Log College Press

23/07/2024

𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 (1707-1766), born in County Donegal, Ireland and having emigrated to the American colonies with his family in 1714, became the first Covenanter minister in America. He was the first man in America to publicly call for armed resistance to British tyranny in 1743 when he and others renewed the Solemn League and Covenant in Middle Octorara, Pennsylvania. He was also one of the founding ministers of Hanover Presbytery in 1755. He ministered in Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina, and in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, he served seven different congregations.

Alexander Craighead was the son and grandson of Presbyterian ministers and one of his two sons also became a Presbyterian minister. Two of his six daughters also married Presbyterian ministers: Agnes Craighead married William Richardson, and Rachel Craighead married David Caldwell.

Alexander Craighead is considered the spiritual father of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, which was signed by a numbers of men he had taught before his death.

"Rev. Alexander Craighead exercised a most wonderful influence in Mecklenburg county — before the county was laid off — both for Church and State. In [1757] he and his friends came to Rocky River and Sugar Creek, and there he taught the people the great truths of the Gospel and of Liberty which are indissolubly connected. Presbyterianism and Republicanism best flourish together. In the decayed monarchies of Europe, the hard and rigorous laws by which the people are held under priestcraft, are inimical to the growth of free governments. Mr. Craighead was the main leader in building the seven first churches in this county. They were all established about 1762, but it is more than probable that they had stands, or groves, for three or five years earlier. Over twenty of the members of the Convention of Charlotte, who on May 20, 1775, produced the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, were connected with the seven Presbyterian churches of the county, two of which were Rocky River and Sugar Creek. From these two the other five took ‘life and being.’ Such were the men who, when informed of the troubles ‘to the eastward,’ rallied to the cry: ‘The cause of Boston is the cause of all.’

With Craighead they held that the right of the people were as divine as the rights of kings, for their fathers, and they themselves had often listened in rapt attention to his thrilling eloquence, and felt as if himself were he on whose sole arm hung victory. Although Mr. Craighead died before the convention of May 20, 1775, at Charlotte, yet to the whole American Nation should revere his memory as the fearless champion of those principles of civil and religious freedom, which they now enjoy, and which first found expression from his old comrades in the immortal Declaration, the true date of which, in the language of another, ‘Has been as clearly established as the given name of any citizen then living in the county.’” — John B. Alexander, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑒𝑐𝑘𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑔 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑦 𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚 1740 𝑡𝑜 1900 (1902), pp. 48-49

22/07/2024

𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐫 was born on this day in history, 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟐, 𝟏𝟕𝟕𝟏, in Rockingham County, Virginia. He studied under the tutelage of William Graham at Liberty Hall in Lexington, Virginia from 1789 to 1796. He was licensed to preach in April 1797, and initially labored as a traveling evangelist and an instructor at New London Academy. But in 1798 he became Professor of Mathematics, Natural Philosophy and Astronomy at Liberty Hall, and he was also married that year to Annie Fleming (the couple had four sons and five daughters). The next year, following the death of William Graham, Baxter succeeded him as rector of Liberty Hall, and at the same time took on pastoral duties at the congregations of New Monmouth and Lexington. The title of the school changed from Liberty Hall to Washington Academy to Washington College (it is now known as Washington & Lee University) during Baxter's tenure, and his own title became that of President. He served that institution until 1829; and later served as President of both Hampden-Sydney College and Union Theological Seminary. He died on April 24, 1841, and his body was laid to rest at the
Union Presbyterian Seminary Cemetery in Hampden Sydney.

He was the author of an 𝐸𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑛 𝐵𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑚 (1833); 𝐴𝑛 𝐸𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑏𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑙𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 (1836), as well as several notable sermons. He was called by Robert L. Dabney "one of the ablest of all theologians in America," and was eulogized by other former students, including Stuart Robinson.

