The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-12-04
Thanksgiving Discourse Delivered
by the Acting Pastor, Mr.. Simon
Heeht, at the Sixth Street Temple,
NOV. 10Th. 1865.

The orator, after stating in the introduc-
ton the motive and design of the festival
selected as text or the Grafton: I" There
fore, God give thee OF the dew OF heaven seL
of corn and wine.n Gen., chap. q, verse %
Reverend Hecht casts q retrospect into
the past, q glance towards the future and
a look up to the Lord of bliss.
Then Mr.. Hecht continues to illustrate
his text Two-fold was the promise of the
Patriarch to his son. The dew OF heaven
and the fatness Of the earth ear Inc text text
earth The dew of heaven, that fertilizing
dew that comes from above, is that spirit
of Heaven, that divine spark OF the spirit,
which not only joins tne hearts OF p prem
bat it is before all that fertil1zing spiritual
dew of heaven, which, also, Tor the lasI
year nourished and fertiliZed the intellec-
tual soil of this country. The spiritual
improvements of this country testified
loudly the blessings of God This IS prov
ed by the increase of the higher ana lower
institutions of learning, the inventions
and improvements in the technical and
mechanical branches: the improvements
in arts, commerce and trade.
All this proves that the blessing, the dew
of heaven, also, was for our country and
our city, and that we are entitled to say,
feeling the goodness of God, who wants, by
His grace, and by the means OF this dew
of heaven, to raise us 20 spiritual beings,
blessing of God, with David in his Psalm
: Great things has tie Lord done unto us;
let us rejoice"
The orator, after illustrating this part at
large In asreligious and liberal way, came
to the second part of the grafton, by which
he, led by his text, seeks to prove that also
the blessings of the earth bespoken of by
the B ible, was enjoyed by the inhabitants
of this country, blessing by which the
prosperity and the peace of the land for
the last year was Increased and secured.
Tbs blessing. Of the soil by Gods harmo-
MI a vTiS0. lqorS 1nqf11rps COnfQrrP6
upon us, proves his endless goodness and
love, allowing us the fairness of the
land" the best productions of the soil, the
great table which nature prepares and adj
monishes us to brotherly union and broth
erly love.
! TO God's.blessings are all men entitled,
without difference of station or religion.
Let us have, therefore, liberation and
equal rights for all.
Love is the base of all religion; love
teaches the Bible, the word of God, whose
voice we hear In the whispering of the
wind and in the roaring of the sea. If we
follow this idea in life, we show that we
celebrate festival of Thanksgiving and OF
determination.
But not onlyao thank God but also to
love Him, requests this days festival of US.
God created all for man; for him ripeS the
ear and the grape, for him feasts the fish
in the water, and the beast on the pasture.
God, according to the words of the Holy
Bible, made man the lord of His works
| and put all under his feet.n
me heavens are tne heavens or the
Lords but the earth he gave to the child
rem of man and the productions of the
soil; the inhabitants of the waters and the
air offer themselves to their Lord, that he
can find healing and strength, pleasure
! and sustenance. All capacities and quail
| ties given to the reasonless creatures on
earth, serve man, and each hOur1shing
field. each fruit bearing tree, seems to say
With eternal love do love thee, and
with bonds of love carry thee towards
me-" et
The orator after mentioning yet that
earth, the living place of man, is also his
burying place, which also should admon.
tect as from pride and haughtiness, closed
his rather practically con ceived exposi
| ton with a prayer for the country, the in
habitants of the city, and the Israelttit
congregation. aSNeft