John Ker
John Ker (1819–1886) was a Scottish preacher and minister whose thoughtful sermons and writings enriched the United Presbyterian Church during the 19th century. Born on April 7, 1819, in the farmhouse of Bield, Tweedsmuir, Peeblesshire, to parents who later moved to Fillyside and Abbeyhill near Edinburgh, he was deeply influenced as a child by the preaching of John Brown of Haddington. Educated at Edinburgh High School and the University of Edinburgh, where he excelled in philosophy classes under Sir William Hamilton, Ker entered the divinity hall of the United Secession Church in 1838. Ordained in 1851, he became pastor of East Campbell Street Church in Glasgow, serving there until 1876, when he was appointed professor of practical training at the United Presbyterian Theological Hall, a role he held until his death. He never married, focusing instead on his ministerial and scholarly pursuits. Ker’s preaching ministry was characterized by intellectual depth and pastoral sensitivity, earning him respect among peers and congregants despite chronic health issues that limited his physical stamina. His sermons, often reflective and steeped in Scripture, were complemented by his contributions to the United Presbyterian Magazine, including articles later published as The Psalms in History and Biography (1886). After his death on October 4, 1886, posthumous works like Lectures on the History of Preaching (1888) and a volume of his letters (1890) revealed his broad interests in theology, Scottish identity, and pastoral care. Ker died in Glasgow, leaving a legacy as a preacher and educator whose quiet dedication and erudition strengthened the United Presbyterian tradition, though his influence remained largely within ecclesiastical circles rather than achieving broader public renown.
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Sermon Summary
John Ker preaches about seeking deliverance from doubt by engaging in calm, reverential inquiry into God's nature and His Word, through humble prayer to the Father of lights, by holding onto the nearest truth and acting upon it, by striving to be genuine and true, and by constantly returning to the core truths of God's character as just, loving, and merciful. He emphasizes that for the upright, light arises in darkness, and encourages a focus on the assured hope of God's ultimate justice and mercy.
Deliverance
"Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness..." (Ps. 112:4). How shall we seek deliverance [from doubt]? By calm, reverential inquiry in the depths of the nature God has given us, and of that Word which professes to be the revelation of it and of Him--by humble, hopeful prayer to the Father of lights, whose will cannot be that any soul He has made should walk in darkness; by holding to the nearest, clearest truth, whatever it may be, and acting upon it, assured that every truth leads up; by an effort to be true ourselves and thoroughly genuine,--"Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness;" and if we think we have found great truths, but are troubled with difficulties on the edges, then by a constant recurrence to the center and soul of things, where we feel we can repose,--the great assured character of God as a God of justice, love, and mercy, who will bring all right, and enable the soul to realise that prophecy which shall yet come to the world, "But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams."
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John Ker (1819–1886) was a Scottish preacher and minister whose thoughtful sermons and writings enriched the United Presbyterian Church during the 19th century. Born on April 7, 1819, in the farmhouse of Bield, Tweedsmuir, Peeblesshire, to parents who later moved to Fillyside and Abbeyhill near Edinburgh, he was deeply influenced as a child by the preaching of John Brown of Haddington. Educated at Edinburgh High School and the University of Edinburgh, where he excelled in philosophy classes under Sir William Hamilton, Ker entered the divinity hall of the United Secession Church in 1838. Ordained in 1851, he became pastor of East Campbell Street Church in Glasgow, serving there until 1876, when he was appointed professor of practical training at the United Presbyterian Theological Hall, a role he held until his death. He never married, focusing instead on his ministerial and scholarly pursuits. Ker’s preaching ministry was characterized by intellectual depth and pastoral sensitivity, earning him respect among peers and congregants despite chronic health issues that limited his physical stamina. His sermons, often reflective and steeped in Scripture, were complemented by his contributions to the United Presbyterian Magazine, including articles later published as The Psalms in History and Biography (1886). After his death on October 4, 1886, posthumous works like Lectures on the History of Preaching (1888) and a volume of his letters (1890) revealed his broad interests in theology, Scottish identity, and pastoral care. Ker died in Glasgow, leaving a legacy as a preacher and educator whose quiet dedication and erudition strengthened the United Presbyterian tradition, though his influence remained largely within ecclesiastical circles rather than achieving broader public renown.