The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-09-25 00:00:00

HARVEBT THANKBOIVINO BERVIOEB.

Thanksgiving for • bountiful hervest is a stereotyped
phrases, and more than moo in remit years English
tarmacs moat have winced uutier the batter irony of
the adjective. This year, however, co.d and callous
indeed moat be It. p!creon who will not " relies the
song of harried boom,' forth. gifts which a bountiful
Provideoce has showered upon the land. In Doe.
chi -ter the feeling hae been unanimous, and all the
cho-ohas "Anal lo their thaokegiviog on Sunday last,
when the service/1 Were of a joyful and special
character. At Holy Trinity, woich was decorated
Mc rll the taste rod skill which loving bands oor'd
apply, the Wirvioo4 Were of that hearty Manna'
character which characterises it oe special occasions,
and the congregations were esociedisell large, in the
orating eepeci4ly. An anthem was sung at each of
the **rel.-see—in the morning " Thou visiteet the
math," in Lb* afternoon " I will t ?ways give thanks,"
and in the evening "Biassed be the mune 01 the
Lord." Processional and receellostel hymn were
swig at each tier rico. The hector (See.
H. Everett) preached morning and evening in
' rid of the Dorset tiounty Hospitrl. Preaellog at the
I evening service, the rev. gentl.mah Lad—Chula any
eanse be better or could may cause come home to
then who lived in this town mire closely than this,
when they saw so many people livius; around them
benefitted by It. Poverty and sickness were omit
, but it was • very sad thing when they
I net together. Whet • working man waited when
he was ill errs conoteut me Acid attendance without
, a doctor's bill, proper diet, eat., rest and quietude,
euffioiect air, and great clean'nees, eicumeoue to sit
up all eight with hint very often, and last, but
certainly uot is t, every attention paid to his
I spiritual wants. How wry all this to be obtained? they
wen to be found within the era" of the luatitotion
for which he pleaded that night. He could honestly
gay one thing, mid he was pleased to have the
opportunity of saying it (end perhaps he had as
good an opportunity of jt?cang as must people), never
th
since he had known e els had the hospital bees
In so satisfactory a oondi on—not financially, of course
—as it was at the premed moment; and now even the
committee were doing what ought to have been done
years ago, viz., heating thole long walls with hot
water, Do that eves Is the coldest whiten as even tem-
perature might be kept up. 13, that be had no
hesitation whatever in 'eking them t give their money
that night, for they knew it would be well spent.
They Lad collected £l4 already that day, and with
such a congregation as that now present they ought
to make it up to £2O at least. Even that would not
be sufficient for the wants of the people in this pariah.
for even then he should have to beg for tickets from
subscribers outside it. Au evening congregation he i
not a very good character for lib drelity, but he Impel
there would be • little more heart slt sot it that night;
let there be no closely calculated more-ix-leas, for
at any rate, to those who were not stihriorisere the;
hospital, this was the only oppoatuuity they bad in all
the year of helping the institution, and, perhaps, for
all they knew, it was the hot opportunity they ever
would have. At the last great Mutest day when the
angel reapers should have done their work, it
would be emu that no effort in Christ's canes
would ever be forgotten, and no labourer in His vine-
yard who only worked faithfully and honestly, and
no one who ever did what they mold for the canoe and
the °ewe of His poor, ever missed.klie great and final
reward.
The o... Section moot ded to £2l 7e. Mr. T.
M. Morgan presided at the organ during the day,
assisted by Muter T. W. Morgan.