21/07/2024

"If you constantly pray for the Holy Spirit, you will grow in the habit of recognizing His agency in your possessing spiritual benefits, and of ascribing them to His love. This will increase your gratitude to Him. And gratitude to the Holy Spirit for loving you, cannot but have the effect of fixing your attention more and more on His gifts, and His operations and actings towards you, whereby your knowledge of His gracious dealings with souls will be increased." — 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑦 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑜𝑙𝑦 𝑆𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡 (1875), p.57 [pictured: Andrew Wyeth, 𝑊𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑒𝑎 (1947)]

20/07/2024

"Since then, brethren and friends, the God of all grace, as we humbly trust, condescends to place his name here, let us write ours in some humble place beneath it; and while from this house he calls to us, 'Seek ye my face,' let each of us answer, 'Thy face, Lord, will I seek.' Thus let the promises of God, and the vows of his people here meet in their fulfilment, until the promises shall have gained their merciful object, and the vows their joyful reward; and then may a blissful and unfading remembrance of many happy days spent amid the satisfying goodness of this temple, delight the soul of every worshipper forever." — 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐖. 𝐘𝐞𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬, 𝐴 𝑆𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑜𝑛 𝐷𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑏𝑦𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑜𝑛, 𝑁. 𝐽., 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝, 𝐽𝑎𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑦 19, 1840 (1840), pp. 35-36

19/07/2024

𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 (no, not that one - the other one!) was born on this day in history, 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟗, 𝟏𝟖𝟏𝟕, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He studied at Hanover College in Indiana, graduating in 1835, before teaching in Kentucky from 1838 to 1842. He was ordained to the Presbyterian ministry in 1844, and served pastorates in Montgomery, Ohio (1844-1849); and Fort Wayne, Indiana (1851-1855); as well as serving as principal of Springfield Female Seminary in Springfield, Ohio (1849-1851). From 1855 to 1857 he served as President of Hanover College; and from 1866 to 1869 he served as the first President of the newly unified Washington & Jefferson College. Following this tenure, he took a pastorate in Baltimore, Maryland from 1869 to 1871. Next, he served as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Peoria, Illinois from 1871 to 1877. He was appointed as Professor of Theology at the Danville Theological Seminary from 1877 to 1881. He also served as pastor in Cincinnati, Ohio (1881-1885); Long Branch, New Jersey (1885-1887); and Meadville, Pennsylvania (1887-1891). He died in Peoria, Illinois on July 13, 1891, and his body was laid to rest in Springfield, Ohio.

He was highly regarded as a preacher and a scholar, and as one who served the best interests of those under his care and, most importantly, the kingdom of God.

18/07/2024

The great theologian 𝐀.𝐀. 𝐇𝐨𝐝𝐠𝐞 was born on this day in history, 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟖, 𝟏𝟖𝟐𝟑.

If you are a member of the Dead Presbyterians Society, you may take note of the sneak previews available only to DPS members of the following works which were uploaded today to our Early Access page. To learn more about joining the DPS, see this link: https://www.logcollegepress.com/join

𝐀.𝐀. 𝐇𝐨𝐝𝐠𝐞, 𝐴 𝐹𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑂𝑛 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑂𝑓 𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑚 𝐻. 𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑂𝑓 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑠𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑔, 𝑉𝑖𝑟𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑎 (1859)

𝐀.𝐀. 𝐇𝐨𝐝𝐠𝐞, 𝐴𝑑𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑎𝑢𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑅𝑒𝑣. 𝐴.𝐴. 𝐻𝑜𝑑𝑔𝑒, 𝑎𝑠 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑓𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐, 𝑃𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑐 & 𝐻𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦, 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑆𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑦; 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑓𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑟, 𝑏𝑦 𝑅𝑒𝑣. 𝐽𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑀. 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑡; 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑎𝑢𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝐴𝑑𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠, 𝑏𝑦 𝑅𝑒𝑣. 𝐴𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑏𝑎𝑙𝑑 𝐴. 𝐻𝑜𝑑𝑔𝑒, 𝐷.𝐷. (1864)

