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July 12: David Brainerd, Missionary

12 July, 2018 in July 2018 by archivist | No comments

Not Works But Christ’s Merits Alone
by Rev. David T. Myers

From day one of this historical devotional, we have recorded several experiences of David Brainerd, the Presbyterian evangelist to the Indians in the early part of the eighteenth century in America. What made this young man go so courageously to their villages  and witness to the sovereign and saving grace of God in Christ? The only answer, beyond his call to do just that, was his own experience of saving grace and a desire to spread that message of eternal life.

David Brainerd was born on  April 20, 1718 to a religious family. Yet while ministers were among his relatives, he didn’t receive or respect the true way of eternal life. He thought almost all of his young life that salvation was through a life of good works. And he did live such a life.  Prayer, fasting, personal duties to God and man, all were his to show to God.  When he still couldn’t get any real peace with God,  he went to a spirit of real antagonism with this God of the Bible.

As he tells in his diary, he was irritated with the strictness of the divine law against sin. Then the condition of salvation by faith alone bothered him.  Couldn’t there be another way, he thought?  Then, just how does one find saving faith? He didn’t know, nor could he find faith at all.  Last, the sovereignty of God was a troubling idea to him.

All of these questions were answered on this day July 12, 1739 when God’s convicting Spirit fell upon him powerfully  and saved his soul.  Listen to his words in his celebrated diary: “By this time the sun was scarce half an hour high, as I remember, as I was walking in a dark thick grove, ‘unspeakable glory’ seemed to open to the view and apprehension of my soul.  By the glory I saw I don’t mean any external brightness, for I saw no such thing, nor do I intend any imagination of a body of light or splendor somewhere away in the third heaven, or anything of that nature. But it was a new inward apprehension or view that I  had of God; such as I never had before, nor anything that I had the least remembrance of it.  I stood still and wondered and admired.”

Now David Brainerd was qualified to take the unsearchable riches of the gospel to the tribes of hostile Indians.  Commissioned by the Scottish Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge, he served his blessed Lord and Savior for three years until on October 9, 1747, he went to glory.  But his diary has remained in print and has effectively influenced countless people with missionary zeal to spend and be spent with the call of the Lord to reach the unsaved people of the world with Christ and Him crucified.

Words to Live By: It may be that some of you readers have never responded to the gospel call of the Spirit of God.  It may be that some of you are still trying to claim that your religious works will save your soul.  Learn from the experience of David Brainerd of old that all the testimony of Scripture is that eternal life is only by Christ alone, through faith alone, by grace alone.  Repent, and believe the blessed gospel.

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July 4: Charles Thompson [1729-1824]

4 July, 2018 in July 2018 by archivist | No comments

The Forgotten Founding Father – Even to Presbyterians
by Rev. David T Myers

Who hasn’t heard about our country founding fathers, like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Charles Thompson . . . wait a minute, who? Charles Thompson, who was he?

Answer? He was the forgotten founding father of America, even to Presbyterians. And yet he shouldn’t be, for after all, he was a Christian Presbyterian, a ruling elder in the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia.

Born in County Londonderry to John Thompson and his wife, Charles lost his mother in 1739 at age ten, as did all his four brothers and one sister. The father decided to take his family to the American colonies, despite the perilous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. And indeed, in sight of land, the father died after sickness. Before his breadth expired, his last words were “God take them up,” referring to his children. The captain of the ship coldly slid his body overboard, and took possession of all his money. The children were split up, with Charles being sent to a blacksmith in Delaware.

There are several silences at this point, but the one this author read and found convincing was that he left the blacksmith and was picked up by a woman who took him to her house and home. She in time reared him up and placed him in a school held at New London Presbyterian Church, Pennsylvania, pastored by the Rev. Francis Allison.

This church school was designed chiefly to prepare ministers for Presbyterian churches in the colonies. Its courses were Greek, Latin, English literature, Science, and Math. They hoped that many needed Presbyterian Pastors would graduate from the school, but few did. It did produce five future doctors of medicine, four members of the Continental Congress, four Signers of the Declaration of Independence, five members of the House of Representatives, four governors, and oh yes, one Secretary of the Continental Congress, Charles Thompson.

Charles Thompson, upon graduating, stayed on to teach at the New London School, which eventually became in later years the University of Delaware. After his teaching experience, he went into business, but national affairs brought him to his position as the Corresponding Secretary of the Continental Congress, where he was to stay from 1774 – 1789, During those pivotal years, 342 delegates dealt with national business, while their words were faithfully transcribed by one secretary, Charles Thompson.

