Princeton and the Work of the Christian Ministry is a two volume set that is published by the Banner of Truth. This was originally published by Banner in 2012, and it was reprinted in 2020.
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Princeton and the Work of the Christian Ministry
This is an incredible collection of writings that I fear few people have paid attention to.
Princeton Theological Seminary was, in its beginnings, “famous for biblical and theological orthodoxy and scholarship.” This was the place for the training of ministers. As the inside cover mentions in both volumes, “Established in 1812 by the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, Princeton Theological Seminary was founded as a ‘nursery of vital piety as well as of sound theological learning…to train up persons for ministry who shall be lovers as well as defenders of the truth as it is in Jesus, friends of revivals of religion, and a blessing to the church of God.” These two volumes, “providing a cross section of sermons, articles, and essays…brings together, for the first time in a single collection, a number valuable out-of-print pieces which highlight the doctrinal convictions that informed and shaped the seminary’s training of men in preparation for Christian ministry and mission.”
Before diving into the excellent content of these volumes, I want to briefly mention the beautiful aesthetics of these two volumes. Banner of Truth never disappoints in the quality of their books. Both of these books are clothbound hardcover books with gold lettering on the spine of the book. The inside of the cover contains a nice picture of Alexander Hall in the 19th century, and I believe the picture in the very back of the book is a recent photograph of the same. The dust jacket has a beautiful picture of Alexander Hall on it as well. Volume one has 746 pages, and volume two contains 602 pages.
Volume One
There is first a foreword by Dr. David Calhoun who was the professor emeritus at Covenant Theological Seminary (he actually entered into glory just a few days ago). Dr. Calhoun wrote his dissertation on Princeton Seminary and missions. Following the foreword is a preface and introduction by James Garretson who selected the writings in these volumes. Following that is the discourse by W.B. Sprague and a brief history of PTS by Samuel Miller. We then come to the inaugural addresses at the opening of PTS. This includes the sermon by Samuel Miller and a discourse by Archibald Alexander (are you beginning to see why you should get these volumes?). The majority of volume one is then the sermons, discourses, and writings of Archibald Alexander and Samuel Miller. Just read one sermon in this volume, and you will be moved to action! Alexander’s sermon titled “A Missionary Sermon” will stir your heart up to get out your seat in order to go preach the Gospel elsewhere. The best part is that he spends the bulk of the time preaching Christ! But he presents Christ as so glorious that you’ll want all others in this world to bow down to Him!
Volume Two
Volume two consists of Ashbel Green and Gardiner Spring’s addresses to their students. It also includes the writings, sermons, addresses, and discourses of the following Princetonians: J.W. Alexander, William Plumer, Charles Hodge, Nicholas Murray, Alexander M’Gill, William Paxton, A.A. Hodge, B.B. Warfield, J. Gresham Machen, Geerhardus Vos, Maitland Alexander, and Caspar Wistar Hodge. So let’s be honest: a volume that has writings from Charles Hodge, A.A. Hodge, Plumber, Machen, and Vos is already worth the price of the whole set. But you’re getting so much more than just those guys. This is a gold mine of Presbyterian writings! Keep in mind that most of these are unpublished. Apart from these volumes, I don’t know where to find this material. And I can tell you this: I want this material on my shelves! It’s excellent. It’s soul-stirring. It will lead you to worship. It will encourage you. It will challenge you. It will prepare you and equip you. It is a great blessing to the church. For this reason, I must say that I cannot recommend these volumes highly enough. Please, tolle lege, take up and read!
Disclaimer: My thanks to Banner of Truth for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Matt became a joyful follower of Jesus at the age of 21. He is very grateful to be a husband to Lindsey, and a father to four boys. He is an ordained minister (teaching elder) in the PCA. He previously served as a pastor of biblical counseling and is currently a corporate chaplain in southern Delaware. Matt received his Master of Divinity degree in Biblical Counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and holds an advanced certification in biblical counseling from the Association of Biblical Counselors. In his free time, he loves playing with his boys, traveling with his wife, and reading (and buying!) books.
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