𝐀.𝐀. 𝐇𝐨𝐝𝐠𝐞, 𝐴𝑑𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑎𝑢𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑅𝑒𝑣. 𝐴𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑏𝑎𝑙𝑑 𝐴𝑙𝑒𝑥. 𝐻𝑜𝑑𝑔𝑒, 𝐷.𝐷., 𝐿𝐿.𝐷., 𝑎𝑠 𝐴𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑓𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑃𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑐 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑆𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑡 𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑡𝑜𝑛, 𝑁.𝐽., 𝑁𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 8, 1877 (1877)

𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐱𝐭𝐨𝐧, 𝐴𝑑𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝐷𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑏𝑎𝑙𝑑 𝐴𝑙𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝐻𝑜𝑑𝑔𝑒, 𝑁𝑜𝑣. 15, 1886 (1887)

18/07/2024

"The very centre and core of the whole Bible is the doctrine of the grace of God — the grace of God which depends not one whit upon anything that is in man, but is absolutely undeserved, resistless and sovereign. The theologians of the Church can be placed in an ascending scale according as they have grasped with less or greater clearness that one great central doctrine, that doctrine that gives consistency to all the rest; and Christian experience also depends for its depth and for its power upon the way in which that blessed doctrine is cherished in the depths of the heart. The centre of the Bible, and the centre of Christianity, is found in the grace of God; and the necessary corollary of the grace of God is salvation through faith alone." — 𝐉. 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧, 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑡ℎ? (1925), pp. 173-174

17/07/2024

"Every Presbyterian who can, should make the pilgrimage to Accomac County on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and find his way to Makemie Park and there look upon the founder of our Church in these United States, and there in that sacred spot before God pledge himself to newer and nobler deeds for the faith we love." — 𝐈.𝐌. 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝑂𝑙𝑑 𝐵𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔ℎ𝑎𝑚 𝐵𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐸𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛 𝑆ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑦𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑 (1936), p. 115

16/07/2024

"In the name of your own interests I plead with you; in the name of your treasure-houses and barns, of your rich farms and cities, of your accumulations in the past and your hopes in the future, — I charge you, you never will be secure if you do not faithfully maintain all the crown-rights of Jesus the King of men. In the name of your children and their inheritance of the precious Christian civilization you in turn have received from your sires; in the name of the Christian Church, — I charge you that its sacred franchise, religious liberty, cannot be retained by men who in civil matters deny their allegiance to the King. In the name of your own soul and its salvation; in the name of the adorable Victim of that bloody and agonizing sacrifice whence you draw all your hopes of salvation; by Gethsemane and Calvary, — I charge you, citizens of the United States, afloat on your wide wild sea of politics, THERE IS ANOTHER KING, ONE JESUS: THE SAFETY OF THE STATE CAN BE SECURED ONLY IN THE WAY OF HUMBLE AND WHOLE-SOULED LOYALTY TO HIS PERSON AND OF OBEDIENCE TO HIS LAW." — 𝐀.𝐀. 𝐇𝐨𝐝𝐠𝐞, 𝑃𝑜𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝐿𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝐸𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑠 (1887), p. 287

15/07/2024

"American patriots! American philanthropists! American Christians! great are your privileges! great your duties! How much you owe to God, and to the cause of Christianity, and to the world! How much too you owe yourselves! Keep pure your own fountains — not because you owe nothing to other nations, but on the contrary, that you may be able to give them to drink abundantly of your sweet and healthful waters.

