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

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

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!

A reminder from John H. Agnew about the importance and blessing of family worship

(Receive our blog posts in your email by clicking here. If the author links in this post are broken, please visit our Free PDF Library and click on the author’s page directly.)

In times when many churches are closed, the temptation exists to neglect other duties of worship beyond corporate, such as family and private worship. John Holmes Agnew’s words about the blessings of family worship on the Lord’s Day serve as a good reminder that we ought not to neglect family worship on the Christian Sabbath, especially when families themselves may not be able to assemble in public.

In his 1842 volume A Manual on the Christian Sabbath, he paints a picture evocative of The Cotters’ Saturday Night, which highlights just how important and how special family worship is - especially on the first day of the week.

The Sabbath is the poor man's friend. It scatters joy and gladness over his path. To him it is the bursting of a bubbling fountain in the scorching desert—the green spot on earth's wilderness where his eye rests with pleasure, the rising of a star like that of Bethlehem, to point him to the place of peace!

On other days he may be cheerless, and perhaps alone; but on this, his eye sparkles with delight while he gazes on the little family circle, and his heart glows with new pleasure as he looks around upon the children whom God hath given him, and enjoys a day's communion with the wife of his bosom (p. 119).

The Cotter's Saturday Night 1850s William Kidd.jpg

He continues his sketch of family worship on the Sabbath day as it ought to be for all:

But leaving the pulpit, go into the domestic sanctuary, and witness there a scene which has sent gladness into many a heart, and has done more for the morality of this nation, than all her public schools, or legal enactments. See the father of a family, the paternal shepherd, gathering his little flock around him, making them to lie down in green pastures, and beside the still waters. See him in the midst of those whom his heart loves, open the sacred pages, and call their attention to the story of Joseph, and the goodness of Joseph's God — then point them to the babe of Bethlehem, the man of sorrows, the persecuted and dying, yet meek, submissive and benevolent Jesus ; and while he tells them that their sins were the nails and the spear, which fastened him to the cross, and opened the veins of his body; that he left heaven to die thus for them, you may see one and another catching his words with listening ear, and weeping tears of sympathy. Yes; and you may follow them out into the shadows and realities of life, and you will find that an impression has been made by the familiar instruction of the fireside, which has restrained them from the haunts of wickedness, and probably led them into the church of God (p. 126).

Agnew’s Manual is a wonderful book to read on the Lord’s Day, and his reminder about the value of family worship is very timely. Take time to peruse this delightful work, and to profit from his words of wisdom.