Albert Barnes was born on December 1, 1798, in Rome, New York. He was raised Methodist and intended to study law, but while at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, he decided to enter the Presbyterian ministry. After graduating from Hamilton College in 1820, and from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1823, Albert became the pastor of a Presbyterian church in Morristown, New Jersey. The majority of Albert’s career was spent in pastoral work and in writing many books on the Bible. Albert Barnes died of natural causes on December 24, 1870, in West Philadelphia.