Strengthen your stakes, and lengthen your cords at one and the same time. Be anxious for the advancement of Christ's kingdom, both at home and abroad. Let ALL THE WORLD of which this country is a part, be the object of your Christian beneficence." — 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐁. 𝐀𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐫, 𝐹𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝐿𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐵𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝐿𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝐹𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 (1834), p. 30

14/07/2024

"May I be taught of God that I may be able to teach others also. It is only the heart that has been deeply exercised in divine things which can enable us to preach experimentally to others. Piety is the life of a minister." — 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐝𝐠𝐞, Diary entry dated February 13, 1820 in A.A. Hodge, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝐻𝑜𝑑𝑔𝑒, 𝐷.𝐷., 𝐿𝐿.𝐷. (1880), p. 74

13/07/2024

There is a story going around on social media about 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐝, along with the illustration below. It concerns an account of a rattlesnake which instead of striking Brainerd while nearby Indians were waiting to kill him, the rattlesnake slithered away and the would-be killers were instead moved to think of Brainerd as under divine protection.

“Tomahawks in hand, the Indians crept toward the strange tent. As they cautiously peered under the flap, their intention to kill was forgotten. There, in the center of the tent was a man on his knees. As he prayed, a rattlesnake crossed his feet and paused in a position to strike. But the snake did not strike. It lowered its head again and glided out of the tent. It was a long time later when 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐝, the man in the tent, found out why the Indians at the village received him with such honor as they did. He had expected that they would want to kill him. The reason for their change of heart was the report their comrades had brought of the marvelous thing they had seen. The Indians looked upon 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐝 as a messenger from the Great Spirit, which indeed he was. In all good work the protection of God is with the worker.”

This story, however, has no supporting documentation from primary sources. It is not to be found in the writings of Brainerd or in the writings of Jonathan Edwards about Brainerd. The earliest appearance of this tale, according to the research of John A. Griggs, is found in Mrs. Walter Person, "David Brainerd, 'A Man in a Million,'" in 1949 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚 𝑆𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠, 𝑊𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛'𝑠 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝐹𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐸𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝐿𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑛 𝐶ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑐ℎ. The account, therefore, seems to have as much evidence of truthfulness and historicity as the story of George Washington and the cherry tree.

Griggs goes on to address the significance of this myth, however. "If we simply dismiss Person's account (and its original, uncited source) as naiveté or foolishness, we miss the important lesson that it conveyed. Whether or not Person and her audience believed the story, no evangelical familiar with the Bible who heard or read it would miss its parallel to an account in the book of Acts. There, the author, probably Luke, described the apostle Paul's shipwreck on the island of Malta. While gathering wood to make a fire, Paul was bitten by a viper. The local residents assumed that this was the judgment of the gods on a murderer. But Paul shook the snake off and continued about his business with no ill effects, convincing the locals that he was a god. Brainerd's encounter with the rattlesnake, thus, represents his own holiness and dedication to God." — John A. Griggs, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑑 𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑑: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛 𝐸𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝐼𝑐𝑜𝑛 (2009), pp. 190-191

11/07/2024

The cautionary tale of a son of Samuel Davies.

Receive our blog posts in your email by filling out the form at the bottom of this page .

11/07/2024

𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧 — the great French Reformer who has also been described in some measure as the originator of early American principles of liberty and freedom — was born on this day in history, 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟎, 𝟏𝟓𝟎𝟗, in Noyon, France.

Commenting on Matthew 14:6, John Calvin wrote:

"The ancient custom of observing a birthday every year as an occasion of joy cannot in itself be disapproved; for that day, as often as it returns, reminds each of us to give thanks to God, who brought us into this world, and has permitted us, in his kindness, to spend many years in it; next, to bring to our recollection how improperly and uselessly the time which God granted to us has been permitted to pass away; and, lastly, that we ought to commit ourselves to the protection of the same God for the remainder of our life."

09/07/2024

Have you heard of the Sprunt Lectures? This lectureship at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia was endowed by James Sprunt in 1911. We have previously written about the Sprunt Lectures and listed some of the notable Log College Press authors (including John Gresham Machen and William Childs Robinson) who have delivered them over the years in a blog post.

https://www.logcollegepress.com/blog/2021/3/4/sprunt-lectures-at-log-college-press

𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐭 died 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨 on this day in history, 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟗, 𝟏𝟗𝟐𝟒. Born on June 8, 1846, in Glasgow, Scotland, he came to Wilmington, North Carolina with his family in 1854. He became a successful and prominent exporter and eventually a notable philanthropist. He was also a historian of the Cape Fear, North Carolina area, as well as a lifelong Presbyterian layman. He contributed to the Presbyterian church, building several church buildings, and establishing a loan fund at Davidson College, as well the Union Seminary lectureship.