On July 4th, 1776, the first copy of the Declaration of Independence was signed by John Hancock and recorded by Charles Thompson, Secretary. The rest of the signatures were affixed a week later. In addition, he was the designer of the Great Seal of America. And like all the signers, he was to suffer persecution by the British for being connected with that historic document of our nation. His house was burned.

After his political service in the thrilling days of independence, he retired to his house outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to translate the Septuagint into English, a loving labor which took him years to complete. Another biblical work was an arrangement of the four gospels into one continuing biblical story. Both books are still in print today.

Charles Thompson went to be with his Lord and Savior on August 16, 1824. At least to subscribers and readers of This Day in Presbyterian History, forgotten no more.

Words to Live By:
Charles Thompson deserves to be remembered by all Americans, especially American Presbyterians. Parents, share his life story with your family. Home school parents, make him part of your home training. Christian and public school instructors, include him in the history lessons of your pupils. Pastors and Sunday School teachers, let him be illustrations of the providence of God in serving the Lord in government. Let not the title of this post be the norm any longer!

July 1: Van Horn on WSC Q. 81

1 July, 2018 in July 2018 by archivist | No comments

STUDIES IN THE WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM
by Rev. Leonard T. Van Horn

Q. 81. What is forbidden in the tenth commandment?

A. The tenth commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with our own estate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbor, and all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his.

Scripture References: I Cor. 10:10. Gal. 5:26. Col. 3:5.

Questions:

1. How do we show lack of contentment with our own estate?

We show lack of contentment. with our own estate by not being pleased with the place and possessions the Lord has given us; by complaining against the Lord because of our state; by thinking we are due far more than the Lord has given us.

2. What is envy?

It is the desire to have the better circumstances of our neighbor or any of his superior privileges. It is the desire to have what God does not want us to have, whether it be in the physical, mental or material realm.

3. Why should we refrain from envy?

We should refrain from envy because it is a sin before God. It is a sin that has a great affect on us and is the foundation of many evil deeds. (James 3:16)

4. What is meant in this commandment by the term “inordinate motions and affections?”

These are the unlawful purposes, intentions and desires that arise in the heart. It is especially concerned here with these unlawful acts as they pertain to our neighbor.

5. Where are these “inordinate motions and affections” found in man?

These arise from the soul, these are the first stirrings of corruption which lead us on to the consent of the will.

6. What should this teach us as believers in Jesus Christ?

This should teach us that it is only by His grace we are saved and only by His grace that we are able to stand against the evil that rises from within us. We should ever be careful to keep ourselves in that relationship with Him that will lead us in the ways of righteousness.

BE DILIGENT IN MORTIFICATION

The believer is forbidden in this commandment to envy, to passionate desires of anything belonging to his neighbor. This is a high standard to keep and one that is difficult to keep. It is especially difficult when living in a world where the exact opposite is the standard of living. The believer must work at being different in this area.

The matter of wrong desires is made very clear by Paul in Colossians 3:5. He begins the verse by saying, “Mortify!” He is telling the believer that he must put to death – or make dead – these wrong desires that arise in regard to his neighbor or in regard to anything else. And here is where the believer falls short, he simply goes the way of slackness, he shows a lack of diligence. Possibly a clearer way of putting it is to say he is lazy, spiritually lazy.

There is no easy way to keep the commandments of God. Simply to say, “I am saved” and counting on that to enable you to work at pleasing Him will not be enough. It is so very strange that we do not see this. We know full well that in the life of the world we dare not be lazy if we want to have success, Whether it be in business, or in an athletic contest, or in being known as a good homemaker we know it takes hard work. Why then should we think that being a success in the eyes of the Lord will come without diligence? The hymn writer had learned the lesson when he wrote:

“Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize
And sailed through bloody seas?”

The commandments are not kept through a lack of diligence. The believer must be certain that he disciplines his life moment by moment or else he will find himself discontent with his own estate and will be turned to the way of envy and wrong desire concerning the things of his neighbor. The way is hard but it is possible as He is given the pre-eminence in our lives. We are so prone to sin in these areas unless we stay very close to the Word of God.

The SHIELD and SWORD, INC.
Dedicated to instruction in the Westminster Standards for use as a bulletin insert or other methods of distribution in Presbyterian churches.
Vol. 5 No. 10
Rev. Leonard T. Van Horn, Editor.

June 18: Covenant Presbytery Organized (1973)

18 June, 2018 in June 2018 by archivist | No comments

Covenant Presbytery begins in 1973

Covenant Presbytery was one of the original sixteen Presbyteries constituted upon the formation of the Presbyterian Church in America, and it is specifically numbered as the seventh PCA Presbytery.

