A Biblical Foundation

Called by some the “father of modern psychiatry,” Dr. Benjamin Rush was born near Philadelphia in 1746. He was trained in medicine at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, became a professor upon returning to America, and published the colony’s first textbook on chemistry.

A signer of the Declaration of Independence, he achieved widespread respect, though his influence was hampered for a time by a split with George Washington after Rush resigned from the Continental Army. Yet Rush gained the trust of many leaders and was appointed by President John Adams as treasurer of the U.S. Mint.

Rush frequently spoke about his Christian faith. An enthusiastic student of the Bible, Rush lobbied tirelessly for Biblical values. In 1788, he wrote, “I never read a chapter in the Bible without seeing something in it I never saw before.” Some opposed Biblical Christianity, but he stressed to President Adams that the Bible “is the only correct map of the human heart that ever has been published.” Christianity must be “the only foundation” for a country: “Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty.”

Rush never apologized for his faith: “My only hope of salvation is in the infinite, transcendent love of God manifested to the world by the death of His Son upon the Cross. Nothing but His blood will wash away my sins.”

Today, we are in a cultural and spiritual war. Many try to silence Christians and eliminate Christianity from society. Benjamin Rush would remind us that our only hope as Believers is a commitment to God’s Word and a bold stand for Christ and Christian principles.

Don’t be silent or compromise your convictions. Stand on God’s Word. Live according to His principles, and be passionate about sharing your faith.