The papers consist of a selection of David Smith's personal papers and a library of his autograph sermons dating from 1796 to 1859. The personal papers are autograph manuscripts including ten volumes of his journals, his school notes, speeches, and keys to the abbreviations he used in his writings. Also present is Smith's manuscript song book containing compositions on themes such as Bunker Hill and the death of General James Wolfe, an autograph sermon by Rev. Alexander Gillet (1749-1826), and an autograph "Articles of Faith" by Rev. Humphrey Mount Perrine (1785-1849). Smith's sermons comprise the bulk of the papers, and are arranged by numbers that he assigned, falling roughly in chronological order. Sermon themes, series, and titles are described at the folder level in the finding aid; topics include salvation, thanksgiving, singing, church discipline, sacraments, and the death of George Washington.