Georgia: Baldwin County: Obituary of Ebenezer C. Vinson 1807-1857 ****************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ****************************************************************** Obituary: Ebenezer C. Vinson (1807-1857) Source: Southern Christian Advocate, Memoir, 6 May 1857 issue. Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Laura Vinson Northrop bdnlvn@bellsouth.net 18 July 2002 Memoir. EBENEZER C. VINSON was born in Hancock Co., Ga., Sept. 1st, 1807, and died, near Mil- ledgeville, Dec. 25th, 1857. He was raised by pious parents-his father being a local preacher of the M.E. Church- and "trained up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord;" and in his 17th year he professed religion and joined the M.E. Church at Smyr- na, in Hancock co., where he was raised. From that time he pressed on his Christian course " to the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," until the day of his tri- umphant exit from time to eternity. A few years after he joined the church, he was appointed Class-leader at Smyrna, about nine miles from where he lived. At the church he held class meetings two Sabbaths in each month; but not satisfied with this, he held class-meet- ing for another church also, some five miles from his home in another direction, the other two Sabbaths in the month. So that his Sab- baths were all occupied between these two dis- tant churches-in building up his brethern in the faith of the gospel. In this capacity he had but few equals. He was of the Carvasso school of Class-leaders-"a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith,"-consequently, it was next to impossible for a Class which he led to be cold and lifeless. As soon as he married- although his wife was not at that time a member of the church-he erected the family altar; and upon it, as long as he lived, offered up the morning and evening sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving. He was emphatically and emi- nently a man of prayer. It is known to his family and intimate friends that his habit was to pray in secret three times a day. And who that ever heard him pray in the great congrega- tion, as he wrestled with God Jacob-like for His blessing upon the church and congregation, can forget it. Well do I remember the last public prayer he offered up in the church at Mt. Pelier, of which he was a member at the time of his death. O! there was power in that prayer. He seemed to take hold of the very horns of the altar, while he plead with God for a blessing upon the church, and upon the mourners in ..on. He felt deeply responsible for his children and servants, and took great care to instruct them in the way they should go; and the re- sults are just what might have been expected: all his children over twelve years of age are worthy members of the M.E. Church, and the greater part of his grown up servants are profes- sedly pious. A kinder husband never lived, says one who ought to know. He loved the church, not only in word, "but in deed and in truth." Hence, he was liberal in its support-more so than one in a thousand of his means. He has been known to borrow money to pay his preach- er, before he would allow him to leave the cir- cuit without his quarterage. How few in this parsimonious age would think of doing such a thing. A more kind and benevolent man than he was would be hard to find in any country. But the time would fail us to tell of his noble deeds. Having thus lived, we cannot be at a loss to know how he would die. He had not been a sound note for thirty years: but espe- cially for the last few years he had suffered much. He was, for five months before his death, confined to the house and bed-suffering at times the most excrutiating pain,-and yet he murmured not-he repined not. His faith was strong-his hope firm, and his "peace flowed on like a river." And where his Master called for him, to give an account of his Stewardship, he was ready to do it. And when he was unable longer to speak, with a face ill radiate with Divine glory-fixing his eyes upon his family that surrounded his dying bed, and making his now pulseless arm-he pointed them to the heaven of God, and then calmly fell asleep in Jesus-leaving his family to God. D. J. MYRICK ******************************************************** Copyright 2002 by Laura Vinson Northrop. This copy contributed for use by USGenWeb Archives. bdnlvn@bellsouth.net