22 June 1878 AD. Princeton hushed for funeral of Mr. (Rev. Dr.
Prof.) Charles Hodge, the leading 19th century theologian. Every store and shop suspended all business
in Princeton for the day.
Dr. Rusten tells the story. Rusten, E. Michael and Rusten,
Sharon. The One Year Christian History.
Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2003. Available at: http://www.amazon.com/The-Year-Christian-History-Books/dp/0842355073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393302630&sr=8-1&keywords=rusten+church+history
Charles Hodge was born in Philadelphia to an Army
Surgeon in 1797. The father died in
Hodge’s youth. His mother reared him on
the Westminster Shorter Catechism.
While at Princeton College in the winter of
1814-15, he confessed, confirmed and affirmed his faith. After graduating from the College, he crossed
the street and attended Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS). He received his degree in 1819, became an
instructor in Biblical languages in 1820, and remained at PTS the rest of his
life.
58 years later, 22 June 1878, was the day of the funeral. PTS’s giant had fallen and rested in Jesus.
3000 students had passed through his courses. 1000s had heard Prof. Hodge’s sermons. And 10s of 1000s read his writings.
In 1971, my own father—a wise and godly man—handed
me Prof. Hodge’s 3-volume Systematic
Theology and said, “Son, read 10 pages/day and 10 chapters of the OT and 10
chapters of the NT per day. Do this and
you’ll learn much.” What did I
know? I’d never read a systematic in
1971. But, I took Dad’s counsel and did
that. One book led to another and
another and another. By the time of
REC’s Laud Leo’s lectures in systematics (or really, his literally robotic
reading, nearwise literally, of Berkhof), I was attending, listening, but
was—ahem—a bit beyond Mr. Riches or at least where he was. How could that be? Well, it was. He’s now a TFO (Tracto-friendly
operative) while we remained Reformed, but we digress.
Prof. Hodge wrote over 5000 pages for the Biblical Repertoire, later called The Princeton Review, a publication that
Prof. Hodge started. The 3-volume ST
is still a standard.
But, perhaps his greatest legacy was the 3000 students
and, through them, the 1000s affected by them—church leaders, pastors,
congregations, missionaries, college professors and other faculty members.
A tradition emerged at PTS c. 1868 and continued
each year till the Prof.’s death. Out front, after the benediction, the
graduating class would encircle the Godly Professor. The would sing several verses of “All Hail
the Power of Jesus Name.” After that,
they would tighten the circle, arm around their fellow graduate, still
encircling the Professor, and sing “Blessed Be the Tie that Binds” followed by
the “Doxology.” The Professor would
offer another closing prayer. This much, the beloved Professor was a titan and
hero to younger Churchmen.
One former student gave the funeral address said,
“When due allowance is made for his
intellect and learning…his chief power was his goodness. Christ enshrined in his heart was the center
of his theology and life. The world
would write upon his monument GREAT; but we, his students, will write it GOOD.”
Every shop and business closed operations on that
day. The funeral procession of the great
Princetonian moved slowly down Witherspoon St.
His sons laid him in a grave next to the wife of
his youth. They read what their father
said at the mother’s funeral. Charles Hodge
said when he buried his wife, “We lay you gently here, our best beloved, to
gather strength and beauty for the coming of the Lord.”
Appropriate for the wife and mother and repeated
for the father…but also, appropriate for the Great General and Field Marshall
in Israel.
Lest we forget.
Sources
Calhoun. Princeton
Seminary. 2: 47-62.
Shelly, Bruce. “Hodge, Charles (1797-1878).” NIDCC.
473-4.
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