The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-04-05

after twenty or forty years Of anxiety about
how to put that family in right position:
The lips closed after so many years OF good
advice. There are more tears falling IN
mothers grave than In fathers grave, but
over the fathers tomb think there Is kind
Of awe. It is at that marble pillar many a
young man has been revoluttonized.
Oh, young man with cheek flushed with
dissipation how long Is it since you have
been out to your fathers grave? Will you
not 90 this week? Perhaps the storms OF the
last Few days may have bent the headstone
until it leans far over. You had better go
out and see whether the lettering has been
defacsd. You had better 60 out and see
| whether the gate Of the lot is closed. You
had better 20 and sse if you cannot find q
sermon in tho springing grass. Oh, young
man, go out this week and see your fathers
grave!
Religion did 80 much for our Christian an
cestry, are we not ready this morning to be
| willing to receive it into our own households!
| If we do recsive it. let it come through the
front door, not through the back door. In
| other words do not let us smuggle it In.
There are great many families who want
body outside to know it. They would be
mortified to death II you caught them at
their family prayers. They would not sing
i in the worship for fear the neighbors would
hear them. They do not have prayers when
| they have company.
They do not know much about the nobility
Of the western trapper. traveller going
along was overtaken by night and storm,
and he entered cabin. There were firearms
| hung up around the cabin. He was alarmed.
He had large amount OF money with him,
| but he did not dare to venture on into the
| night in the storm. He did not like the looks
| Of the household. After awhile the father,
| the western trapper, came In, gun on
| shoulder, and when the traveller looked at
him he was still more affrighted.
After awhile the family were whispering
together in one corner of the room. and the
| traveller thought to himself: ooh! now my
time has come; I wish I was out in
| the storm and In the night rather
than here" But the swarthy man came up
| to him and said 'Sir, we are rough peo-
pie; we get our living by hunting, and we ara
very tired when the night comes; but before
going to bed we always have habit Of read
ing little out Of the Bible and having
prayers, aud think we will have our usual
custom p-night, and if you don't believe in
that kind Of thing if you will just step out
side the door for little while will be much
obliged to you"
OIL there are many Christian parents
who have not half the courage OF that
| western trapper. They do not want their
religion projecting too conspicuously. They
would like to have it near by 80 as to call on
it in case of funeral, but as to having it
dominant in the household from the 1st OF
January, o'clock q. M, to the Slst OF De-
cember, 10 o'clock p. m, they do not want
it. They would rather die ami have their
families perish with them than to cry out In
the bold words Of the soldier in my text
"As for me and my house. We will serve
tho Lord"
There was, in my ancestral line, an incl.
dent so strangely Impressive that it seems
more like romance than reality. !t has
sometimes been 80 inaccurately put forth that
now give you the true incident. Ny grand
father and grandmother, living at Somer-
vile. N. J., went to Baskinridge to witness
a revival under the ministry Of the Rev. DR..
Finley. They came nome 80 impressed with
what they had seen that they resolved on
the salvation Of their children.
The young people OF the house were to go
of for an evening party. and my grand
mother said.
'.Now, when you are all ready for the
party, come to my room, for I have some-
thing very important to tall you" All
ready for departure, they came to her room,
and she said to them, "Now, want you to
remember, while you are away this even-
ingg, that I am all tbs time in this room
praying for your salvation. and l shall not
cease praying until you get back" The
the loudesG hilarities Of the night they could
no: forget that their mother was praying
Ior them. the evening passed, and the night
passed.
The next day my grandparents heard an
outcry in an adjoining room, and they weat
in and found their daughter imploring the
salvation Of the gospel. Ths daughter told
them that her brothers wers at the barn
and at the wagon house under powerful con-
viction of sin. They went to the barn.
They found my Uncle Jehiah, who after
ward became minister OF the gospel, cry
ing to God for mercy. They went to Toe
wagon house. They round their son David.
who afterward became my father, implor.
ing Gods pardon and mercy. Bstore great
while the whole family were saved, and
David went and told the story to q young
woman to whom he was afianced, who as q
result of the story became Christian, and
from her own Ips-my mother's-l havere-
ceived the incident
The story OF that converted household
ran through all the neighborhood from
family to family until the whole region was
, whelmed with religious awakening, and ae
| the next communion in the village church
at Somerville over 200 souls stood up to pro-
carrying the memory Of this scene from
early womanhooi into further life. in after
| years was resolved upon the salvation Of her
| children, and for many years every week
| she met three other Christian mothers to
| pray for the salvation OF their families.
| think that all the members Of tt oss families
wore sared-myself, the youngest and last.
There were IL OF US children. trace the
| whole line Of mercy back to that hour when
| my Christian grandmother sat in her rooai
| imploring the blessing Of God upon her
children. Nine Of her descendants became
preachers Of the gospel. Many OF her de.
scendants are in heaven. many OF them still
in the Christian conflict. Did 1t pay for her
to spend the whole evening in prayer for
her household. Ask her before the throne
OF Go1, surrounded by her children. In the
presence Of the Christian church TO- day 1
make this record Of ancestral piety. Oh,
there Is bsauty, and tendernesA, and q
| sunlimity in family religion!
There ara but four or i've pictures in the
old family Bible that I inherited, but Dore
/ never illustrated Bible as that book is IL
lustrated to my eyes. Through it can see
into marriages and burials, joys and sor-
rows, meetings and partings, Thanksgiving
days and Christian festivals. cradles ana
deathbeds. Old old book, speak out and tell
OF the sorrows comforted and OF the dying
hours irradiated. Old, old book, the hands
that held thee ara ashes, the eyes that per-
sued thee are closed. What q pillar thou
wouldst make for dying head. 1 salute
all the memories Of the past when press 1t
TO my heart and when press it to my lips.
Oh, that family Bible! The New Testa'
ment in small type Is not worthy OF being
called by that name. Have whole Blole IN
large type, vito the family record OF mar
riages and births aud deaths. What il the
curious should turn over tns leaves to see
how old you are? You are younger now