Royse
McCoy,
later spelling his name Rice
McCoy, youngest son of Elder Wm.
and Elizabeth McCoy, was born June 19, 1789
on a flat boat at Cincinnati, Ohio, reputed to be the
first white child born there, while his parents were
on their way from Pennsylvania to Kentucky. He was married
to Mahala Pound, January 2, 1812 at or near Charlestown,
Indiana. He was one of the charter members of the Old
Silver Creek Baptist Church, and its clerk for many
years. He was a first class wheel by trade and a Baptist
minister by profession. He preached for nothing and
made his living at his trade. He served as a Captain
in the battle of Tippacanoe. He moved to Washington
County, Indiana in 1818, and died at the Village of
Lavonia September 4, 1834. He was a great advocate of
Sunday school, missions and temperance societies. He
left surviving him his widow and eleven children, vis:
Elizabeth, Priscella, Isaac, Sarah, Adoniram Judson,
Wm. Carey, Rice, John Bunyon, Ann Haseltine, Malinda
and Christiana.
A short time before his death on September 4, 1834 he
wrote the following advise to his children:
My children, I am now more than 44 years old. I have
watched over your infant years and riper days with solicitude
for your temporal welfare, and have tried to provide
for you as well as I could, but with much more anxiety
have I thought of your soul's affairs. And although
I acknowledge I have been too remiss in giving you religious
instruction, and pressing on your minds the importance
of religion; yet I have tried often to present your
case before my Heavenly Father, and to entreat him to
bless you, and lead you in the path of virtue and religion.
You have souls my dear children which must soon appear
in the world of spirits to give an account for all you
do, say or think. The Lord has been and is kind to you,
in causing you to live where you have his word to read,
can hear his gospel reached, and hear of Jesus the friend
of sinners; your temporal enjoyments require you should
be thankful to the Lord and not murmer in an wise...
Remember dear children your duty to your mother and
be kind, obedient and affectionate in every circumstance
that you or she may be in. Remember you are near related
to each other, and whatever may have been your childish
peevishness "in (?) be children, but in understanding
be men"; always treat each other with brotherly
affection and tenderness; if any of them are in affliction
and want, endeavor to administer to their need, not
hesitatingly inquiring the cause of their distress;
but above all remember your duty to your Creator and
Preserver. He has been your best friend, has preserved
you and provided a rich gospel full of salvation, life
and immortality for your souls. He has given you his
holy word to read, as a light to your feet and a lamp
to your path, to guide you in the way of peace, and
point you the road to Heaven. He calls and even entreats
you to believe him, confide in him, pray to him and
follow him and assure you that in him, "The fatherless
find mercy." O don't neglect, for how shall you
escape if you neglect his great salvation", wherefore,
"remember your Creator in the days of your youth.
Let his word be esteemed by you, as the best of books,
the man of your counsel and above the value of silver
and gold. Lets his blessed religion be more esteemed
than your life; be willing to part with every thing
worldly for Jesus; never countenance in any wise sin
and contempt of the DIVINE Savior; but regard his enemies
as yours, none are worse; Regard the Sabbath day, not
only as a day of rest for you and your beasts; but a
day sacredly devoted to the service of the Lord, in
obedience to his commands, in memory of the creation,
in memory of the resurrection of Jesus and in memory
of the hope of Heaven, the everlasting rest that remains
for the people of God. Always pay a serious regard to
the preaching of the gospel, let not your ordinary business
prevent you from attending to it. And be sure to treat
with respect, and kindness those who preach the gospel.
You know a little of their difficulties by what you
have seen of your father; having often to labor hard
through the week, leave home under great inconveniences,
and perhaps little or no rest on Sunday; sometimes the
most fatiguing day of the whole wek, and "if inthis
life only they have hope in Christ, they are all men
most miserable." But God's grace will sustain them,
and always let your hearts and hands be open to assist
them, and sympathize with them at all times, and share
their burdens what you can. Be slow to credit evil reports
against them; the enemies know that should the preachers
of the gospel come into disrepute, the gospel will suffer.
But especially regard the missionaries that are, or
may be trying to preach Jesus to the heathen that dying
risen Savior, who said, "Go ye into all the world
and preach the gospel to every creature", is with
them, is their refuse and friends and has all power
in Heaven and in earth, and his face is against their
enemies, hears their revilings and will remember them
in the day of retribution.Never
have any dealings in nor make any use of ardent spirits
of any kind, unless it be really necessary as a medicine;
though it has long been fashionable, and considered
polite to use it, and enemies, yes, even friends may
frown upon you and separate you from their company.
Yet the immense evil produced by it should make your
firmly and determinatley and in the face that many,
very many well disposed sober youths have been gradually
drawn along not suspecting any danger until they have
been overwhelmed in disgrace and ruin. Many families
are ruined, many children sunk into poverty and crime,
and the church, yes the church of Jesus, dishonored
and her member distressed, and many never dying souls
by these intoxicating instruments of the wicked one.
O I beseech you remember that "no drunkard can
inherit the kingdom of God". Many you know are
ruined by using it. To use it therefor, to say the least,
is very dangerous, not to use it, is safe. Wisdom always
takes the sagest side.Never
my dear children strain your hands with the blood of
the poor oppressed Negro's, that is take no part in
oppressing them, in having selling or hiring them, and
let not one cent, or one cents worth come into your
possession by the traffic of them. It will prove a curse
to you. Let it therefore be the case, that when the
just Judge of all nations, before whom all things are
naked and open shall search every heart as with a candle,
and make inquisition for blood, that, none of your garments
be stained with abominable crime. Beware of hardness
of heart of any occasion, and murmuring disposition,
against the hand of Providence. Never doubt his goodness,
and resolve whatever be your condition to "trust
in the Lord as long as you live." Try to obtain
what profitable learning you can devote much of your
spare time to reading, and always make the Bible the
standard book, and not neglect reading and studying
its scared pages for any book in the world. Let these
words be pasted over your mantle or bureau. "Be
dutiful to your parents, be affectionate to each other,
be find to everybody, and love and serve God, all your
life. "Strive more to be good than great, to be
righteous than rich, and strive exceedingly more to
have treasure in the world to come than in this. Blessed
are they that do the commandment of the Lord, and put
their trust in Him"
