Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-11-26
local ans State Nems.
Thanksgiving Services.

day, at the Methodist church in this city, o
the Methodist, Congregationalist, Free Bap-
fist and Baptist societies. The attendance
was small, as is apt to be the case on the oc-
currence of these anniversary occasions. The
preliminary exercises were conducted by Rev.
Mr.. Penney and Rev. DR.. Kicker. The sing
ing by the Methodist choir was excellent.
The sermon on the occasion was preached
by Rev. Mr.. Martin, pastor of the Methodist
church. lie said that we shall never become
SO old as not TO be carried back, in lmagina-
ton, on Thanksgiving day, to the dear old
home circles, and the firesides by which our
fathers and mothers sat. He spoke brief
ly of the origin of Thanksgiving and the
abundant reasons we have for rendering
thanks on the present occasion, and proceed
ed at once to the consideration of his theme
-Intemperance, and the suggestion of some
of the ways of stopping it. 1t was unneces-
sary to recapitulate the evils that flow from
rumselling; they are too well known already.
In the consideration of the subject he should
speak more particularly of four classes-the
drunkard, the moderate drinker, the friends
of the moderate drnker, and the rumseller.
1st-The drunkard. In some cases the love
for strong drink is hereditary, drunkenness
becomes a disease. Towards such he felt
deep sympathy. He would extend to this
class the right hand of fellowship. If while
attempting their reformation they should fall,
we must take them by the hand and raise
them up again. But there is another class of
drunkards who drink rum for the purpose of
doing evil To these he would show the vir-
tue Of law and punishment. Fear OF law and
punishment will have a restraining influence
upon them. 2d-Moderate drinkers. Why
speak of these? They are apparently in no
danger The ranks of those who are march
ing in solemn procession to drunkards' graves
are being recruited from the moderate drink
ers. How comes it about? Fathers and
mothers are nursing the appetites of their
children for strong drink by dealing out to
them cider, domestic wine, and the like. Let
us lay the axe at the root of the tree in this
matter, and Danish these lighter drinks from
our homes. 3d-Friends of Tie moderate
drinker. These are the greatest sufferers.
The children and friends of moderate drink
ers are ruined by following the example of
those whom they think secure in their moder-
ate use of strong drink. 4th-Rumseilers.
1t is but little use to waste sympathy upon
man who will sell rum in this year of grace,
1870. Law should be applied to him without
much admixture of mercy. If man takes
the life of his fellow, the law puts him where
he can do no more harm. He would rather
have his son struck down by the hand of an
assassin, and be respectable in death as he
had been in life than murdered by degrees,
soul and body, by the runseller.
In suggesting the remedy for this terrible
evil, he said that we are too apt to blame our
police and municipal authorities for not en-
forcing the law. He was confident that they
generally did their duty, but their power is
limited by the indifference or GOODNESS of the
principal and influential citizens in commune
ty. Let these back up the municipal author
tiles, stand by the police, and the law will be
executed and rumselling stopped. The tenn
perance question should be taken out OF the
political parties, where its principles had been
perverted, and temperance men of all parties
be brought to unite in electing to office men
whose temperance principles are well known.
He said twas inconsistent and useless to pass
Maine laws while the United States govern
ment legalzes the sale of liquor, and that its
importation and manufacture should be pro-
hibited This would be going to the fountain
head of the evil. Some would retain liquor
for medicine. A man who cannot live with
out it. ought to die. Who ever heard OF
man dying for the want Of rum? If he should
ever hear of such q man, he would travel
long distance to visit his gave, and putting his
hand upon the sod that covered the sacred
dust, he would exclaim, "Blessed are the dead
that die in the Lord" There would then be
at least one martyr for temperance. He ex-
pected to see the end of the liquor traffic, and
hoped to live to preach the funeral sermon of
King Alcohol. 1t was his prayer that there
should be revival of pure religion, as in this
is our greatest confidence and hope-the most
blessed ofall remedies. The discourse closed
with the beautiful thought that all present may
be sharers in the great Thanksgiving above.
At St. Marks church in this city, Rev. Mr..
Upjohn, rector, conducted the services on
Thanksgiving day, preaching sermon on the
subject of ''things visible the witnesses Of
God invisible"
The invisible things are real, though we see
them not, and have more substantial exist
ence than the visible, for they are eternal.
That which we see pictures that which we do
not see. The natural orld reveals the hidden
things of God. We naturally take delight in
the things of this visible world, and through
them we may be led to the contemplation of
things higher and even more perfect that are
about US, though hidden from our eyes. By
what we see of the visible part of creation we
come to an increasing apprehension of and
desire to realize what is declared to be held
in store for those who love God. The invisi-
BILE world will abide forever, while the visible
will pass away. When the invisible shall be
unfolded to our view, then shall we behold
what this visible world has been all along
teaching to our dull hearts and beclouded Wis
IONS. i ne luflSlUle WOElu HAS Always pccH II
witness speaking of the eternal power and
Godhead of God, even through the darkest
hours of error and superstition. But the
witness of God in His works is made still
more plain by the fuller light of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. Are we sensible of these great
truths? Do we carefully remember that while
we make the earth obedient to our touch and
bring its hidden laws to light, that it is His
wisdom that has made them all? Are we
S,,I 10 Arax frn, lo,,
air the subtle forces which surround us, new and
increasing stores of wealth, that all these are
His riches, and do we incline to a recognition
of His infinite greatness and power? In all
our worldly wisdom, and in our law-making,
will not preserve us from moral and social
evils. We must behold God who works be-
hind them ALL The soul looks out of the
eyes, and if the soul be not gazing heaven
ward, the eye will receive but an earthward
impression. 1t robs man of his spiritual ma
ture and makes of him mere animal And
what does this lead to, but to the most abso-