The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-11-28
TAKING LEAVE OF THE COURT HOUSE.

Remarks OF DR.. Wilson Incidents
Connected with the Occupancy OF
the Court HOuse...Many Reasons
for Thankfalness...Tou Re-
citaI.
Sam. vii :12. 'Then Samuel took q stone
and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and call
ed the name Of 1t Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto
hath the Lord helped u.s."
memorial" ;" that 1t is to commemorate some
great and striking event. Every nation has
| It's own cause and occasion of'remembrance
which 1t signalizes In bronze or marble or in
anniversary days. England has her West
minister Abbey, where In statuary, or tablets
or stately mausoleums, are recorded the
names and achievements OF her tllustrtous
Memorial Day." In the balmy and genial
spring time, when the birds sing the sweetest
and the flowers bloom the brightest then and
there to bedeck with garlands the nameless
mounds where sleep the martyrs OF 1.-THE Lost
Cause"
This custom can plead the sanction OF ex-
treme antiquity. Jacob, when fugitive
from brothers wrath, "lighted on certain
dreamed his glorious dream Of "the Ladder
re-uniting earth and Heaven. And there up
on the morrow he reared stone and called
its name "Bethel" the "House Of God" Over.
taken on his homeward march by the angry
Laban, and delivered from his hand, he rear.
ed another stone. and named 1t "Mizpeh," OF
"Watch" "The Lord watch between me and
thee, when we are absent one from another u
BY the waters Of Rephidim, and after the dis
comfiture of Amalek, "Moses built an Altar
1.-THE Lord, our Banner" In Giigai Joshua set
middle mi Of Jordan, to commemorate its dry:
shod passage On the further shore Of that
same stream, the two tribes and half set up
an Altar like unto that In Shiloh, to assure
their children and their children's children,
of perpetual Interest in the national covenant
with God. Again at Mizpeh another stone is
reared, and this time 1t Is called "Eben ezer, y
or "Stone Of Help"-"Hitherto hath the Lord
helped u.s." II was meant to commemorate g
with great thunder on that day upon the
Philistines, and dlscomforted them"
Families, also, have their memorials,
ter. II not visible elsewhere, you are sure to
find them in the Register Of the old "Fam1ly
Bible" There, on one page, Is the Drief REQ rec.
ord Of o little one born to them upon that
ment Of a "bridal" or .burial." Each OF
these is felt to be Of sufficient moment to de-
mand an anniversary. Every slab, or tomb
stone, in our sadly beautiful cemeteries, Is Q
family memorial It's ominous dates coincide
with the anniversaries of the family Register.
Churches, in like manner have their "re-
membrancers," indicated some times by the
the be wall wall Where, in chiseled marble, appears
the name OF some dead pastor.
There are times In the history Of church
when II Is eminently becoming to rear an
"Ebenezer," when not to do 80 would be o sin
of no ordinary ingratItude. The present is
sucil an occasion to this beloved congregation
our last service in a house that has long
given us shelter and q spiritual home. 1t
marks, therefore, an important epoch In the
history Of our church, and demands CRATE
full recognition Of Gods signal mercies TO us.
"Hitherto hath the Lord helped u.s."
One year, seven months and seventeen days
ago the House where our fathers worshipped
was laid In ashes. Our hopes for the moment
seemed buried In its ru ins. The flock was
still left us but the sheep fold was gone. Ten
days later, through the kin dness Of one, Ma
ior M. G. Zeigler who Is no longer here to re-
ceive our thanks-one, over whose untimely,
though honored grave, the spring f1oweas will
soon bloom-the door Of this house opened tor
receive us. It was on the occasion OF our