Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1860-12-13
THANKSGIVING SERMON,
PREACHED AT MILLEIsBURG, on THE 29TH OF
NOVEMBER, BY REV. j. MATLocK.

PKaAcHED AT MILLEEsBURG, on THE 29rH OF
NOVEMBER, BY REV. j. MATLocK.
TExT.-"He hath not dealt so with any na-
ton. Praise We the Lord. '-Psalms l47
20.
NJ FRIENDS:
We are convened to-day By vir-
tue of a proclamation issued by the Governor OF
the great State of Ohio, for the noble purpose OF
making public acknowledgment of the obli-
cations we are under to God. for his goodness,
manifested toward Us as a State and nation.
through all our past history. and especially du-
ring the past year.
The great propriety of properly observing such
occasions, need not be urged upon the consider
alton of a people, who believe that, under the
approving smile of God, States and nations
bloom in prosperity; and that under his disap-
proving frown they wither, and are blasted by
adversely. And Trust, my friends, that We are
actuated in our PR sent coming together by that
kind of faith in God.
Is there man or nation in all the earth, hav-
ing reached the acme of absolute independence,
or feeling. under no obligations to God, in whose
political and moral confession of faith there is no
superintending Providence recognized. Such
may, with some show of consistency at least, dis
regard or dispense with occasions like this al
together; but surely professedly christian peo-
pie never can.
That there is God who ruleth over all king
doms anu nations Of men, who is king of kings.
and Lord lords" i need not now stop to prove.
Dut 10 hiustra'e d wen as may 'he uhu.lera-
permit me to point you to a being in possession
Of all the attributes and characteristics of man.
who, by the magical power OF unbelief, has meta
morphosed himself into the ungoverned. and
uhso' A"oie oh'P''ns VI o''Au anu "iiiieee
'',n',
Look AZ hil', ses,ea onugJ upon .he 9'eah
o4.ien =, u "'uh nas 'eaen rue II
prime VI iiie.,ne Zenih Vi ms eAislenee; ne
Is noW Just MIDWAY oetween hotIihg ana nom
ehany ne :. mus uP n's sIesp'nllAs eyes anu iooks
is u.nN ne ~. .u.As M anu iooSs pa:k-
- - IL f., -, D'-I. 5.ooe
" 1eNe''n "i,e ".n I'M - % Ia. nncSs "
.ne mus oniiis, ~ ""N p'Ci"uhu. Nv oUu
sui'e y. gun Ui n,m. nri., ~ w oTu ~ .Is no
his eloon,v n;c,nre wiibout . naraiIel in roa1
iin iii' sioonS PiS'uie "i'Nou' Paiaiiei III ie'i
.rsL,o,,
iIInt ,I I"Ie Int su, IL oI;.nda s III ',,I
,a 1I.oad ~. ~, u"u pb;iaOnnhn Wban IL
.hd - sea ~ ny 81 d;Irt .or,r.d;o,;',,
S;",~a,;n W. tnrn ,,,T a'., - f,,J
a',h;rr b., aoubt md ;rror.nca Wbora 81
~ rs, f-o,,, ~ o,,,sas 40 dor,.o ~,
=. o..o IL ~ - oonJ;,;.,r ILL rn,yrn9
e,,s oa,ee,.d,J IL ,Ioso or,as+;ors ~ -;
..'u 80 ,,,,,".If; ~ 80 d,Ir.1'Ia .tsi;
:: - IN, n...;raJ -";.t, ~ J..rl,t Ja.L
M 'ion >, '''@ -'-- '-N wi ~
"'ss 1T
And asH whaI oul alleaFt a'eiSe 70 run ahu
hoiiness, ana vie sys EN- OIL phiiosophy WIN,
out the 1od OF providence ana grace IN H. coulu
ever nave leo the iihu Oh hume mo sScn ah
awful laoyrihth Oh douot ana d;!rKness' Dut
hume Is h0t aiohe' olnerS maze traVeiea alole
the same dreary road' ana nave arrived ~ the
same depioraDie aestihalioh.
'0Iaire' whose perhiSious lt.'c,ihes corrupt
ed all rance ana turned ihe "noie nation away
from the great 'oo providence ana tfutn' pears
terrible testiinohy "eaihs' ni'nseii anu MS o"u
Godless PhilosoPny' Wheh ne says: VINO can
without horrof' CONSIDER ine Whoie woria as the
empire OF destruction! IL anonnds with Won
ders-lt aoounas also win victims. II Is VAST
held oi carnage ana eon'agioh, Livery species
Is without pity pursued ana torn TO pieces
through Inc earth' the alr' theWAer.
In man ihere is more wretchedDess than In
all other animals put togeiher. he loves iife'
and yet he knows he must die. Inns knowl-
edge Is his iatai PrerogaliVe-otner animals nave
II no'. ne 'ne '""e.en. VI nt'
existence IN dlHuslnS ihe rnlseries which ne sui
lot pay-m cnea'ihg ana oeing ehea'ea-ih
r0ooihg ana peihg ropoee-ahu III rePeAusg ol
all ne goes. Inc quiz OF man kiho are noIning
inore ti]H cio"u vi Tie'entS' equai'y eii.in
hal ana unfortunate tren'oie at tne re'ie"
OF TINS dreadful picture. l WISH nad never
been born. But why CID this great apostle OF
skeptlclsm SO tremble at the review OF this dark,
and distorted picture OF the world, drawn by
his own hand, and then express the horrld wish
that he never had been born!
Ihe answers apparent. Voitaire mad no con.
hdence In God: and worse than that, ne had
been waglng Hie-long warfare upon the Bible
Inc word 0, i, ooa-'ne Only system oi eterhai
truth mat viii ever prove eHectual IN narmo,
nizing; ana eoniroiiihg lhose oistractlhg ana
eiemen!s among men, OF wniEn ne
80 oitlerly comPiaihea. ne khe" iuii wen tna'
In ms own Phiiosopny tnere was no remedy
ana that IL couio ohiy serve io MAKE Inc mat
ter lnnnneiy worse was Mierwaro most Iuly
oemohs'ra'eu III 'he history Vi LIS owh country:
men entertaining Inc sehrlmenls ~ I enreTtainea
Har. az hoI;ay. tho, ,hara ! caJ ~ h. III
rror,, b;O nror;damca and s,;r;t 80 c.n and anas
49,. II a. e. of H. - 80 ~.
iha,.sa .s H. roat h.. .vrras.ad II.
'ne'e's' as ''e pc n"' ee'eu
Ronab beu py tbem ,s snae Ms xi1 sdnPes our en''
Nc"
u .he SPARROW "a a., ns .tansien. n,gn' Is noI 700
small 10 attract the a''eh'ioh oi the great oou'
surely mef ana NATIONS are neiher 100 large nor
mo tnat haS reaa ProPnesy
ana history, ana therein marked the rise ana
ai, OF citles ahd emptres oI anIiqui'y' couio
"a Iail 10 see the naha o. Dlv,he ffoSidenee IN
'nose Sra "ohueitui iet o'"rions! nI
L ne Siesst 1ttCt thfst Siou uOeo uest1 VIII Hth-