The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1897-03-18

plOuS-WuOSe Wills nave WlUu6SSeu Uue
act and saving grace of hun
dreds of souls-whose time-honored and
weather. beaten leaves look down upon
the resting place of countless numbers
whose bodies are quietly sleeping in
the solemn silence of the doleful tomb
"a mass of almost shepeless ruins, the
victim of the ingratitude of those whom
it has served in days gone by.
Thus for more than a century has
Ebenezer been "store of help" to all
christian people. especially to Metho-
dists. And now all that remains of
what was once noble structure is a
mere shell of building, whose decayed
walls are refuge for bats and owls.
This dilapidated structure, located on
the most religiously historic ground in
Tennessee, cries aloud, accompanied
by the weired voice of its cemetery,
within whose borders sleep the ancestry
of the inhabitants of many states :
"Why do you whom | have sheltered
and nourished allow me thus to fall
into mass of ruins; you whose ances-
tors await the resurrection morn under
the shadow of my wings suffer me to
become only a fit habitation for the
vermin Of the earth, so that when you
are to be laid within the shade of my
structure there will be no roof to shelter
your mass of clay while the funeral
rites are being pronounced. Oh, re-
build mel Erect within my present
site a structure that will be shelter to
those whom can no longer protect!'
How many will hearken to this life
like appeal from the old church that
sounds like the appeal Of an aged moth
er to her sons to not forsake her in her
declining years? AS we stroll through
the old church yard the marble shafts
erected in memory of departed ones
seem to speak with the solemnity of
the tomb and command us to no longer
neglect this house of God that has wit
messed the joyful tears of ransomed
souls as well as the sad weeping at the
departure of loved ones. Oh, Metho-
dists, and all christian people, let us
no longer hesitate, but respond at once
to the appeals of this old building and
erect to the appeals of this old building
and erect new one at once. 1t is our
duty to keep up those old landmarks
and not let them fall into decay and
absolute ruin.
Rev. H. B. Ogle, of the Chucky City
circuit of the M. E. church. assisted by
few persons of the nelghborhood Of
Ebenezer, have taken the responsibility
of erecting new building at that his
toric place. The subscription raised al
present amounts to $519.70, but, chris
tian people, this illustrious church site
the resting place of so many noble peo-
pie, a place made sacred by the begin
ming of religious work in Tennessee, 8
spot that because of its everlasting
memories awakens the tenderest anC
most divine thought, ought to have al
least a one thousand dollar structure
Let us combine our strength, contribute
of our means as God has favored us, anC
no doubt there will be handsome
structure with modern conveniences
erected to prepetuate a spot made his
toric by so manyreminiscences of ante
bellum days. All, you of the presen
generation, think of the duty you ow'
to the memory of those who gave yol
your churches and institutions of learn
ing, then do that duty and Ebeneze
will be rebuilt ere Christ's birthda,
dawns again.
Think of the past services of Eben
ezer, of its great needs at present, the
respond to the dictates of your consci
ence with liberal contribution. LIE
us be fully alive to the needs of this
the most sacred historic spot in Ter
nessee to Methodists Of this and othe
states.
We are having a number of picture
of the old building made, which h0
been standing nearly sixty years. Th
J size of the pictures will be 9x1O incht
and will retail at 81 each, the net pre-
Z ceeds to aid in the erection of the ne
building There will be short histori
sketch of Ebenezer printed on each pi,
ture. The historic value of the pictul
alone is far greater than theprice asked
7 Any remittances and orders for picture
} should be sent to L. Ellis, Treasure
> Chucky City, Tenn, who will prompt
t acknowledge receipt for same. MI
5 Ellis has been very Instrumental
t bringing about the proposed erectio
of building at Ebenezer, and deserv,
e great credit for his valuable service
t We trust all persons, especially tho
/, having friends or relatives inferred
e Ebenezer, will respond to our call al
+ assist in the erection of a new structu
on this time-honored ground. Let
# of the present erect an edifice at Ebe
/ ezer that will make the freed spirits
y the masses of clay that lie in til
e churchyard rejoice with pride in the
J. posterity and shout for glory at &
|. reverence we have for the tabernacle
It God, a structure that will reflect creC
= pot oo1x ON Mathodism hut upnn 4