From the Minutes of the organizational meeting of the Covenant Presbytery (PCA), we read that the meeting was held at the First Presbyterian church of Indianola, Mississippi, at 10 AM on June 18, 1973. The host pastor, the Rev. John W. Stodghill, preached a sermon on John 17:1-26, titled “One in Christ.” Following this, the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was observed, conducted by Rev. Stodghill and assisted by ruling elders of the host church.

It was a humble beginning, with only two teaching elders and seven ruling elders numbered as official participants. Another eleven ruling elders were present as observers from other area churches and an audience of some forty-seven church members also attended. The meeting proceeded with the Rev. Stodghill elected as moderator and the Rev. Robert L. Mabson, pastor of the Eastland Presbyterian church, Memphis, TN, was elected as Clerk.

At this first meeting, the new Presbytery was careful to adopt a resolution stating certain foundational principles and in particular resolving:

  1. That we, the undersigned, do covenant together to form an association to be known as Covenant Presbytery; and,
  2. That this association shall have as its purpose to perpetuate the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ as it is proclaimed in the Scriptures and declared in the Westminster Standards; and,
  3. That we, the undersigned, met in Indianola, Mississippi, at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, June 18, 1973.

An appended document defined the rights of particular churches, with noted attention to insuring the property rights of local congregations.

Also noted among the audience at that organizational meeting of the Covenant Presbytery were two seminary students, Mr. Tom Barnes, approved as temporary student supply for the Itta Bena and Morgan City churches and Mr. Edwin Elliott, approved as temporary student supply for the First Presbyterian church, Water Valley, MS and the Oak Ridge church, also of Water Valley, MS.

From those humble origins, the Covenant Presbytery has grown to now number fifty-three churches, making it one of the largest Presbyteries in the PCA. The Presbytery represents a total membership of nearly 9,000 communicant and non-communicant members.

Words to Live By: 

June 18: Blackleach Burritt

18 June, 2018 in June 2018 by archivist | No comments

A Most Pestiferous Rebel Priest and Preacher of Sedition
by Rev. David T Myers

What parents would give the first name of “Blackleach” to their son? The answer is that when it was the last name of the mother, namely, Elizabeth Blackleach, and her husband, Peleg Buritt, Jr., then it was considered as right and proper. Blackleach Buritt was born circa 1744, with no birth records of month and day found in Ripton Parish (now Huntington), Connecticut. His Buritt ancestors, of Covenanter and Huguenot faith, had sailed from Wales in 1640 and were among the first settlers of Stratford, Connecticut.

In 1751, Blackleach Buritt was made the heir of his grandfather’s large estate. With it, he furthered his education by enrolling at Yale University, and graduated in 1765. He married his first wife, who bore him twelve children. And one of them was given the name of Blackleach Buritt, Jr! Two children, after the death of his first wife, were born to his second wife, Deborah Wells, in 1788.

Theological education came from his pastor at Yale, the Rev. Jedidiah Mills in 1722, upon which he was licensed to preach by the Congregational Church on February 24, 1768. He must have changed his view of church government however, as a move to New York brought him ordination in the Presbyterian Church. Installed at Pound Ridge Presbyterian Church as pastor, he found himself in the midst of the events leading up to the American Revolution. It was not an easy pastorate as his people did not approve of his casting in his favor for independence. But like most Presbyterians, he became an active participant and partisan on the side of the colonists, earning the title of our post by the British as “a most pestiferous Rebel priest and preacher of sedition.” He even carried his rifle into the pulpit in case there was an immediately demand for his services from the Tories in the cause of American liberty.

It was on this day, June 18, 1779, that he was captured by British troops and imprisoned in the notorious Sugar House Prison, a virtual concentration camp in New York City, where he was to spend the next fourteen months. Allowed to preach to his fellow prisoners of war, he frequently opened up the Word of God to them on the Sabbath. However, due to the harshness of the captivity, Rev. Buritt was sick almost to death during that captivity. It is interesting that William Irving, father of Washington Irving, kindly ministered to him during these times.

After his release and the subsequent victory by the Americans, he returned to various Presbyterian churches, continuing to preach to the people of God. He had been influenced by the evangelical side of the Great Awakening, having heard George Whitefield preach in the colonies. Jonathan Edward’s books further aided his understanding of the Reformed faith. It was said that often, in the many Presbyterian churches in which he was called, one of his members would hand him a text as he walked to the pulpit. He would preach on that text for the sermon that day.

Whether from the effects of his incarceration, or simply from the rigors of church life, he died of a prevailing fever on August 27, 1794.

Words to Live By: It is somewhat easy to be committed to the Lord when all is going right. But let hardship, such as our character today suffered, then it can be very difficult. Let us resolve that in good times or bad, we will be wholly committed to the Lord and live for Christ. Let us take advantage of every opportunity to redeem the time for Christ’s cause, whether in the pulpit or in the pew.

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