Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-11-30
Thanksgiving Services.

where services were held on Thanksgiving
day. large congregation assembled, rep
resenting every Protestant religious denomi
nation in the city. The preliminary exercises
were conducted by Rev. Messrs. Martin ard
| Penney, and the music, which was Of high
order, was furnished by the fine choir of the
| Granite church. The sermon on the occasion
was preached by Rev. Mr.. Ecob, pastor of
| the church, and was listened to with the
closest attention by the large audience. We
give the following abstract of the discourse:
| TEXT. Who knoweth what is good fol in
| this life? Eco. VILE.
| 1t is doubtless more pleasing to God TO be
thankful all the year through, than to come
before Him in spssmodic gratitude once
| year. While it is goo! to stop and look back
| into our lives as often as once a year, count
| ing up the mercies received at the hand of
| God, thus grouping into our picture His I'M
failing goodness, it is better to live thank
| full life every day to live in such perfect
communion, such perfect understanding with
| God, as to be sure that whatever He gives
comes direct from the treasures Of His love;
| to have that deep spiritual insight which
catches the meaning of every day proyiden-
ces, penetrating the DISCUSSES Of trouble and
|
gel of blessing. The topic, therefore, is
| The Secret ola Thanhfml Lite.
| The text is question "Who knoweth what
| is good for man in this lifei" If we know
| just what is good for US, we shall know just
what to be thankful for; but we cannot know
| what is good for man unless we take into view
| the constitution of man. We are certain of
| this-that is good for man which is good for
the highest part of man. This is true of ev-
| cry department, as it is of our entire nature.
For example: physical health is more to be
desired than physical beauty. 1t is in itself
greater good, and not only so, but brings in
| its train, like a handmade, the inferior good.
| Secure the greater good, an1you secure both.
| The same is true of the intellect. The power
| Of disciplined thinking is more TO be desired
and sought than the power of faclle feeling.
The law holds good in the spiritual nature.
| The sturdy, manly graces are to be sought
! first. The man who lays hold upon things
unseen and eternal with the grip of giant, is
| the man who can be the most evenly, tenderiy
| peaceful The tree whose roots are well-nigh
as large as its top, is the tree that puts forth
the most luxuriant graceful and delicate foil
age. Seek, therefore, the good of that part
Of our being which is intrinscally most noble,
for when its greatest good is gained we have
made sure of the greatest good of all depart
| ments that lie below it. Accordingly we pass
| to the consideration of the SPIRIT IL man.
| In the spirit lie the springs of character.
| Intellectual and physical traits help to com
plete the picture; but the characteristics of
spirit, give a man place on the right hand
or on the left in our judgment. ''As man
| thinketh in his heart, SO is he
Not only does character reside in the spirit,
| but here, too, lie the springs OF our immortal
| ity. The results Of our life are all gathered
up into the spirit and carried forward into the
world to come. 1t is in spirit that we are
made in the image OF God. This Is the de-
partment of our being that points heavenward.
| This glorifed summit of our being is whore
| God descended to US in the glory OF transhg-
uraton. Here, Love and Faith, the llwgiver
and prophet of the soul, come down to US,
like Moses and Elias out of heaven. BY the
spirit, we stand constitutionally related to
| God In it dwells the God consciousness,
the organ made expressly for receiving i'm
pressions of Him, as the eye is made to re-
ceive impressions of light. The human
spirit is the avenue for letting in the Holy
| Spirit. 1t is its home. know ye not that
ye are the temple of the Holy Spirit"
1t is evident, then, that the spirit in man
is the highest, noblest part of him; that every
thing de signed for his spiritual welfare must
be good for man in this life"
| Now we may be sure that rhat God does
|
| test part of Us. He is a wise, as well as a
loving Father, He will not give US that
which will be good for the inferior part of our
| being and detrimental to the superior; that
which might be blessing in time, but curse
| through eternity. God is more anxious for
our souls than our bodies, more interested in
| our prayers than in our business contracts.
More Interested in our love than in our health,
the size of our barns, or the elegance of the
| furniture in our homes. God and the angels
have doubtless been more interested during
| the past year in the temperance reform in
this city, than in all the business of Water
street. We find, accordingly, that the Bible
deals exclusively with our spiritual interests.
We there read blessings on meekness, purity,
patience, in fine, blessings pronounced upon
every conceivable spiritual grace, or right
spiritual condition. But we nowhere read,
blessed is the man with a strong body,
brown stone front, coach and four; blessed
is the man who shall discover an asteroid, or
invent philosophy.
| God is no respecter of persons or outward
conditions. Every one is looked upon as a
human souf with mighty inheritance of eter
nal life before it.
We find, also, that Procidence enforces the
teaching OF the Bible. The government of
God seems especially adapted for crossing
the plans of man. VIZ are continually meet
ing with changes, disappontments, losses.
Compelled by unforeseen circumstances we
drift into plans and places that we never
dreamed of or desired. God frequently shows
us how lightly he esteems our wealth, also.
He sweeps away our nighty cities like chat
as if to show us their insignifcance compared
with the wealth of souls.
We thus gain by u somewhat circutous
pathway Of thought, a more advantageous
point of view for the theme. If the soul is
the NOBLE the immortal part of us; if God in
his word and Providence is teaching us that
this world is only a "theatre for exercising and
strengthening principles, for maturing the
spiritual life of men," then the secret of a
thankful life lies just here, IN talltnq INTO the
line Of thought and purpose an rhich our
olcn nature, Gods word and P,orideate are
moring. If thus living, in calm, trustful.
loving understanding with God. every day will
be Thanksgiving day. If an event in life
renders us patient, obedient, Christ-like, it is
a pure unmingled blessing; if not it is curse,
no matter what the nature of the event may
be. Job sitting amid the ruins of his life, yet
clinging with grand obstinacy to his faith i'll
Cod is the happy man, the rich man, the
man to be congratulated. Soloman, "in all