The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-01-01
THE MINNESOTIAN.
THANKS GIVING SERMON.

THANKS GIVING SERMON.
By REV. T. R. CREssEY, Pastor of the Boptist
Church, st. Paul. MIN. Ter, deliuered Dec
! 23d, 1852, before the First and Second Pres
6yterian, the Methodist and Bapsist churches
| united.
Published BY request.]
For centuries past, particular days in differ
| ent nations have been set apart for the special
acknowledgment of Gods blessings, by humili-
alton, prayer and thanksgiving. These days
were not extensively known until the time of
Moses. Under his dispensation, they became
numerous and permanently established on diff
ferent months in each year. The three most
important festivals among the Jews. were the
Passover, the Pentecost and the feast of Taber-
nacles. These were instituted for the special
purpose OF concentrating the wonderful kind
ness of God towards them. The Pentecost con-
| tinued for only one day, the Passover seven
and the Feast of Taberuacles for eight days
No employment, except what was necessary to
prepare food, was permitted especially on the
first and last days of these festivals Their
time was spent in Offering special sacrifices to
God, in recounting the mercies of Divine Provi-
dence to them, in renewing their covenant obi
| cations, in unitedly cOnfessing their sins to
their Heavenly Father and to one another or
IN lmpressing important religious truths upon
the rising generation. Every mark of graft
tude, mingled with humiliation. prayer and
confession were exhibited, being varied, how
ever, by time and circumstances.
| Some of the relics of these solemn assem-
| blies are still to be seen among the descend
ants of Abraham. in whatever nation YOU find
them dispersed.
Our Pilgrim Fathers, driven by the scourg-
ing hand of persecution from the endearments
OF their native land, after an unsuccessful at
tempt to settle in Holland, directed their
course across the painless deep to this new and
then wilderness world. One hundred and one
landed upon the rock of Plymouth, Dec. %,
1920. In few months, exhausted by fatigue,
hunger, cold and sickness, their number was d.
minished nearly one-half by death. Though
countless misfortunes had thus thinned their
ranks and withered their strength, yet they felt
constrained by the love of God to set apart a
day for special thanksgiving. This they did in
the spring of 1921. The day was spent in
prayer and peculiar manifestations of gratitude
to Almighty God for the many blessings.
amidst deserved wrath, which He had bestowed
upon them.
ted the practice of devoting one day in each
year to special acknowledgement of the mer-
cies of Divine Providence.
In imitation of our Puritan Fathers, and desi-
rous to recognize the hand of God in all our
ways, that he may direct our steps. we have in
accordance with the request of the Executive
authority of this Territory. assembled this
morning around one common family alter, to
offer praise and thanksgiving to the great Au-
thor Of our being. YES THIS Is THANKsGIviNG
DAY, and we have chosen for our text,
JONAH 4: G. So Jonah ,cos erceeding
glad of the gourd.'
This day comes to us as an old friend with
whom we have been conversant in childhood
We have seen it before, and felt all its lovely,
soothing, or spirit stirring influences. for it al
ways comes to throw around us unnumbered
recollections of the past, and to revive the
memory of scenes which otherwise would for
ever slumber in the dark folds of the mantle of
oblivion. With peculiar joy and incxpressiblc
gratitude. We would unitedly hail its return
and attentivcly listen to its impressive Ian
guage as it rushes by. We would yield our
hearts to all those mingled emotions, those
moving remembrances, those tender sympathies
and bright anticpatiOns which these hours are
calculated to inspire.
But as we are this day particularly called
upon to exercise thankfulness, there is great
danger that we mistake some other emotion for
this, and thus fail in our object There is
probably no feeling so nearly allied to thankful
ness, and so frequently mistaken for it as that
of gladness. We are perfectly aware that in
scripture these are often used in some of their
shades of meaning as nearly synonymous but
their general Specification is widely different
Giadness often partakes much of selfshness.-
This emotion generally fixes our attention
upon the blessings received as affecting our
happiness, without leading our minds to the
source from whence these blessings are derived.
1t does not necessarily include a sense of I'M
worthiness, ill desert, or love to the author of
our mercies. 1t begins and terminates with the
| simple consideration that we are made more
comfortable by some mercy that has fallen
within our reach. Gladness goes no further
1t does not recognize the hand that bestowed
| that mercy.
| This is readily illustrated by the text and its
connection. Jonah was divinely commissioned
! to deliver special message to Ninevah. When
he had performed the appointed task. he left
the city as though fearing he should be over
whelmed in its ruin built him booth and sat
down beneath its shade to see what would be-
come of the city. His frail shelter was not
sufficient to protect him from the suffocating
winds and scorching sunbeams of that place
1t therefore pleased God miraculously to pre-
pare large plant, which with rapid growth
and luxuriant foliage was speedily prepared to
afford him refreshing shade. This greatly
tended to assuage his grief. Nay, Jonah
was exceeding glad of the gourd"-glad on &C
count of this personal accommodation. But
though he was " glad. exceeding glad
yet he was not truly thankful at heart. AS
chastisement for his ingratitude, God caused
the plant to be smitten, that it withered away,
and thus Jonah was made to feel the severe re-
buke of the Almighty, because he did not
gratefully recognize the source from whence
this blessing came.
The same emotions which the Prophet felt
beneath that cooling shade. will be extensively
realized throughout this Territory to-day
Most of us are exceeding glad'' to see
another Thanksgiving day. The little children
have for weeks been anxiously inquiring when
the time would arrive, and the few last days
have doubtless seemed like weeks for length, so
great has been their desire to see these cheering
hours. And when they are permitted to meet
their brothers, sisters, cousins and beloved
mates, and interchange those looks of love,
and sport with childish glee, they will all be
exceeding glad' that Thanksgiving day has
returned.
That lovely band of youth also, with spirits
buoyant as the prairie deer, and almost tame
less as the desert tiger; with brows unfurrow
ed with care and toll and grief; with bOSoms