JUNKIN, Rev. George

JUNKIN, COCHRAN, STUART, MCMILLAN, RAMSEY, GALLOWAY, MASON, MILLER, KIRKPATRICK, YEOMANS, BREED, KNOX, CHAMBERS, CATTELL, CLARKE

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 1/27/2007 at 21:29:13

"Fairfield Ledger", June 18, 1868

From the Presbyterian, May 30th.
DEATH OF REV. GEORGE JUNKIN, D. D.
On the afternoon of the 20th inst., the Rev. George JUNKIN, D. D., L. L. D., departed this life, in the seventy-eighth year of his age.

This announcement will fill numerous hearts, in many parts of this land and of the world, with sadness; for the deceased was widely known and greatly venerated and beloved; and the fruits of his labors, as a minister, an author, and an educator, are spread far and wide over this country, and in the missionary fields in distant lands. Dr. JUNKIN was born November 1st, 1790, in a stone dwelling, which is still standing, in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, near to the present town of Kingston.--- His father, Joseph JUNKIN, was born near the same place in 1750, and his mother, Eleanor COCHRAN, in Franklin county, on the banks of the Antietam, in 1760.--- both branches of Dr. JUNKIN’s ancestry were adherents of the section of Scottish Church usually called covenanters--- the staunchest branch of the great Puritan family. His great-grandparents migrated from Scotland to Ireland during the persecutions under the house of Stuart, and his grandfather came to America about 1737.

Dr. JUNKIN’s childhood and early youth were passed upon his native farm in Cumberland. In 1806 the family removed to Mercer county, Pa., then almost a frontier --- fragments of the Leni Lenappe Indians still lingering in the district. He entered Jefferson College, Pa., in 1809, and graduated in 1813. During his college course he attended chiefly upon the ministry of the Rev. Dr. John McMILLAN, the apostle of West Pennsylvania, and sometimes upon that of Rev. Dr. RAMSEY, of the Associate Church. In an autobiography begun but not completed, Dr. JUNKIN dates his first religious convictions, and he thinks also a renewal of his heart, as early as 1799, in his tenth year. From that time his conscience, as trained at the family altar, and under parental and especially maternal teachings, controlled his life.--- Thenceforward he maintained regular habits of secret devotion. Under Dr. McMILLAN’s preaching, his religious impressions were often quickened; but he mentions the ministrations of his pastor at Mercer, Pa., the Rev. James GALLOWAY, (subsequently his brother-in-law,) as the instrumentality employed by the spirit of God in giving him such clear and satisfactory views of the plan of salvation, and of his personal acceptance in Christ, as led to a public profession of religion in 1811, during his College course. In October, 1813, he entered the Theological Seminary of Dr. MASON, in New York, and pursued his studies under that prince of American preachers and teachers.--- He was licensed to preach the gospel by the Presbytery of Monongahela, (Associate Reform Church,) on the 16th of September, 1816. The Presbytery at first refused to license him on account of his views upon catholic communion of God’s people; but upon his asking to be dismissed to another Presbytery, they rescinded their refusal, and gave him license to preach. His first ministration was in the Court-house of Butler, Pa. After missionating for some time in different parts of Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland, he spent six or eight months in missionary labor in Philadelphia, and was ordained to the full work of the ministry at Gettysburg, Pa., on the 29th of June, 1818. He was called the same year to the united congregations of Milton and Pennell, (McEwenville,) Pa. On the 1st of June, 1819, he was united in marriage to Miss Julia Rush MILLER, of Philadelphia, with whom he lived a life of the most tender and perfect harmony for thirty-five years. His ministry at Milton continued about eleven years --- years marked by abundant labours, the influence of which is recognized and confessed to this day. To his pastoral labors he added for a time those of editor of a religious and agricultural bi-monthly. He was also, in a sense, the founder of the Milton Academy, which, under the Principalship of Dr. KIRKPATRICK, educated so many men who have attained to eminence and usefulness.

