Thoughts on Religious Experience

by Archibald Alexander

Overview

Archibald Alexander (April 17, 1772 – October 22, 1851) was an American Presbyterian theologian and professor at the Princeton Theological Seminary. He served for 9 years as the President of Hampden–Sydney College in Virginia and for 39 years as Princeton Theological Seminary's first professor from 1812 to 1851.

Archibald Alexander was born at South River, Rockbridge County, Virginia. He was raised under the tuition and ministry of Presbyterian minister William Graham (1745–1799), a man who had been trained in theology by John Witherspoon.

His grandfather, of Scottish descent, came from Ireland to Pennsylvania in 1736, and after a residence of two years removed to Virginia. William, father of Archibald, was a farmer and trader. His nephew was the American novelist William Alexander Caruthers (1802–1846).

On October 1, 1791, he was licensed to preach, ordained by the presbytery of Hanover on June 9, 1794, and for seven years was an itinerant pastor in Charlotte and Prince Edward counties.

By the time he was 21, Alexander was a preacher of the Presbyterian Church. He was appointed the president of Hampden–Sydney College, where he served from 1797 to 1806 and from there he was called to the Third Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia.

The Princeton Theological Seminary was established at Princeton, New Jersey in 1812 and Alexander was appointed its first professor, inaugurated on August 12, 1812. In 1824, he helped to found the Chi Phi Society along with Robert Baird and Charles Hodge. In 1843, he returned to Washington College to deliver an alumni address, which was one of his many publications.

Samuel Miller became the second professor at the seminary and for 37 years Alexander and Miller were considered together as pillars of the Presbyterian Church in maintaining its doctrines. Charles Hodge, a famous student and successor of Alexander, named his son Archibald Alexander Hodge after his mentor. (wikipedia.org)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781644391280
Publisher:	Indoeuropeanpublishing.com
Publication date:	02/10/2019
Pages:	180
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

A lively Christian faith is the result of a heart and mind saturated in Scripture. Through God's gracious revelation of himself to his people, the church learns more of God's mercy, grace and justice. The Christian has no reason for a cold, lifeless faith. However, religious experiences need not be equated with ecstatic frenzy. Reformed Christians are often charged with holding doctrine that results in a languorous life. Charismatics, on the other hand, are said to possess little doctrine yet have an authentic and experiential faith. Is the Christian faith a choice between truth and experience? Archibald Alexander brings the reasoned mind of a gifted pastor-scholar to the issue of Christian experience. He addresses some of the more complex components of the Christian life, such as the experiences of young children in the faith. Is the faith of a child to be judged on different grounds than the faith of an adult? This perennial question turns Alexander's mind to the general evidence of regeneration in all believers. Alexander naturally turns to spiritual warfare and backsliding, the peaks and valleys that every Christian will inevitably face. And with a pastoral pen, he finally addresses the experience of the death of a Christian and the proper understanding of death as release from the enemy.

Archibald Alexander (1772-1851) is primarily known as being the first professor of Princeton Theological Seminary beginning in 1812. He served t here for forty years. Alexander began preaching in 1791 in his home state of Virginia. He later became pastor of Pine Street Church in Philadelphia in 1807. He also served briefly as president of Hampton-Sydney College in Virginia and Union College in Georgia.

Table of Contents

Foreword Joseph C. Harrod vii

Introduction 1

Preface to the Original Edition 11

1 Religious Impressions 15

2 Piety in Youth 23

3 The New Birth 35

4 Diversity in Experience 47

5 The Effect of Sympathy Illustrated 65

6 Erroneous Views of Regeneration 73

7 Considerations of Dreams and Visions 93

8 Religious Conversation 109

9 Christian Experience of R.C. 121

10 Imperfect Sanctification 141

11 Narrative of G.A.S., an Episcopal Clergyman 151

12 The Spiritual Conflict 161

13 Growth in Grace 173

14 Backsliding 185

15 The Rich Man and the Poor 195

16 Death-bed of the Believer 205

17 Death-bed Exercises of Andrew Rivet 213

18 Death-bed Exercises and Speeches of Thomas Halyburton 229

19 Dying Experiences of John Janeway 239

20 Remarks on Death-bed Exercises 251

21 Deathbed Exercises of Mr. Baxter 261

22 Preparation for Death 273

Scripture Index 287