The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-11-20
Thanksgiving Day.
HOW 1T WAS OBSERVED.
INTERESTING CHURCH SERVICES.
WESLEY CHAPEL.
Eloquent Discourse by Rev. n. Pey-
tom Rrowu.

WESLEY CHAPEL.
.loauont Discourse by Rev. n. Pey-
ton Brown.
At Wesley Chapel, on Thanksgiving Day, |
lev. d. Peyton Brown delivered the following |
loquent discourse
"Iu lJ31, Boston was but n village. The
,olonists were then suffering their heaviest
rlals. Food was exceedingly scarce, and
respects OF famine beesmc daily more eHi' !
Governor winthrop walked forth to visit
ONE heidsi he came tuddcnly upon child
weeping bitterly. What all, thee, ny ntts
vas the reply. a voice called from an upper
window hCome In my child" He, looking
up. saw At the window the emaciated form OF
Inc suffering mother. His heart was touched.
He walked on, deyislny means for the relief OF
proposed aud called. /, met at Pafsoh Nil.
With dauser and toll 10 the WILDERNESS. was
resolved upon. But who will go, was the
question; who has strength OF heart and limb
will got ~ wili,n said an old man by the
name OF Mason, at viii wander far into the
wilderness, God will be with me, and perhaps
give me game to bring back; II not can lie
down to my last sleep in the forest az well as
here. lhave no family to mourn my iossi !
know where my wife and children are" with
they lay, he sat down. Noble old man !
such are the real heroes OF earth-who sAorl'
dee themselves for the good OF Others. lu-
ranged they should start on the next day but
one, and that day should be observed as day
Of fasting AID prayer by al the people for he
night calmly rested upon suffering peoplei
morning 10 dswning upon Boston. John
Ms,on, ipil Of noble pI,pGse' i ,ns nfit ,h 20
ocean, quick his eyes dilste, hi. checks glow,
he shouts "a ship" "a shiP;,, "thc ship Is
coming;" men, women and children rush into
thR strfeta. tears of low flowing fool has
come. The lives OF the people are saved
The proclamation of the governor Ia changed
fasting and prayer" 1t was recommended
that all should unite il Thanksgiving TO
God" And thus, in Boston, under these I'M
Thanksgiving Day of our Pilgrim Fathers, AS
the "annals" OF New England infoTm US.
.Prior to ,h,. occasion there lad hrsn dry.of
rejoicing observed by many Of lhe people. bat
none By Official proclamation, and 'Gsh s~usral OBJ
giving pay
with them this service was no IDLE form or
sr.tos,, ceremony they ielt profoundly
IN ,he gay 81 extremity; saved them 10 the
Subsequent to this period I, has been the
Thanksgiving for the usual blessings OF Provi.
denoe Andgraee, or ths direct interposltioB OF
Almighty God for our delirerAnoo from spe-
eial and particular troubles custom which
all devout hearts will not Only approve but
observe with devotion and gratitude,
On the 18th day Of Dc:emhrr, l5IT, neatly ~
years ago, when our fathers had achieved sue
cess over BuFgoyne, n day Of "thHukgglying'
was observed BY order OF OUT Contrcss. When
this "proclamation" reached Washington he
was on his march TO Valley Forge, but he
halted his whole army aud gave stringent or.
ders that the day be spent IN dcyout thanks.
giving TO God. such was the spitlt and faith
and practice OF our fathers. For do not many
serve them'
II It's not my puTPo.e, however to trace the
history OF special thanksgiving d,ysr sly
text leads my thoughts into another channel,
VIZ: The duty OF daily, constant praise and
Thanksgiving to God. ~ will blcss the Lord
AT All times his praise shall continually be Ia
my mouth"
The constant habit of grateful aoknowiedg.
grace and the blessings OF his providence is
the duty OF man. lateed, It 10 Impossible for
one to be truly grateful only on special oce1.
sions. Gratitude to God Il not natural to
man. tits an emotion OF the heart which
grace must awaken s1i habit cultivate aud
David did not bless the LorIwlth hlsiIp hi.
