Arkansas intelligencer., 1847-12-25
A Thanksgiving Sermon delivered at IN, n,
in Van Buren, on the 9Th Dec, iSi7, BY n,
Rev. w. X. MARSHAL.
X. MARSHALL,

in Van Bnren, on the 9Th Deer iSi7 by n,
Rev. w. X. MARSHALL.
Deuteronomy Sth 18th, 18th and ,,n
Lest when thou hast eaten, and art full -.
built goody houses and dwelt therein /; and wa Sna
herds and thy focks multiply, and thy siIvor a a
gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast Is mri
then thy heart be lifted up and thou forget m.
thy God"
These words are the parting advice Of Ma.
the nation of Israel. Moses had tauob,
wholesome laws, which he had received A.,
frem God himself he had seen the dsDl,T
the divine power and munfcence on their nj
and, now, as he was about to be taken from n
he recounted the many mercies they had rer;.
and assured them Of their continuance on coS
ton of their obedience ; but threatened cu,'N
they would disobey. After having placed bs,l
them blessing and curse, on these condiio,y
he admonished them, in the language of Our y
Of the tendency of national prosperity 10 -
national ngratitude. :" Lest after all thou I,sa
multiplied, then thy heart DO lifted up, and \
forget the Lord thy God" Lest thy hear
drawn off from the giver 10 the gift.
Tho tendency of national prosperity 10 bl
national pride and ingratitnde, is strkingly N
trated in the case OF the Jews. God had mind
lousIy delivered them from the bondage of Esv|
and led them triumphantly through the Red y
and through the widnerness-he had driven
the nations of Canaan, and had planted then
the promised Iand-a land Z" flowing with milk \
honey" He had caused tho fear of them and
dread Of them to fall on all lands. In the M
of oil their blessings they became forselbl
God and addicted to the most base idoalrl
Their conduct is an illustration of what all o,
are disposed TO do, were they situated in the Sd
circumstances.
As n nation we have boen blessed and is IN
no danger Of forgetting the Lord God Of
coming proud, luxurious, and feeling that our o.
hand has gotten US all this might.
A consideration of the sources from wb,r
our national blessings flow, will guard US asai
the danger of continual prosperity producing
tional pride and ingratitude, and cali forth naiio
gratitude and thanksgiving.
God is the author of all national BLESSINGS,
We believe him 10 be the dispenser of all even
the author of individual, social and national ca
forts; it is he alone who pule,h down one mai
and. buildeth up another. That we, as a nai
owe our national existence, privileges and d
perity, to the overruling hand of beniGceni }
vldence, cannot be doubted. There wore eyid
traces OF en- overriding providence in the disco
ry OF the land IN which we live. A shor, i
since and this mighty continent was hal
waste trodden only by the foot of SAVAGE N
here, undlsturted, ne built his wigwam, and a
snng his war-song he felt
| That from the centre a II round TO the shore
lie was lord Of all he surveyed"
But these fertile valleys-these rolling sire
these extensive plains, were not TO Law uno
pred. The being who spread them out for mi
use, kindled in tho breast of Columbus an
quenchablo desire to launch out on the untroj
ocean he perscvered in the midst of diffcu
calculated TO apall the heart OF the most dar
uniii ne set his foot in The new world. Who.
looks at the nature Of the case, can fail 10 soc
mana OF an overruing providence guiding hir
The discovery OF this land. The settlement
land, particularly that part we occupy, has
ProVideniial. God, as he did to the nation Of
rael, drove out the heathen and planted our fat
here. When the first little colonies were pIar
mere, The indians might have crushed them,
"oo held them In his hand; he restrained the In
until The fear of you, and the dread of YOU,
fallen upon them. The first settlers of this e.
Try were not the offscouring of Europe. 7
were The enterprising, the phlantbropic. the
ole-the men IN whose bosoms God Ind kin
The hres OF Liberty, which even tho iron han
despotlsm could not quench. When Europe
ished them she banshed the men in whose he
were planted the principles of civil and reIie
liberty which here sprung up, and spread
tneir overshadowiug boughs, for the protection
the oppressed and the suffering of every land
Also in the hearts Of our Pil grim fathers "
planted those religious principles which foster
protect, and are the precursors of civil liberty
They carried with them religion, the hand mai
civil liberty.
The circumstances under which we obtai
our independence-the time--the king who
on the throne--all circumstances conspiring
produce the same result--our independence
evidence of the interpo stion of an overrul
providence. Judging from the nature of the c
we would not have supposed, that success wo
have crowned our cause. But God guided US
to victory. At tho very time ho was required
raised up
WASHINGTON, w
The brave, the wise, tho good
WASHINGTON,
Supreme in war, in council, and in peace