The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-11-27

Tie usual religious services Of Thanks
giving Day were held yesterday in the
j. f. Church. The congregation Was
quite large, and all seemed to manifesto
deep interest in al that was said and
done. The exercises OF the morning were
opened with Voluntary by the Choir.
An Invocation was then made by Rev.
W. p. SMALL. Pastor of the Church Of
God. Nr. SMALL also read the 18th
hymn
Before Jchoyahs awful throne,
which was sung by the choir and congre-
CATION. Rev. THOMAS GORDON, Of the
Congregational Church. read the 147th
Psalm, following which, Rev Dr. JOKES
led the audience IN prayer. The 1G24th
hymn,
''Great God Of Nations, now to Thee,
Our hymn Of gratitude We raise
was then sung.
At the close of the hymn, Rev. EBEY
MUSE, pastor of the Presbyterian Church
DFedcllt- Alit lOliONliiS EfiluDA-
He hath rot dealt so with any nation, and
as for hi judgments they have rot known
them Praise ye the LOrd.-Psa ms cNLIN. ~
We have met to-day at the call of the
President of the United States and of
the Governor of Ohio to praise and adore
Almighty God for the blessings where
with He hath crowned our lives in the
year that j. fast passing away. We have
met at tire higher call of that church for
which Jesus came; to enter her gates
with thanksgiving and her courts with
praise. We have met at the still higher
call of Goa, vino invites us nov and in
vites us ever to praise Him for ''HIs good
ness and His wonderful works to the
children of men"
There is something grand in the thought
that over this broad land: in its cities,
villages and fields there is gathering
a vast multitude of congregations TO
''praise God from whom all blessings
flow" that there is waited to the skies
from multitude of hearts one song of
gratitude to God. 1t is a faint shadow
of that time when a countless multitude,
which no man can number. will praise
Him day and night forever and ever.
But if we don't come sincerely. with
fond and loving hearts to our God, then
our vast assembling is an assembling of
hypocrisy, and our tongues had better
be hushed than to utter false praise, and
our hearts had better be palsied than to
bring an impure Offering to our God to-
day
1t is a light duty to which God calls us
to-day-to praise and give thanks The
heather devctee mangles his body and
burns his dead to please his God; the
ancient jew stood by the smoking sacri-
fee to please his God. Even the first
worship paid to the child Jesus was the
wise men bringing gifts of gold and
frankincense and myrrh; hut our God
requires none of these. He asks us only
to bring the sacrifice of praise, that is
the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His
name" God grant that the people of
this favored land may not bring false fire
upon Gods altar, but may bring pure
hearts and clean hands and worship Him
Gin the beauty of holiness" Why should
we give thanks to-day! When the an
gels praise Him day and night; when the
redeemed forever sing praise to that God
who hath bought them, and washed
them in His precious blood; when He
tells that this wide universe chants His
praise; when he says Praise Him all We
his hosts, praise Him all angels, praise
Him sun and moon. praise Him We stars
of light, praise Him beasts and all cattle.
praise Him fire and hail, praise Him
mountains and all hills-let every thing
that hath breath praise the Lord, why
should man, immortal man, made in
GODS image, redeemed at such a fearful
cost, why should he be silent in this vast
song of creation TO creations God!
For what should we give thanks? For
all things. For blessings; for little bless
ings. Sad is it that We are prone only
to give thanks for unusual blessings.
Let us praise Him for microscopic bless
ings Every thread we wear every
crumb we taste, every breath we draw,
are Gods gifts As the Son of God said
to the woman OF Samaria, ''if thou
knowest the gift of Gody The most
infiniteSmal grain of sand, the tiniest
flower, the smallest dew-drop, are all
Gods praising creatures. Let us praise
Him for affections. His yoke is not mere
ly easy and his burden light, but it is a
good yoke and a good burden. Let us
praise Him for life. In him we live and
move. Let us praise Him for death.
By the coffin Gods child stands and
says, ''The Lord giveth and the Lord
taketh away" When asked, then, for
what shoud we give thanks, the Holy
Ghost responds; giving thanks always
for all things unto God in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
And now, brethren, are we thankful!
How much praise do We feel? Can we
truly say with my whole heart, 81 praise
Thee" If there is any grace of the
spirit, that is often absent, it is sincere
And whyl Because of
the tendency of the age. We live in the
future; we rush on. But thanksgiving
dweus in the past. 1t is retrospective
How we abhOr ingratitude in the child.
Sharper than the serpent's tooth it is
To have Il ihankless child
And how is it with Gods child. when
he is unthankful. We pity the beggar
who receives an aims and don't even say
thank yOu."
How, then, is it with the pensioner on
iod's bounty, who don't feel ''thank
rour O.this forgetfulness. How often
loes the child in the family say, 81 for
rot itr' How often does Gods child say
he same thing, This is what David |
meant when he said, ''and forget not all |
lis benefits" God has a way of remind |
ng us sometimes. Perhaps some one of |
-ou has stood by the bedside of one who |
has fingered in anguish for years, over
,ast health. that was unthankfully re-
.eived Let us, then, serve God with
ear and rejoice with trembling.
We should give thanks to-day as indi-
l..
nunity; We should give thanks as a state:
We should give thanks as a nation.
/ am not able 10 say for what individ-
tai blessings each individual should give
hanks to-day. cannot read your hearts.
iod only can. But L ask you, as you
Is look over the past year, is there not
ONE personal blessing for which YOU
hould give glory to God! Is there not |
ome favor you asked of God and God
granted! Is there not some rock on
which your bark had almost wrecked.
md yOu called upon God. and He heard
-ou and delivered your soul? Can YOU
lot indeed, and in truth, look over the
'ast year, and set up the stone of Eben-
yer, saying. Hitherto hath the Lord
helped mei"
We should give thanks as community
or the blessings OF the past year. Our
own is q favored town. When | first
anne among you, l admired the solidity,
he prosperity and happiness of your
lace. After residing in many places. l
an say l never saw town so relatively
rec from pauperism or licentiousness, or
ice in general, as Findlay. No pestilence
as invaded you the past year. While
he clods of the valley are resting upon