Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-08-28


WIN GRIER, u. d.
ed congregation of Due West, Abbeville
county, S. G. He continued, without any in.
terruption, to be the pastor Of this church up
to the time of his death.
It is not our purpose to write high-sound-
ing panegyric upon him whose public labors
we have briefly detailed but we must be per-
mitted to say that the Rev. R. G. Grier was
endowed, by nature, with some rare traits of
character. In his association with his fellow
men, he showed that he was, in the proper
sense of the word, a high-toned Christian gen.
tleman. He was difident, sometimes to a
fault, and yet was manifest that he was con-
scious of bis powers There are some men
who appear to be great, and yet when tested
they are found to be little-often, contempti-
bly, little. Other men appear to be insignif-
cant, but when trial is made Of their powers,
they are found to be intellectual giants. Of
the one class we expect something and are dis.
appointed of the other class We expect moth
ing and are astonished. r. G. Grier belonged
to neither of these classes. He appeared to
be great man, and such he was found to be
when the test of his powers was made.
AS preacher he was peculiar. His SER
mons were interesting and instructive. As
an evidence of this, giddy college boys were
accustomed to listen to his pulpit exercises
with breathless silence. Still, Mr.. Grier new.
er made any effort to enforce his sentiments
by an animated delivery. In fact, it might
be said that he altogether discarded what is
usually denominated oratory. The only diff
ference between R. G. Grier preaching, and
R. G. Grier hearing class in Moral Philoso.
ply, was the difference produced by change
of place. He preached, as he talked to boys
when explaining some principle in Mental or
Moral Philosophy. If there was any differ
ence, it was that his voice, when preaching,
was more elevated and louder than when lee
turing before his classes. Usually, his SER
mons were doctrinal !; but sometimes they
were intensely practical. On such occasions
the majority of his hearers we're made to feel
as David felt when Nathan came to him after
his sin with Bathsheba.
1t will be as president of Erskine College,
that the name of R. c. Grier will be handed
down to posterity. Only those who have
had some experience in educating young men
and boys, can form any adequate idea of the
onerous duties which devolve upon the presi-
dent ola college. 1t is only occasionally that
an individual can be found who can, with any
degree of success, manage the students in a
large and fourishing academy. To manage
boys in college, is far more difficult; for
every one who has succeeded, ten have failed.
AS the president of Erskine College, R. @.
Grier certainly succeeded. He possessed, in
an eminent degree, the principal elements for
such position. He was master Of those
branches which he taught, and he possessed
the ability, to a marked extent, to impart
instruction. Although he never made an ef-
fort to display his. learning, still, no young
man ever came out of his lecture room be-
lieving that he knew as much as President
Grier did, or that he could make dark points
more clear than he could. Every student
who came in contact with him was sure to
be convinced that President Grier was q
man, and he only a boy. He had the educa-
tional and intellectual qualifications to occu'
py the position of president of college.
The next thing which he possessed, was self
government In other words, he had the
most perfect control over himself He never
few into passion and said rash things, and
did foolish acts He never failed to treat
every student, even the most worthless, as
a gentleman and, so far as is known, no stu
dent ever was vile enough to treat him in any
other way. 1t is barely saying the truth,
when it is declared that the students of the
college, of all grades and classes, and Of all
traits of character, feared him, and at the
same time dearly loved him.
His ability as an educator soon became
known to the country, and the authorities Of
Washington College, Lexington, Va, confer
red upon him, in 1852, the honorary title Of
Doctor of Divinity.
During the whole time that DIR. Grier was
president of Erskine College, he was also one
of the professors in the Theological Seminary.
For a number of years, he was professor Of
Hebrew and Biblical criticism. While his
attainments in Hebrew we're not to be COM
pared with those made by DR.. E. E. Pressly,
still, as teacher of Hebrew, DR.. Grier would
compare favorable with DR.. Pressly.
From his first election up to his resigna.
tion, in 1859, DR.. Grier was also chaplain in
the college, and after his reelection, in 1866,
he was both chaplain in the college and
pastor of the church in Due West.
As pastor, he was dearly loved by his
people, When he accepted the presidency
Of Erskine College, the people of Pisgah and
Bethany thought they we're undone, and to
this day his name is tenderly mentioned by
the old people of these congregations.
In general and theological literature, DR..
Grier was not as extensively read as multi.
tudes Of men of far less note. What he read,
he read carefully, analyzing every sentence as
he proceeded. Without any effort to retain