The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-03-22
OLD CLUBAN DAVIS
\ BacAvvoods Sermon Preached Fifty
Years Ago.
associate Reformed Presbyterian.

rem, their children are larnt that
Westminster Catechism by the time
they can begin to talk plain.
1T amt three weeks since | was
out cattle huntin for two of my
yearlings had strayed off-and l stop
ped in at old Brother Harkey's, on
Mud Creek, and took dinner. He's a
deacon in the Presbyterian church
over thar. Well as true as stand
here, my brethren, Sister Harkey had
had her little gal a-standin right be
fore her, with toes just even with the
crack o the floor and her hands was
a-hanging down by her side and her
mouth turned up like chicken when
it drinks, and she was a-puttn this
question to her out O that Catcchism
What are the benefits which in this
life do either accompany or flow
from justification, adoption or sancti
fication?
Now the question itself was
enough TO break the child down. But
when she had to begin and say that
question all over Gor that's the way
it was in the book) and then hitch the
answer to it, and which all put togeth.
Ell made this: The benefits which in
this life do either accompany or flow
from justification, adoption and sane
! tification, are peace of conscience, Joy
in the Holy Ghost, increase in grace
and perseverance to the end l thought
the child was the greatest wonder l d
ever seen in ali my life. She tux it
right in, toe, without balkin' or miss
in the first word And she spoke SO
sweet and she looked so like little
angel that before l know'd d it the tears
was runnin down my cheeks as big
as buckshot. I've seen the day when
could have mauled and split thou.
san rails quicker and eaiscr than |
could larn that thing and said it of
like she did.
"Now, my brethren, that child
didn understand or know the mean
ing Of one word O. that. 1t put me
up to all know to take it in myself
But just let that Presbyterian young
un grow up, and every word Of the
! Catcchism will come to her, and her
character will stiffen up under her,
and she'll have the backb bone oc the
matter in her life.
"Now, [ can't put things into my
children that way. Nothin don t
stay, somehow. It's like drivin' a
nail into rotten log
This last remark [ never forgot.
For thirty years afterwards, as would
stand at the blackboard trying to fix
rules and principles in the mind of
dull pupil, this remark would
I come back to me with it's peculiar per-
tinency.
II tell you, my BRETHREN he con-
tinued, 'if our children had a little
more catechism and the Presbyter-
ian a little less, it would be better fo,
both.
"Then We don't pray in our fami
lies like they do. I know their pray
ers are mighty long, and they pray all
creation; but, after all, it's the right
way. It's better than prayin' too lit
tie.
! Now, my father and mother was
good Baptists, and raised their chill
dren 10 be honest aud Industrious
but l never heard one Of them pray III
my life, and I was most grown man
before I ever prayed prayer myself,
and it was on this wise:
"There was to be big meetin' over
in Ebert county, and I knowed a
pretty gal over thar that 1 wanted to
60 to see. So l borrowed little Jer-
sey wagin, which was stylish thing
in them days, and went over to the
house and stayed all night, and en-
gagged her to ride to meetin with me
next day, which was Sabbath.
I'VE went and had glorious time
and may as we'll say right here that
she was afterwards my wife-but
comm home l met with powerful
accident, that I've never got over tc
this day. AS I was comm down g
steep hill. some part Of. the gearin
gave way and let me and the wagin or
my cretur's heels; and bein' young
and skecry, and not much used te
wheels, she wriggled and kicked and
tore from one side of the road to the
other, till l was pitch head foremost
as much as ten foot, into the decI
gully, and it was miracle of mercy
that my neck was not broken on The