Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1869-12-03

1
In the 18th chapter Of the bool,
of Proverbs, and 34th verse you will
find these words: Righteousness
exalteth nation; but Sin Is a re-
proach to any people.n l have chosen
text this morning because it Is
appropriate to do so. And yet,
perhaps, no text of Scripture,
which involved in it's appliance
less than a nation, would be most
proper for this occasion. But this
text directly applies to nation
as such, and declares that Righteous
ness or right doing eaaiteth ii and
that Sin is reprodch to it. We
have assembled to day in compliance
with the the Proclamation of the
Chief Executive of the nation, and
also of our own State, to offer prayer.
praise and devout thanksgiving to
God, for His blessings to us as ma
tion, a state, and as individuals, and
IL Is becoming, not only for Churches
to unite, but for every citizen of
whatever name or order, and thus
unitedly offer thaks to God.
The various topics appropriate for
our consideration to day, are numer-
Gus, and we shall be unable to refer
to them all--or to dwell a. length up
on any, The Proclamations read i'm
In your hearing, enumerates some of
the blessings which God has youch.
safed to us as a people. Permit me
to review for moment, that Of the
President. "The year which is now
drawing to a close, has been free
from pestilence." When we remem.
Der that but few years since, pestil-
ence visited the nation, and calling
thousands to untimely graves, thus
draping many portions of our coun-
try In mourning, how thankful
ought We to be that this year 1T has
been stayed. Heath has prevailed
throughout the, land.n Health, Is
the greatest temporal blessing that
man Is capable OF receiving, and yet
how prone we are to forget to be
thankful for it.
Abundant crops reward the labors
of the husbandnan God has given
ns seed time and harvest with
abundant reward for our labors, and
yet how easy IL Is for us to complain
of low prices and forget the greater
blessing Of having our grainaries full, ],
and prices low, rather than having
them empty and prices high. How
prone we are TO ingratitude; "Com-
merce and manufactures have sue
ccssfully prosecuted their peaceful
paths. When VIZ remember that
these constitute tAe great income,
and / may say wealth of the nation,
how thankful ought we to be, that
they are thus permitted to pursue
theirpeaaeful paths, thus uscontributing
to the wealth, and rising glory of the
nation. The mine and forest have
yielded literally. The mines have
yielded literally of the true medium
Of commerce, by which we are to
liquidate the national debt, aud the
forests material for the Improvement
of these fertile plains, and the abun.
dance of their products Is a real cause
for our gratitude to day. Peace has
prevailed--harmony and fraternal
intercourse restored, Is obliterating
the marks of the past conflict and
enlargement When in the midst
Of that conflict, and estrangement,
when sorrow filed the land, and
mourning visited almost every dwell
ling--how we longed for return of
peace. 1t has come, bringing to us
the blessings of land whose soil
Is trod by none but fireman. This
calls on us for Thanksgiving and
praise, the most devout and sincere.
Let us, as part Of the nation offer it
to God TO day. The nation has great
cause for gratitude for the mercies of
OF the past. Gods presence and
goodness has marked every year of
her history. In every struggle of
the nation, God has been with her,
and her life has been preserved. In
none of them has her arms been de-
feated, but arrays victorious. And
she has ever come forth from the con-
flict with renewed strength. Every
year Of her life has teemed with fresh
proof of her rising greatness. Her
has steadily increased. -
Her agriculture has increased. Her
commerce has increased, and all,
with a rapidity unknown before
among the nations OF the earth.--
Her common school system Is be-
coming more mature, and has SO adj
vanced, that there can hardly be
found locality In the length and
breadth of the land, but that the
children can be taught in the common
school the principles of science, and
virtue. The higher institutions of
learning are dotting the land all
over, and sending out annually
thousands of young men with strong
minds, and stout hearts, to battle in
the great conflict between truth and
errog.,
Institutions of charity for the un-
fortunate are established, and being
In every State, thus Civ
ing aid to the afflicted In accordance
with the principles of a generous hu-
manity. True there has been some
dark spots on her flag I'm the pat,
but now they are wiped of, ani we
are yJree--a cause of thanksgiving to
God. While God has thus been
with the church, (I mean the Evan
gelical Orthodox Church, in all her
branches). The spiritual glory Of the
Church, has surpassed the temporal
glory of the nation. The records
made from the census shows that In
the year 1900 there was l communi-
cant TO every 10 inhabitants, I'm 1850
from the same source there was /
to 4inhabitants, this
Is M the entire number
of inhabitants from 10 years old and
Showing the Church ra-
ito Of increase In 60 years to be q
times that Of the nation. And while
It would not be the province Of the
nation in its census to distinguish
between EpQnnekic0L and Hekr01lor