Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1844-11-22
STATE OF VERMONT.
A PROCLAMATION.
by THE GOVERNOR.

The homage Of grateful confding
heart is due TO God from every creature
under heaven. He is great and good,
wise and holy, just and true. All His
works praise Him. They proclaim His
wisdom and His power; while sense of
His goodness is impressed on the heart OF
man by every object which meets his eyes
or ministers to his wants in the creation
which surrounds him. And this impress
sion is deepencd when he considers his
own mental and moral constituton-his
capacity of knowing COP, of delghting in
His PROJECTIONS, of relshing the beautiful
and sublime of His works, of perceiving
the excellency of His truth, the glory of
His Justice, and the riches of His revealed
mercy to man.
To these motives of gratitude which
press upon every heart, there are those su-
peradded which demand an immediate
acknowledgment of Gods goodness to us
as a community. He has favored us with
a government founded on the great truth
that all men are created equal" He
has permitted us the privilege of selecting
our own rulers from among ourselves. He
has enabled them TO enact wise and good
laws for our government. He has given
us the Bible-commissioned its ministers
to proclaim its truths and impress them up
on the hearts or The people, that a sense
of responsibility to Him, as the great Law
giver, takes the place Of that force which
otherwise could alone secure obedience to
law,
These great blessings, with the unvary-
ing alienation of summer and winter, seed
time and harvest, and the possession of an
earth yielding to the labors of man an I'M
failing and abundant supply for his wants,
are the fruits of the goodness of our
Heavenly Father, who maketh his sun to
rise Oh the evil and on the good, and sem
deth his rain on the Just and on the unjust.
do, therefore, at the close of this year,
which has been sgnally crowned with
Gods goodness to us as people, appoint
THURSDAY the FIFTH Day OF DECEMBER
next, to be observed as day of Thanks.
giving and Praise throughout this State.
Let the people, on that day, with one
accord, suspend their accustomed labors,
and in their several places of public wor-
ship, and in the joyous gatherings of their
family circles, pour out the thanksgiving
of full hearts to their Heavenly Father fol
His multiplied and unbounded mercies to
them. Let us praise Him for the gener.
al health He has permitted us to enjoy
during the past year. Let us look upon
our gathered harvest of good things, ant
surround our tables, loaded with His boun
ties, and thank Him for the earth, the air
the rain and the sunshine which have pro
duced them. And let us consider the val
ne of the spiritual blessings He has bcstow
ed on us-that we have the Holy Scrip
lures, able to make us wise unto salvation
the Sabbath made for man-the Twin,
ministry, to preach Christ crucified-ant
the example, for our imitation, of Hi
spotless life, His active goodness, and Hi
self-sacrfcing love. Let US give thank
that the truth is made mighty in working
out the results of practical reform in ind
vidual character and in the condition c
human society. Let us thank God for til
success of the Temperance reform-fc
the increasing regard for the Sabbath-fo
the growing, though too reluctant interes
for the oppressed-for the advancing spil
it of Peace, and for the active and sue
cessful efforts to dispel the darkness {
heathenism, and substitute for its burden
some and bloody rites, the simple worshi
of the living and true God.
And while enjoying the Bible, and til
institutions of freedom, of whose inculcs
ton and growing influence its trutf
are the only guaranty and pledge, let l
think of the millions in heather and non
inally christian lands, and even in o,
own land, who are destitute of these BILE
sings-enveloped in the darkness Of ign'
rance, and crushed beneath the foot of o.
preston, and let us prove our gratitude
God, by bearing them on our hearts to II
throne of His grace, and cheerfully al
Literally ministering of eur abundance
their wants; freely giving, as we ha'