Fairbairn, Patrick, Dd

Fairbairn, Patrick, D.D.

a Scotch Presbyterian minister, was born at Halyburton, Berwickshire, Scotland, January 28, 1805. He was educated in the school at Greenlaw, and sent to College at Edinburgh; licensed to preach in 1826; in 1830 went to the Orkney Islands with a family who had large possessions there, and was shortly after ordained pastor of the island parish of North Ronaldshay, where he labored six years. While there he translated Steiger on 1 Peter, for Clark's Theological Library, and began the study of typology. In 1837 he removed to Glasgow, where for three years he was pastor of one of the churches erected in connection with the church-building scheme of Dr. Chalmers; in 1840 he was installed pastor of the parish of Salton, East Lothian, where he was when the disruption of the Scottish Church occurred, and he continued in the Free Church there until 1852, when he was appointed first assistant professor, and shortly after professor of divinity in the Free Church College at Aberdeen. In 1856 he was transferred to Glasgow, being the first professor appointed to the Free Church Theological College, and the next year was elected principal of the same. In 1867 he was appointed a delegate from the Free Church of Scotland to visit the churches in America. He died suddenly at Glasgow, August 6, 1874. Dr. Fairbairn's literary productions were numerous. Besides editing the Imperial Bible Dictionary (2 volumes, 8vo), the following may be noted: An Exposition of the First Epistle of St. Peter (1836, 2 vols. 12mo): — Typology of Scripture (Edinb. 1845-47, 2 volumes, 8vo; Phila. 1853, 8vo): — Commentary on the Psalms, translated from Hengstenberg (1845-48, 3 volumes, 8vo): — Jonah; His Life, Character, and Mission (1849, 12mo): — Ezekiel and the Book of his Prophecy (1851, 8vo): — The Revelation of St. John, translated from Hengstenberg (Edinb. 1851, 3 volumes, 8vo): — Prophecy, etc. (1856, 8vo): — Hermeneutical Manual (1858, 8vo): — Pastoral Epistles (1874): — Pastoral Theology (posthumous, 1875): — Law in Scripture (1868). See Fasti Eccles. Scoticanae, 1:366; 2:44; 3:411. (W.P.S.)