THE BENEFIT soctsfiss AT CHRIST CHURCH.
ma members of the onion. Friendly Sondes of the
town attended &service at the West Forgegton Church in
the &Porno in They aenobled in large niunbees at the
B ?Carousal Schoolroom, and, beaded by Bro. Pike
C' Bud of Hp' Lodge of hhilfellow.) an I Bro. Shergo'd
(Court "Moses's," AU F.), pr needed to the church.
which wee escapist gly filled. The Vicar (Rev. C. L.
Sanctuary) conducted the services, which was of • very
hearty descripion, and the man ji.)10111 in the hyrourand
reasoner in • manner which testified to their warn
ay top Abe an the ClllllO hieh OA brought them
together. An ahl• sum in ea. prisohird by the
Vicar from Psalms c eh, 2, " Praise he Lord. 0
my soul, and forget not .11 lin ben-fits." He rej Omni to
wee thou. there that dn. I( he interpreted rightly the.:
motive and deeire in coming there. he might say it Ca'
• noble anil encouraging spectacle. Mn were not easily
I.! together before CI xi with tint tuna, mit y, that oneness,
that wholeness of heart and porpa-e which they het that
dey. In a great measure their levee were continually
soaping tug this—their sepae.enen from ono another
and their esparafenese from God. Trey *shad, end they
got more for th• ir own benefit than far the common
benefit, and they thought • great deal more of ways and
mean. than of Got, w h•,diepoenl them 'o their happinese.
But that day they eho sght and frat and ep ne as though
they were one man. They felt pot individual aline and
intercati but the c mann good and minuet help given
and misdeed. This great principle was represented by
them that day, that the G of all wee also the God of
each. And was that ell( No. there was mere than that.
Motherly hero p Ant xi beyond the brethren—it pointed to
God. Union, the truest, the deepest, most abiding union
found it. cguimencement in God, and found its end in
01. If they were brethren they were children of one
father, and if they rejoice( with one another in mutual
sympathy and COMMOU happiness, it was as members of
one family that they did so. Their unity was • great deal
larger than 'het at their oven go :get,. and their heppineas
hid • muc deeper foundation than could be found in,
the own membership of their own og:iiste or in their
own c noributions with them. Their hearts were lifted
that day bevon 1 oil above that—to G it. Gird
had mule loom of on. blood Out had given them
0120 life Oct had bestowed upon theo the Rifle
which they had utilized for the common and the
individual good. God rejoiced in seine if He did en,
their hearts filled with. sense of Hog 'twiner, passing
from s ged benefice passing firm the ylgible unity, to the
unseen Giver, the one Father in whom they lived and
moved ant had their be ne. God Himself inspired in
them the love they gave Him, awl the men whose soul
was nit open to God's spiiit could not thank God. He
might join in outward exprenione of praise, and if they
go .11 see the invlsiblo thee would see eh it there was no
link between hi. soul and G id—oo link bet seen him wed
those of his brethren who were giving to God mom 'thing
11131.11 than the warship of the lip.. The natural man,
the worldly cumin, did not disown Got It was rills( en
in daily life that alone could Collllo the soul to overdue
we the Psaltniet's did when be sang "Praise the Lord. 0
my "MO, an I forget not all His ben-fite." It wee t• us
personal religion that dictated those words of praise; they
came freely, pp inta lonely from • heart that had waited
silently up en God for His blessing, that had desired Gad
as the hart desired the waterbroaks ; and now God was
holding the natural soul in life, and wescreating in it new
holism' and fresh yeereings. To such • heart se that every.
'Meg was suggestive of God, and it cal always on ttme
look-out for Him. It torned to Him on all occasions alike
—of joy and sorrow, of blessing nil rebuke This was
their day of nonfinite's in many respects, and for many
biennium—thankfulness aa man for the bountiful harvest,
thank( nines as member, of friendly societies, and thane-
fulness, above all. as Chrinises, who possessed. through
Christ Jesus, the highest of all lives, even life eternal, and
the closest of ail bonds of union, even union in Him with
God and with one another. Bat especially they Wife met
together as friendly 1140100111‘, and no snob he supposed
they would look for one paticulu word of Christian
counsel. He had no doubt they would be feeling • general
aeon of the benefit and usefulness of their different
brotherhoods; but at the same time, they would be feel-
ing also individually that their direct personal eratit ado
to God was comparatively cold. Might he, then, say
if they would steengtbm it for another time let
them make personal religion the (mention of their
work. When they made a careful p-oviainn for futon
needs, they must remember that the beef, of their ottani
and their motive, if they had a right moire, was to um
and to make the mon of what were God's Alta. They
must remember everything as Ovan to them, and they
had nothing either mateenl or spiritual that they lied not
received and because of that nay should make it their
purgers@ to use God's gut. as He would have them use
them. The printings of God's acts and God's being was
love, and He taught them to make love, Mein
and unselfishness the principle of their antitank Let
them think of others who would bs helped by their care-
(ulnae and forethought in making provision against the
day of seed ; make the steedfeetnese of their membership
in their several societies d pond upon the itesdinees of
their wish to help others. The benefits that ecch member
ocured in the time of sickness and old age would net
Men be the only benefit; there had been • training and
a cultivating of the character, and • discipline ef the bout
to acts of kindness. Then had then been • preparing for
the more perfect state hereafter, In which the soul should
find Its happinese if it found it at all In life ; and when the
day of thanksgiving came round there would be no want of
gratitude In each a goal. Rather there would be • desire
for some oppytunitr to manifest it forth; and the gift
which was given for relieving the wants, the troubles,
and the sorrows of others would be given, as he trust
theirs would be given that day in glad and flee acknow-
ledeunent of Hi. love who gave it 'hem.
The calnctton at this service r emouoted to £8 fig. 61. ;
the tot .1 amount colected durior the day was atolls over
£lO.

At Sot Fardinston thenhollerines thro.libout the dey
Wet. also Orenl. the D ratp Warty 14).044. 111 ly
Gmmuni..M. U. 9,.; eTlortolmig servile*, £1 14.. 91.
children's manly.. £113.. 111. ; evenine service. £3l2s. 2 1. ;
sent al terwards. 5.. ; tots'. £lO 18..111.
The collection •t St. Pa cr's amounted to £l7 Pt 81..
and at All Balsas' to £416. 61.