The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1886-08-04
For the Central Presbyterian.
Rev. John H. Rice, D. D.
Removal to Richmond in 1912.
Preliminary Remarks.
MIR. Rice's Influence.

In the years before Mr.. Rice left Char
lotte county, for Richmond, deep i'm
preston seems, by his example, to have
been made upon the Rev. Drury Lacy,
of which an account is given by DR..
William Morton. l insert this narrative
here because it illustrates the reputation
and influence of Mr.. Rice at this period,
and because it reveals the character Of
Mr.. Lacy. 1t is indeed, on the part of
Mr.. Lacy, most extraordinary and edi-
flying instance of candor and humility ::
and is worthy of record as one of the in
cidents that show him to have been the
great and good man that he was.
DIR. Morton says: Having been his
pupil for some years, and well knowing
his habits, 1 am prepared to understand
why he sometimes so signally failed.
When was his pupil, I think, he scarcely
read fifty pages in year, besides in his
Bible and school-books. AS I was small
boy, and his wife's nephew, he concealed
nothing from me; indeed he concealed
from nobody. knew his preparation for
preaching. 1t consisted in choosing his
text, and turning over the leaves of
Browns Concordance for little while
he would then walk about his yard or
house, in profound, and sometimes appa-
rently rapturous contemplation, and draw
things, new and old, from his capacious
and noble mind. He seemed to have no
idea of the business of literary man but
to have fallen into the error, then and now,
too common, that man is educated upon
getting through the College course. I do
not believe he ever read the newspapers.
With all his fine powers, he must have
totally failed but for his habit of deep
meditation, and his glorious moral tai
ellsworth far more than all others
which ranked him eminently among the
children of nature and of God. Not
many years before his death, which took
place December 6, 1915, in his frank,
open manner, he asked me if l did not
think he had improved in preaching
within the last FIVE years. answered,
that I thought his recent sermons i'm
measursbly surpassed his former ones.
We'll, said he, will tell you how it oc-
Cured. l owe it all to Jack Rice. Do
you think when he first came before the
world, as preacher and writer, l was
not mean enough to feel rivalry, and to
envy him on account OF the interest which
he excited. But ! was deeply mortified
when caught myself at it, and concluded
l had much better initiate his laborious
efforts to do good, than envy his success.
went to work, and for FIVE years have
been at hard study-for me; think
am well rewarded thank and love Jack
Rice; and wonder how l could have spent
my early life with so little study.
"This venerable man, adds DR.. Nor
ton, was removed from earth Just when
he began to develop uncommon powers,
which had long laid dormant, and when
he appeared to me to be more rapidly i'm
proving than any young man I ever knew.
! think the grade Of intellectual powers
allotted to him has been placed too low"
The Presbytenans of Richmond
at the time OF Mr.. Rice removal to the
city were few in number. There was no
organization. Rev. John D. Blair, OF
the Presbytery Of Hanover, resided in the
city. He was pastor of Pole Green
church in Hanover county, and there he
preached on two Sabbaths in the month
On two Sabbaths he preached in the cap.
itol at Richmond, alternating with Rev.
John Buchanan who, on the other two
Sabbaths, preached in the capitol Mr..
Buchanan was an Episcopal clergyman.
Between him and Mr.. Blair their existed
a warm and familiar friendship, which
promoted harmony and good feeling in
the intercourse Of the two denominations
that they represented The Episcopal