After an accident involving a runaway horse which cost him a leg, he was moved to contribute to people with disabilities as well as hospitals that specialized in such care. He also gave generously to orphanages, and other such causes.

We remember this generous man on the centennial of his entrance into glory with thankfulness to the Lord for raising up such an example of stewardship that continues to benefit others even today.

08/07/2024

"It is our happiness to believe that when we see Jesus weeping over lost Jerusalem, we 'have seen the Father,' we have received an insight into the divine benevolence and pity." — 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐋. 𝐃𝐚𝐛𝐧𝐞𝐲, 𝐺𝑜𝑑’𝑠 𝐼𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑦 𝑎𝑠 𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝐻𝑖𝑠 𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟, 𝑊𝑖𝑠𝑑𝑜𝑚, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 in 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠, Vol. 1 (1890), p. 308 [pictured: Henry Courtney Selous, 𝐽𝑒𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑚 𝑖𝑛 𝐻𝑒𝑟 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑢𝑟]

07/07/2024

𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

"[Edmund] Bunny wrote a little book called 'Christian Exercises on Resolution [1584]." This volume fell into the hands of Richard Baxter. He read it, and was awakened. Baxter sends forth his 'Call to the Unconverted' [1658], and it touches the heart of Philip Doddridge. Doddridge writes 'Rise and Progress' [1745] and a [William] Wilberforce is converted. Wilberforce, disgusted with formalism, publishes his 'Practical View' [1797]. This volume bestirs the heart of a [Legh] Richmond and [Thomas] Chalmers. Now, again, let the reader go backward, and trace this stream to its fountainhead, and yonder, in the earnest words of a scarcely remembered Bunny, will be found the germ of awakenings, revivals, ecclesiastical disruptions, and political changes, whose influence has been felt over the civilized world." — 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐒. 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐲, 𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑡ℎ'𝑠 𝐵𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑉𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠; 𝑜𝑟, 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑇𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠 (1869), pp. 196-197

06/07/2024

"As the surface of the pond, alternately falling and rising, by the grinding of the day and the resting of the night, needs the inflow of the Sabbath to fill it full again, so the physical nature of man requires this seventh day rest to repair the waste of the week and lift his flagging energies again to the normal plane." — 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐲, 𝐷𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑡: 𝐼𝑡𝑠 𝑂𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴𝑑𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑠 (1885), p. 264

06/07/2024

"He is the best friend to American liberty, who is most sincere and active in promoting true and undefiled religion, and who sets himself with the greatest firmness to bear down profanity and immorality of every kind." — 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐧, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑂𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑒𝑛: 𝐴 𝑆𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑜𝑛, 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑡 𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑡𝑜𝑛, 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 17𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑎𝑦, 1776. 𝐵𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝐹𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑒𝑠 (1777), p. 37

04/07/2024

Happy Independence Day! - Abraham Keteltas and the Cause of God

Receive our blog posts in your email by filling out the form at the bottom of this page . Happy Independence Day to all from Log College Press! Today marks the 248th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, as well as seventh anniversary of the founding of Log College

03/07/2024

A poem by 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐝 written on the Lord's Day, April 25, 1742 (lightly edited).

𝐹𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙, 𝑣𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑; 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑙 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑖𝑑 𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑢,
𝑀𝑦 𝑆𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑟'𝑠 𝑡𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑜𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢.
𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑦 𝑎 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑;
𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑎 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑙 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑒𝑑.
𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒, 𝑐𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙:
'𝑇𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑥'𝑑, 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒; 𝑚𝑦 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑎𝑙𝑙.
𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 ℎ𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑢𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑚𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤,
𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑑𝑒, 𝑚𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡'𝑠 𝑛𝑜 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑚 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢.

