The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-05-11
IN THE a. R. P. CHURCH.
Rev. Boyce Grier Conducted Service
Last Sunday.

The Rev. Boyce Grier, Superintendent OF
Home Missions, conducted religious services
in the Associate Reformed church last sun
day morning and evening. .
In being q gentleman, he certainly possesses
the frat requisite OF good preacher, and ms
becoming conduct Is only equalled by MS
manly and prepossessing manner.
In the morning he took for bis text
the full corn in the ear" be ran the paral-
lei between growth in righteousness and
growth In nature. The perfect man, like the
great oak, with its mighty formations, Is The
combin result Of the work OF time and the
laws of Nature which we do not understand.
The strength Of the oak was due to It's SLOW
growth, and in like manner Is the develop.
ment of Christian character. Specimens OF
the material kingdom are produced by the
earth, the sun, the air and the unknown laws.
SO the heart must grow from the cultivation
of the graces, aud through the Intangible, out
no less powerful Influence. OF the Supreme
Ruler.
10 the preachers remarks. we thought he
set at naught the oft repeated story of mis-
sionaries who claimed con versions, as did the
apostles on certain occasions which are re-
corded in the Scriptures. Theoretical theo-
logians. If they choose, may send abroad the
most cheering reports of the glorious conver-
sions under their work among the heatnen,
or among pagaDs nearer home; but plain
practical sense, and applied Christianity DO
not approve such boasts Of miraculous con-
versions. The day of miracles has passed.
and when people do their own thinking, they
know that stories of instant con version from
one form of religion to another is absolutely
without foundation, except IN the lmagina.
tion. To change the religion OF another, we
must first weaken his belief and then we
must undermine his faith. An interim Of In
fidelity then surely follows before man can
embrace new religion.
The preacher brough bit to mind, in his paral.
lei between the growth in spirituality and the
growth in material things the recollection Of
hot w wa Qn0th6r.
Almighty makes an oak tree be takes hun
dred years 10 complete the job, but II ne
wants to make mushroom, he takes only
one night.
The prayer in the morning, while not reach.
Ing out and including in It's blessings and
benefits those OF us who follow the Saviour q
long way off, was all that the people, the In.
slitutions and the things which neither need
nor want our prayers, could have desired.
While this editor may not be Judge OF an
appropriate prayer, yet when the preacher
prays for the weak, for the unworthy, the
fallen, and those WHO would, II they could,
come nearer to the Cross he feels that the
classes who most need the sustaining grace
have not been totally neglected. Gods peo-
pie, Gods churches, Gods missionaries, and
those of US who can draw the skirts OF our
garment about us and thank God that we are
not as others, do not need prayers. Our Saw
iour came not TO call the righteous but SIN
ners to repentance.
But we are not criticising the prayer. 1t
was comforting to many, even while hunger
Ing hearts were not remembered. one thing
especially, which we would commend In the
preacher, is, that when he pronounced that
Name which none should take upon their
lips except In reverenual awe, he said God,
and not Gawd.
In the evening service the preacher, after
reading the Scriptures, spoke OF visiting the
sins OF the fathers unto the third and fourth
generation. He enlarged on the law OF Gered-
ity and paid beautiful tribute to the fidelity
of the Jews and the purity Of their blood
He thought. when looking into the face OF the
Jew, one might we'll imagine he saw the face
Of Isaac and Jacob.
But the law of heredity is not immutable,
and the latent tendencies OF the heart may De
cultivated so as 10 lead 1t 10 better or TO worse
ways than might be expected from the natu'
raj bent Of the mind. He contended that the
tendency OF the child was TO follow IN the
paths OF the father. And he cited many In
stances to prove the correctness OF the allega-
tion. AS we heard II, we thought the preach
er left little hope for man TO be better than
his forefathers. According TO our own way OF
thinking, and according to the preachers
views. The chances are against the man who Is
not born right. 1t is therefore OF the hrst Inn.
portance that the child should be born Of
healthy Godfearing parents.
Commenting on what the preacher said, In
case the father Is wayward and goes INTO the
paths of sin, the mother may be of gentler
and purer blood. Who, then, shall say that
the son shall follow the will of the father. or
obey the law of his mother? While the
the best, and the purest of earth, yet II he
marry fool, cackling goose, or gadabont,
he need expect very little OF his child. We
believe IL is not on record, that such mother
ever brought up son that reached eminence
among men. AS there Is nothing In
child which he does not inherit from either
his father or bis mother, 1t is of the utmost
importance that good men should marry wo-
men OF good head, good heart and good lungs.
The man who marries among short lived
families or sickly families, or among. those
who are known TO be afflicted, courts all the
evils that can befall. Brains, health, longeV-
ity, and the Inheritance of the moral quail.
ties are of vital Importance. Children whose
lungs carry them off by the time they reach
twenty-five years, do not have time to f1ll
their mission in life. Those who 90 halting
and lame. until they are forty, do not have
the opportunity OF finishing their work. A
man ought 10 be able 10 work until he is six
ty. After he has reached sixty, he Is not able
Tor the active duties OF q younger man, yet If
bless those about him, while finishing his
work on earth.
The preacher could not have chosen better
or more interesting subject, than heredity,
and we hope that he will preach on the i'm
portance OF care in the selections OF life part
ners. While the tendency may be 10 sin, yet,
IL proper inhuances are eXerted many q child
may be induced to develop the more latent,
but the better. elements of his character.
At night, the prayers OF the preacher were
not exclusive in their petitions. They were
comforting to every heart. He didn't tell the
Lord long story OF our sins and wickedness,
nor make US ashamed because of our lack OF
goodness He seemed to take 1t for granted
that the Lord was not totally Ignorant Of
either our virtues or our shortcomings, and,
therefore, he didn't tell on US. His prayer at
night was 80 sweet and so comforting that we
wished that he had said: "Our Father, who
art In heaven" &c. The Lords prayer, how
ever, Is too simple and too expressive of the
souls sincere desire to be used by ordinary
mOrtals