Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-11-20
SYNOPSIS
OF Thanksgiving sermon.

| puOAC IcCOBultlOlt Vi Tie CAdLl1b u Ic1l8
lon upon Us as o nation This day has
been set apart by the President of tht
United States, and the Governor of ON
own State, as a day of thanksgiving and
prayer to Almighty God for His innumera
Bile blessings bestowed on us as a people
1t is just and right that nation should
consider the source of its prosperity, anC
acknowledge in a becoming manner thai
Hand that so literally supplies its every
want. Nothing is truer than the words O
the Psalmist when he said, Blessed is the
nation whose God is the Lord
Our prosperity and national safety are
commensurate with the estimation in which
our citizens hold the principles of a pure
Christianity. For the Lord beholdeth
the sons Of men. From the place of His
habitation He looketh upon all the inhabi-
tants of the earth. He consid-
ereth all their works. There is no king
saved by the multitude of host mighty
man is not delivered by much strength. .
We hail with pleasure this day OF
national Thanksgiving, and shall en-
| deavor to celebrate it in suita-
bic praises 10 Him Who layeth tia
beams Of His chambers in the waters,
| who covereth Himself with hght as with a
| garment, and streteheth out the heavens
! like a curtain WHO stretcheth out the
north over the empty place, and hangeth
| the earth upon nothing" and ''Who
| bindeth the sweet Influences of Pleiades,
| and loOseth the bonds of Orion, and
| bringeth forth Mazzaroth in his season;
and glideth Arctorus with his sons" Ia
prsising the great, good, and infinite Bene-
factor of our race, we should do it with
thanksgiving and joy. In being thankful
let us ask:
i. What is included in thankfulness /?
A right appreciation of the benefits God
confers. The dignity of the great Source
| Of our benefits, and our unworthiness
should determine the nature of our appreei-
atoms. If we love God, we will rightly
| appreciate the benefits He confers on us,
because we know that it is of love. We
| should appreciate the motives that prompt
the bestowment of benefits. God is in
| fnitely good, holy and righteous, and
| needeth not thepraise of man to add to His
| glory; hence all the bestowments of His
unnumbered blessings upon US, ere gratui-
tous.
2. A sincere value of the blessings
bestowed. Every gift of God should be
priced. The gifts of God are blessings,
intended for the happiness of His people
they are the revelations of His law and
gospel to men, which are more to be de-
sired than gold; yea than much fine gold.
Sweeter also than the honey or the honey
comb ''The law is perfect, converting
the soul, andthegospel is the power of God
unto salvation. every good gift and
every perfect gift is from above, and eometh
down from the Father of Lights" There
fore, we should be sincerely thankful for
all these inestimable blessings, bestowed
upon us.
3. FergeRt acknowledgment to God for
HIS goodness to as. We must fervently ac-
knowledge that it is the goodness of God
| that leadeth men to repentance. 1t is by
His goodness that We are enabled to be-
ieve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and to per-
severe, through Him, unto salvation. The
fervency of the heart must move the tongue.
open Thou my lips, and will show forth
Thy goodness. We are urged, that what
ever we do in word or deed, we are to
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God and the Father by
| Him, And whatsoever We do, do it heartily,
as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing
that of the Lord We shall receive the reward
| of His inheritance; for We serve the Lord
Christ" The tongue is never SO well en-
ployed as in blessing God. The sweetest
symphonies hsped by human tongues, are
those given in acknowledgment to God
for his goodness toward us.
| 4. AGectiO7ldte obedience 10 God for his
| benefits Love and obedience are insep-
arabic. The first promptings of the re-
newed soul, are, Lord what wilt Thou
have me to do?" or ''What shall render
for all Thy benefits ?" He asks our hearts
and lives to be eonsecrated to His service.
| He would that our obedience to all His com
mandments should flow from the heart
30 give thanks unto the Lord, for He is
good; for His mercy endureth forever.
Blessed are they that keep Judgment, and
| he that doeth righteousness at all times
| that they may see the good of Thy chosen,
that they may rejoice in the gladness of
Thy nation, that they may glory with
| Thine inheritance
II. ON WHAT GROUNDS SHOULD WE BE
| THANKFUL?
l. Our relation to Deity. We are His
creatures, and He has bountifully provided
for u.s. As a nation we have never suffered
| from famine it is true that the early colo
MES suffered by famine, but that was be-
fore the forest was felled or the plough
share had broken the maiden soil No
sooner had the forest been removed and
the rivers and lakes began tc be
navigated, than plenty poured forth
her bOuntifl stores into the lap of
the nation. We are His dependents
and His bounty has supplied us with every
| blessing and comfort Of life. We are His
children; for He is our God, and we are
the people of His pasture, and the sheep
of His hand"
?. The mercies Jest0ued As nation we
possess every variety of climate and soil
| known to the earth; and as TO the mineral
wealth of our country, it Is unsurpassed by
any in the world. 1t is wonderfully strange
that the resources of our country have been
so rapidly developed since the close of our
national troubles, in which they we're all
prostrated, and to all human appearance,
seemed to be doomed to remain in devas-
tated ruins forever. Peace and prosperity
are now the absorbing interests of the day.
| The asperities of parties are yielding to
! principles more conservative, and the dark
clouds of political strife are breaking away.
! as the quiet stars of peace are resuming
| their wonted positions in the beautiful
armament. Our agricultural, commercial
and mechanical enterprises are making
rapid progress in all parts of our country.
In the great development of our national
resources, our most hopeful expectations
| have been more than realized. Our sue
cess must be attributed to the guidance Of
| an AlI-wise Providence. As a people
we excel in natural resources, laws and re-
| Igion; we are nation of sOvereigns, en-
| loving peculiar privileges. We owe every
thing to the principles of our holy religion,
which have given such impetus to OuI
national prosperity; the very genius of the
government is the offspring of religion its
constitution Is founded upon a pure and
tolerant Christianity. 1t is with feelings o.
the warmest enthusiasm that we be-
hold our beautiful mother pillowing hel
head upon the snOw-crowned noun
tains of the North and bathing hel
feet in the Gulf of Mexico, and with one
hand firmly grasping the tomb of Washing
ton, and the other resting upon the jewels
of California; and upon her bosom she
bears up millions of freemen, who derive
their happiness and prosperity from hel
sweet and benign influences. What are,
III. THE CONSIDERATIONS THATsHoULD EzCTTI
1 TO THIS DUTY?
| l. HsTedsORa6leness All creatures have
some mode of expressing their delight
The harmony of the spheres, the birds O
the air, the fields, rivers and winds, anG
especially the superior beings-seraphin
and cherubim-all acknowledge the ineffs
BILE blessings of God.
| 2. It's pleGSurQ6leness Some duties arr
painful and selfdenying; but this is luxu
rousress, the essence of Joy; it is the Ugh
of the soul to give expression to the warn
sentiments that come rolling up from
grateful hearts that have been the reeip
tents of so many mercies and benefits.
3. It's proftd5LeRess. It is the health 0