Archibald Alexander (1772-1851) was a godly and gifted man whom the Lord raised up to lay the foundation of Princeton Theological Seminary in 1812. Years later, toward the end of his fruitful life, he was asked to produce a volume of sermons that could be read within the Christian family that would set forth the basics of the Evangelical Faith, After wrestling with this proposition for some time, and having sought to fulfill the publishers wishes, he finally decided to gather together sermons he had preached over his ministry and place them in the simplest terms possible.