. Marshall entered into his rest in 1964 leaving a request to his life-long companion, Marion, to see the work of getting his history published through to completion. Below is a letter which shines a light on the challenges involved in that process. Rev. C.G. Partridge of Troy, Alabama wrote to Rev. William C. Robinson in 1965 on behalf of Marion Marshall to consult about how to accomplish the goal of publishing a condensed version of that 8,000 page manuscript. Rev. Partridge alludes to his discussions with Dr. Thomas H. Spence of the Historical Foundation at Montreat, North Carolina about it. (Rev. Marshall’s preface makes reference to the contributions of Dr. Thomas H. Spence, Dr. Samuel M. Tenney, and Dr. Guy S. Klett in his work.) We share this letter which was found in a copy of the 2-volume History of the Presbyterian Church in South Carolina by George Howe owned by the writer which comes from the library of Rev. Marshall and contains his handwritten notes.

November 4, 1965 Letter from Rev. C.G. Partridge to Rev. William C. Robinson (photo credit: R. Andrew Myers).

Ultimately, a dozen years later, the Presbyterian Historical Society of Alabama, with Robert Strong as editor, published The Presbyterian Church in Alabama (1977). Another edition was published in 1985 under the title Presbyterian Churches in Alabama, 1811-1936, with Kenneth J. Foreman as editor. These volumes comprise a rich store of church history. John W. Kuykendall, in a 1981 review of the 1977 volume, says as much, while also critiquing its readability. His point is certainly valid, and the 1985 volume includes among the introductory matter a piece titled “Marshall’s History and How to Get the Most Out of It,” which addresses the different sorts of interests that would lead one to pick up the book, and how each sort of reader can benefit best from the work. But be assured the benefits are many. These works are not available on Log College Press, but the student of church will enrich themselves greatly by searching out their own copies to read and study.

Quoting George Howe, Rev. Marshall writes of the Church of God that “History is her memory.” We cherish the labors of such men who have spent their time and energy to bring to remembrance the works of God in the lives of men, women and children who went before us in service to Christ’s kingdom.