Gardiner Spring (1785–1873) spent his sixty-three years of pastoral ministry at the Brick Presbyterian Church in New York City. Best known for his works, The Distinguishing Traits of Christian Character and The Power of the Pulpit, he came to the ministry after training at Yale, pursuing a law degree, and immersing himself in theological studies at Andover.

He was never content to preach only from the platform. In 1861, as the country was dividing, Spring penned the resolutions committing the Old School Presbyterian Church to the Union and the Lincoln administration, a decisive act that divided the denomination itself. Firm in doctrine and tender in spirit, he pointed anxious souls to the same refuge that held him: “Calvary is my hiding place.” His books endure as doctrinally sound, soul-searching helps for the Christian life.