[A Scottish Reformed Glasgowian Presbyterian Divine & President of Edinburgh]

Robert Smith Candlish (1806–1873), born in the ancient city of Edinburgh on the 23rd of March, 1806, was early deprived of his father, yet was nurtured by a godly mother, whose care in his instruction prepared him for a life of sacred service. Pursuing the studies of divinity at the University of Glasgow, he distinguished himself in learning and piety, laboring diligently that he might be found a workman approved unto God. Having first exercised his ministry in the churches of Glasgow and Bonhill, Mr. Candlish was, by the providence of God, settled in St George’s Church, Edinburgh, where his fervor of spirit, acuteness of intellect, and fidelity to the Word soon gathered a great congregation hungering after righteousness. Ever zealous for the purity and independence of Christ’s Church, he stood in the forefront of the conflict which rent the Kirk of Scotland in the memorable Disruption of 1843, esteeming the spiritual liberty of the flock above temporal gain. His counsel and labors, second only to Dr. Chalmers, proved vital to the constitution of the Free Church, whose principles of scriptural government and congregational choice he stoutly defended. Dr. Candlish, adorned with the degree of Doctor of Divinity and later Principal of New College, was eminent for his expositions of Holy Scripture and his learned treatises, notably The Fatherhood of God and his commentaries upon Genesis and Ephesians. As Moderator of the Free Church Assembly and convener of its education schemes, he ever sought the propagation of truth and godliness. His life was one of diligent service, his theology rooted in the Reformed faith, and his speech seasoned with grace and conviction. Having finished his course, Dr. Candlish entered into rest in the year of our Lord 1873, leaving a legacy of earnest preaching, steadfast doctrine, and unwavering devotion to Christ’s cause in Scotland.

Robert Smith Candlish (1806–1873), born in the ancient city of Edinburgh on the 23rd of March, 1806, was early deprived of his father, yet was nurtured by a godly mother, whose care in his instruction prepared him for a life of sacred service. Pursuing the studies of divinity at the University of Glasgow, he distinguished himself in learning and piety, laboring diligently that he might be found a workman approved unto God. Having first exercised his ministry in the churches of Glasgow and Bonhill, Mr. Candlish was, by the providence of God, settled in St George’s Church, Edinburgh, where his fervor of spirit, acuteness of intellect, and fidelity to the Word soon gathered a great congregation hungering after righteousness. Ever zealous for the purity and independence of Christ’s Church, he stood in the forefront of the conflict which rent the Kirk of Scotland in the memorable Disruption of 1843, esteeming the spiritual liberty of the flock above temporal gain. His counsel and labors, second only to Dr. Chalmers, proved vital to the constitution of the Free Church, whose principles of scriptural government and congregational choice he stoutly defended. Dr. Candlish, adorned with the degree of Doctor of Divinity and later Principal of New College, was eminent for his expositions of Holy Scripture and his learned treatises, notably The Fatherhood of God and his commentaries upon Genesis and Ephesians. As Moderator of the Free Church Assembly and convener of its education schemes, he ever sought the propagation of truth and godliness. His life was one of diligent service, his theology rooted in the Reformed faith, and his speech seasoned with grace and conviction. Having finished his course, Dr. Candlish entered into rest in the year of our Lord 1873, leaving a legacy of earnest preaching, steadfast doctrine, and unwavering devotion to Christ’s cause in Scotland.

HIS WORKS:

Exegetical Works:

The Book of Genesis: Expounded in a Series of Discourses; 2 Vols; (Edinburgh: A. and C. Black, 1868)