In 1830 Dr. JUNKIN was called to the position of Principal of the Pennsylvania Manual Labor Academy at Germantown, Philadelphia county, where he toiled assiduously, and sacrificed much in the cause of education. In April, 1832, he accepted the call to the Presidency of Lafayette College. Many a column would be needed to tell the full story of the arduous labors and self-denying efforts exerted in behalf of the College by Dr. JUNKIN, who spent time, and strength, and money in organizing its operations of labor and teaching, besides traveling to solicit funds in its behalf.

It was at this time, from 1832 to 1837, that Dr. JUNKIN took such a prominent part in the ecclesiastical contest that resulted in the disruption of the Presbyterian Church, and its division into Old and New-school, he taking the side of the former, and knowing no half-way measures in dealing with the party from whom he differed. At this time he wrote his work on Justification, which was printed by students on the Lafayette College press.

In 1841 Dr. JUNKIN accepted the Presidency of Miami University, Ohio, but returned in 1844 to resume the Presidency of Lafayette, Dr. YEOMANS having resigned, which position he again left in 1848, when he became President of Washington College, Virginia. Here he remained nearly thirteen years, until secession compelled him to leave Lexington, and abandon the chosen home of his advancing years. His patriotic resistance to the rebellion is well known to the most of our readers; his farewell words to the students were, ”I will never hear a recitation, or deliver a lecture, under a rebel flag.” In 1844 he was the Moderator of the General Assembly in Louisville. In April, 1866, he received the honorary appointment of Emeritus Professor of Political Philosophy in Lafayette College. He also wrote numerous books of a practical character.

The last seven years of Dr. JUNKIN’s life were busily spent in frequent preaching, and in public efforts in behalf of temperance, and in opposition to legalizing Sabbath desecration. His voice will no longer be heard in forcible appeals for reform.

The funeral of Dr. JUNKIN was attended from his son’s residence in Philadelphia. Addresses were made by the Rev. Dr. BREED, Rev. Dr. KNOX of Germantown, and Rev. John CHAMBERS. Dr. BREED very truly remarked that--- “The mind of Dr. JUNKIN well harmonized with the material home in which it lodged---massive, compact, and strong.--- To say that Dr. JUNKIN was a man of talents --- of talents of a very high order and commanding power --- is to say the truth; but only a part of the truth. He was a man of genius --- with all the force, fire, and originality of true genius. That mind spread over a surface of amazing breadth, and penetrated also to an amazing depth. It has not been our lot to come into intimate contact with another man who had possessed himself of, and thoroughly thought out and mastered so many of the leading topics of educational, mental, and moral science, of social and political economy, and of theology. These topics, thoroughly sifted and striped [sic] of irrelevant surroundings, were laid away as specimens in a musium [sic] upon the shelves of a capacious and wonderfully faithful memory, and there always with reach of a wonderfully ready recollection, to be summoned forth at will for use, whether in conversation, debate, or literary composition.”

A large number of clergymen, members of the Board of Trustees of Lafayette College, and other sympathizing friends, were in attendance, notwithstanding the inclemency of the day. Besides the brethren already mentioned, Rev. Dr. CATTELL, President of Lafayette College, and the Rev. Dr. James CLARKE, a former co-presbyter of Dr. JUNKIN, took part in the interesting and impressive services.--- Thus closes the earthly career of one who has been long known and much beloved in our Church and country. He literally fell with his harness on. He performed public duty almost to the last. He was taken ill on Monday morning, and died on Wednesday. That afternoon the place of worship in the widow’s home, of which he was chaplain, was prepared for the accustomed service, but he came not.--- “He never disappointed us before,” said a poor old widow who came to his funeral. But he was dying at the time. His last official duty was to preach in the Magdalen Asylum less than a week before his end. Thus has departed one of the ablest leaders of the Presbyterian Church.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.