02/07/2024

Samuel Miller's famous lecture on Creeds and Confessions was delivered 200 years ago today on July 2, 1824. Log College Press has a bicentennial edition of this great work.

Receive our blog posts in your email by filling out the form at the bottom of this page . The most ardent and noisy opponents of Creeds have been those who held corrupt opinions…and…the most consistent and zealous advocates of truth have been, every where and at all times, distinguished by

29/06/2024

"No one was ever saved because his sins were small; no one was ever rejected on account of the greatness of his sins. Where sin abounded, grace shall much more abound." — 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐝 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫, "Sinners Welcome to Come to Jesus Christ" in 𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑇𝑟𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑠 (1857), p. 164

27/06/2024

"The Church of Christ on earth, beautiful and glorious as she is, is yet here as a means to an end. The Bride of the Lamb is commissioned to carry a message which He was unwilling to commit to a less loyal or sacred keeping. Every fact and phase of our holy religion is in its way apologetical. Like Nehemiah’s rebuilders of Jerusalem, every champion of the truth must work with his sword girded by his side. All theology is apologetics. The Word of God is the charter of universal missions." — 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦 (1896) [pictured: Gustave Doré, 𝑁𝑒ℎ𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑎ℎ 𝑉𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑅𝑢𝑖𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐽𝑒𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑚'𝑠 𝑊𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠]

26/06/2024

"It matters not by what name you call yourself, if your relation to Jesus Christ is transforming you, is making you into a better man, is fashioning you into his image and likeness, you are truly of his fold. The transforming power of Jesus Christ in us and over us is the only evidence of faith in him that saves. It is the faith in him that works by love and that purifies the heart that alone is genuine, and in the end will count with God." — 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐬 𝐉. 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐤𝐞́, "Stray Thoughts and Meditations" in 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑠 𝐽. 𝐺𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑘𝑒́, Vol. 3 (1942), p. 1

25/06/2024

"𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐽𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒, 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑡ℎ.

How delightful the prospect! What Christian acquainted with the history of this wonderful people, and reflecting that God was pleased to use them as the channel of communicating to us such inestimable benefits, as the birth of our Redeemer — the oracles of God and all their precious promises — and the church under its new and more spiritual organization; will not rejoice to learn, from the sacred scriptures, that God has revealed to us his purpose, of restoring his wandering people, 'beloved for the father's sake,' (Rom. xi. 28,) to an interest in that 'better covenant which was established on better promises?' (Heb. viii. 6.)

But is this taught by inspired writers as a truth? Blessed be God it is; and we may indulge our faith in contemplating the delightful union; which, we believe, He who is faithful to His word and covenant, will not fail to realize." — 𝐉.𝐉. 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐻𝑜𝑝𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐽𝑒𝑤𝑠: 𝑜𝑟, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐽𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝐵𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑡ℎ; 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑅𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑃𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑒 (1853), pp. 13-14 [pictured: Cornelis Bos, 𝑃𝑎𝑢𝑙 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑦𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑔𝑢𝑒]

23/06/2024

As the Scriptures and our Westminster Confession teach us, the whole Christian Sabbath is to be taken up in the duties of public and private worship, as well as duties of necessity and mercy. Although it is a day of rest it is not a day for idleness. 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐛𝐞𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 lists many godly activities which are suitable and indeed called for on the Lord's Day, one of which is meditation.

"𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. — This is a duty too little practised, or thought of, by Christians generally. The Psalmist says — 'My meditation of thee shall be sweet, I will be glad in the Lord.' Meditation, intermingled with devout ejaculations and aspirations of soul, is exemplified in many of the Psalms, and should form a part of a Christian's exercises on every Lord's day. The subjects of meditation are the works, the government, and the providence of God, his providence in relation to our own lot in life particularly, and more than all, the glorious plan of redemption, as a whole, and in its various parts and aspects." — 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐛𝐞𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧, 𝐿𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐶𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑚 (1841), pp. 134-135 [pictured: George Richmond, 𝐼𝑠𝑎𝑎𝑐 𝐺𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ 𝑡𝑜 𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑑𝑒]

See more recommended Lord's Day activities by 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐛𝐞𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 here:

https://www.logcollegepress.com/blog/2019/1/31/ashbel-green-on-the-best-way-to-spend-the-christian-sabbath

22/06/2024

"Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds." (Acts 26:28-29)

"Paul took him at his word, and lifting up his manacled arms cried out in a great and dramatic climax to one of the greatest speeches ever delivered, 'I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.' Noble, self-forgetting, soul-seeking Paul. Agrippa, Festus, Bernice, the centurions, the legionaries, all the nobles of Cesarea, with all their sins, crimes and follies and superstitions, — Paul would have them all to be saved, and to be reconciled to God. He would have no one wear a chain such as he was wearing; he would not want them to pass through the shipwrecks, the scourgings, the stonings, the prisons, the stocks, the loneliness, the weariness through which he had passed, and gladly, for the sake of Christ.

But if he had to choose between bonds and imprisonment with Christ, and freedom and wealth and purple raiment without Christ, he lets them know that he would choose Christ with bonds. It is as if Paul had said to Agrippa and all who were in the hall that day, 'I would not have you to bear the stonings, the imprisonment, the shipwrecks, the revilings, the sufferings of my ministry for Christ. But my night hours of communion with God, my sense of the presence of Jesus Christ, even in the dungeon, my visions of God’s glory and of the face of Jesus, my love for all men, my deep joy in seeing men changed and recreated by Christ, my sweet fellowship with humble disciples of Jesus throughout the world, the tokens of gratitude and love which I have received from my converts, my willingness to forget and to forgive injuries, my freedom from fear for to-day, and fear for to-morrow, my hopes for the future, my expectation to receive at length a crown of glory which passeth not away — all this, O King Agrippa, O Bernice, O most excellent Festus, I would that you possessed, all, all, save these chains!'" — 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐄.𝐍. 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐲, 𝑃𝑎𝑢𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑀𝑎𝑛: 𝐻𝑖𝑠 𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒, 𝐻𝑖𝑠 𝑀𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐻𝑖𝑠 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑦 (1928), pp. 191-192 [pictured: Rembrandt, 𝑆𝑡. 𝑃𝑎𝑢𝑙 𝑖𝑛 𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑛 (1627)]

20/06/2024

A plethora of Presbyterian psalters and a hodgepodge of hymnals.

Receive our blog posts in your email by filling out the form at the bottom of this page . Have you visited our Compilations page lately? It is the home for many interesting works by denominations or groups of authors, but today we are highlighting the assembled psalters and hymnals which

19/06/2024

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐝𝐠𝐞 died on this day in history, 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟏𝟗, 𝟏𝟖𝟕𝟖. Mourned by many, both within and without the Presbyterian Church, the 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦, a Methodist journal, wrote this in tribute the great theologian: "Princeton has lost its greatest ornament, the Presbyterian Church its most precious gem, the American Church her greatest earth-born luminary."

A Congregational paper, the 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑡 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘, wrote in an editorial on June 27, 1878:

"It is not, however, as the erudite Professor, nor as the masterly reviewer, nor as the impressive pulpit orator, nor as the gifted author of commentaries and theologies, that the venerated Princetonian will be most remembered by former pupils. It was rather on those fondly memorable Sabbath afternoons when he used to unfold before the hearts of rapt listeners the meaning of Scripture passages. Oh, with what sweet evidences of love, born not of earth but of heaven; of unaffected grace burning in his heart and beaming, like the glory of Moses, from his countenance - that he appeared at his greatest and best."