Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-12-24
TIE SkkMON.


odsr uato God thsus'siving. aud pay the v0S' to
| the Most High:
And call spsn ne 10 the day ofuouble ! will
deliver thee, and thou sh alt ulorify me. PsAlSs
l. Ia, is,
This psalm of Asaph has for its grand theme
and scope the day of judgment--the second
coming Of the Lord Jesus Christ, in glorious
majesty, to raise the dead--to judge the world
to consummate the mystery OF God with
respect to this system. He tells his Jewish
Church what principles shall govern HIM on
that occasion in arbitrating the destInles oil
men. He will not reprove them for their offer
ings and sacrifices TO have been continually
before him. He tells them that he never took
any pleasure in the slaughter Of bullock or
the immolation of the lamb. The cattle on a
thousand hills are his-he cannot drink their
blood If he were hungry he would not tell
U.S. These things never had any especial effi-
cacy--were never OF any use except 10 the
worshiper as the gambolizing Lamb OF the
great sacrifce-the Lamb of God that taketh
away the sin OF the world. But when the Jew
rested in the sign and forgot the substance,
Gods own institutions were abhorred by HIM
self. He says, Golfer unto God thanksgiving"
| Let there be spiritual homage-heartier in
its nature and more lasting in Its obligation
than any intervening typical enactment. He
proceeds also TO show that the true worship OF
! that dispensation as Of every other, and the
true spiritual worship alone is accepted Of him
"Whoso offereth praise gorilieth me- and 10
him that orlereth his conversation arght will
| shew the salvation Of God" Every subSti.
tute-every inventlon-every formed enact
ment of this worlds ignorance and presnmp-
,on, shall be degraded in that day, "Now
consider this ye that forget God, lest tear We
in pieces and there be none 10 deliver" My
dear hearers There are special reasons with
us as well as general reasons why we should
| feel the force Of this order-"0ifer unto God
thanksgiving" feel that it is an occasion |
am utterly inadequate 10 meet; yet know
that God prizes above all sacrifices that OF The
broken and conirite heart. Oh may each one
of US form such an heart Golfer unto God
thanksgiving"
! This day, will make few remarks on the
nature und excellence of the service; and then
the occasions. general and special, which en-.
| force its performance. First, OF the service OF
! Thanksgiving. II may be defined TO be that
Joint language Of the heart and the tongue, IN
private or in public gratefully worshlplug God
with a sense of personal unworthiness, enhan-
cling the appreciation Of Divine benefits blen-
ded with desire TO please and serve their
great Author and Dispenser. You perceive
that this is proper and obligatory for creatures
so dependent toward King SO great and a
benefactor so kind Oh! what a lesson 1t Is
for us to learn our dependence That sin
which characteriZes the apostacy has benumo-
ed our sensibilties darkened our percep-
,ions--has alenated our minds--and some
men often act as if the prmative poison OF the
tempter had been retained. They are as gods,
living and moving and having their being IN
themselves Whereas there never was man
nor an angel that could lift \ thread or pm
ion without the power and minlstraton OF the
unseen and universal providence of God He
hangs creation on his arm. He feeds II at his
board. He makes it rich in his smile or Ian
guish under his rebuke. Dependent on him
for every breath we draw-lor every pulSation
of our arteries dependent on him for food
and raiment-what hast thou that thou hast
not received? Who maketh thee TO differ
from another? Is il not proper that we should
acknowledge Our obligation-that we should
give thanks TO him who gives us allf What
can we do less and those who most sincere
" do It feel that il is easy, reasonable and
worthy. 1t is no compensation to him. Tie
is happy, selfexlstent, supreme. eternal. lis
resources are infinite. His energies are I'M
snent. He can make that new which was
ola He can renovate--he can raise the dead.
Our God. there is none like unto HIM, and he
reioices TO do good and never did any thing
that was not wholly good, and dong good Is
the business Of his own eternal Ilie-tme. lie
has placed man upon his footstool to os ,he