praise was not formal and cold. Bless the
Lord, ., my soul. and Nil within me, bless his
holy name" Bless the Lori, q, my soul,
and forget not alp or any oil his benefits
who forgiveth all thine iniqu.iIcs, who heal.
eth all thy diseases
Many who arc willing to set apart ouo day
10 the year Tor thanksgtvlng. who even come
10 church on such occasions to hear the min.
iter desesnt upon the special metcics aud pe.
eunar blessings OF the past to harangur upon
the material greatness Of our couatry, or Lls-
cuss the state aud nationNl questions Of the
uay-may be entertained and even plea ed
should the Interpretation glven OF Providence
cnAnce TO FAVOR their peculiar view Of these
questlons-neycr, perhaps, spend moment In
prayeriuI meditation upon The goodness and
mercy Of Almighty God vouchsqfed to them Ia
the daily ble-slngsof his grace and providence.
what avail the forms, the services OF suchI
us nothing worth In the slight Of heaven.
"fod Is aspitit, aud they t4It woFshiu MIA
y AZ
How much Of this form uf ir-rRtitulc-ar /
u II not more, real imhdclity turks IN tnc
hearts OF noEt mrul Many who have GOA Ia
their creeis, exclude him from the govern.
ment OF human AifIirs because he sees proprr
70 employ secondary causes IN working out
MS great designs among the children OF men,
This form of inhielity had 10 place In he
hearts Of our Pilgrim Fathers n5 they Oh.
served their first Thanksgiving day, Thy
regarded the arrival Of the shlp in time 70
save their lives AZ the direct iatcFposition Of
dod-by whose tides and winds she had been
drought safely into port. Who doubts IN
Gould we exercise this simple yet Iublim.
faith 10 God" that looks rlght up to him ns
our i.ther-the giver of all our comforter our
shield against danger; our constant and su NJ.
elent Portion-whHt holy love would Cnkindle
In our hearts, What burning zeal would mark
our devotion! "HoW humhly aud upright
would we walk with God, and what, bIesse
lows. va w.
DO we really feel In our he.ffsth,t aai,
present and controls In the arllTS Of dam,
iifel For this conviction lies At the fonpj..
'iS G Of az real gratitude Of Thanksgiving
Come, let US look into our heart and exam.
Inc our fAi tn to-day, for some mes men who
are scarcely aware Of It, wAn have Iiod ia
thelf creeds, cherish nue. OF lHfllelity in their
iirss co anu ~ crops cut IN their words and
hi. ~ Pt0iesS'Jn, IN the smooth periods Of
i In" providence. lie has Just been descrlh-
.HS he landing of William, Prince of Or4D-p,
"A England, after his most cycntful voyage 10
that island, and the changes OF weather which
had Insured the success Of .thc enterprise,
and thus proceeds! 1.-THE weather had Indeed
served the Protest cause 80 well that some
men Of more piety than judgment fully be.
lieVed the ordinary laws OF nature 10 have
been suspended for the yTescrYntinn Of the
liberty aud religion OF England Exactlya
hundred years before, they SAT, the 'armlil
invinclble by man, had been &C ,t'rFei hY the
wrath OF God. civil freedom tHl divine tiu'h
were again In jeopardy, aud again the obs"
As soon as the landing had been cifrctni
public thanks were returned TO God for The
protection accorded TO the enterprise. The
troops, taught to regard themselves as a.
yoriteB OF heaven, were Inspired with new
COURAGE Nc. Mark the HnerT Of this hisiU-
risn at the faith of these earnest mon In The
experimenting providence OF GOd-that Jr-
hoyah could and did employ even the e!c
ments to aid in accomplishing his plans among
men.
Here, unconsciously It may he, McC,uIry
goes further than the inhdcI strauss, who III
one oil his arguments az t!ass tho T,Iug OF
mir seles hold this language
"Jesus Is said on one occasion TO have fed
1--WE thousand persons miracIlDusly, but God
every day supplies the wants OF unuumbered
Jesus Is said to have given sight 10 the
blind and even lie TO the dead; hut sensation
and vitality are the daily giita Of God to the
world 10 cases past all reckoning" Here even
this inhde admits the direct agency OF God
10 the affairs of daily life.
Whist Is our faith, feeling and expcrienc"