The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-12-04
THANKSGIVING SERMON,
Delivered at tho Church of st.
Mary's Mission, Savannah, Mo-,
on Thursday Morning, Novem-
Der 20, 1874, by Rev. john Ben

TExT-Lamentations. III chapter, go
and sd verses: Ills compositions TAI
not; they are new every morning.
1t is every way befitting that, once in
each year, the people of a sovereign
State should be publicly called upon by
their official head, to observe n specified
day as Il period of Thanksgiving to Al.
mighty God, the infinite deIivcrer from
all the ills of life. The Thanksgiving
proclamaiions which, about this time,
have emanated from the chief executives
OF many of the States of this Union. are
= formal and public recognition of our
dependence on Il experimenting Provi-
dence, and our duty Us a people, AS
well rs individuals, to recognize God as
our boEntiful b%eneiactOr, and to render
unto Him the solemn homage and graf
itude of our hearts.
In 4 government like ours, where,
happily, no unnatural and entangling al
l~iances exist between the Church and
State, such proclamations indicating, as
in II popular government they are like
ly to do, the settled sentiments OF the
people, are a valuable testimony IN ia
vor of religion. In the Protestant
Episcopal Church, the propriety and
duty of an annual and public Thanks
giving are So clearly recognized, that
among the admirable provisions of our
excellent liturgy. is Il special service for
this occasion, with directions that where
no day is designated by civil au,bority,
it shall be used on n specified day OF the
present month So that in our church
this occasion is observed in the nse of
the ..D forms of Thanksgiving in all
the States of the Union. not on!y where
civil authority proclajms the dav and
duty, but also where the State Execu-
tives are silent on the subject.
The leading purpose OF this observ-
arce, the feature by which it is distin-
guished from ordinary public worship,
is the special expression of gratitude.
the giving OF thaaks7o Sod; and. there
tore, ii in keeping with its object, it
should be festal and iuhilant in its tone.
1t seems to- me Il pcrvcrslon of such an
occasion 30 make it n time for s~triieful
and bitter controversies, to devote it to
querulous fault-tindings and denuncia-
tions of others in the spirit of ancient
Phlriseeism. 1t seems tn me that on
this day of Thanksgiving. if upon no
other, we might be permitted to see
how kindly we could think of each
Uler-io forget public aud private diff
]irrences. To view as lcnicntlv MS psSi-
bic the faults and iailings of those who
may he worse in some respects, and
probably better in others than ourselves.
We are not convened t. shmk Of the
troubles or misinrtunes of tie pa.s, or
these that may happen in she iutare:
but we are met. | trust, with glad and
grateful hearts, to count over the mcr-
oics ct the past and the blessings of the
present; To remember She good things
God has gwen IT., and thus to strength
on our tr7iS, ih Him for that future which
is, To rs. dark llal unknown.
While We are net in Gods house and
| name or record oar ihankinlnrss for the
goodness whersnith lie has crowned
the past. I am s1rc the text will furnish
expression. 10 the feelings we cherish
in our Rr7rrtS. and strive 10 utter with
o,r :1s: His compositions fail not;
they are new every morning" Cow
crned by this inspired scripture. pro-
pose 60 speak of Gods conSpts.Dns. to
show that they are unfafhug. ,lstt they
are daily and perpciualiy reserved. The
term here used To designate the div me
goodness. is most happily chosen. and
i more expressive than ANY other worl
that could he used in this relation.
Compassion. more than pity, is sugges-
tive of tenderness; It implies all the
kindness that pity has Tor distress. be-
Sides a quick and apprrciativc Sympa-
thy with the wants, and weaknesses.
and woes Of human kind: something
like what is affirmed of Christ's relations
with the members Of the mystical body.
where it sairf that He .'can be ts1chc,f
with the feelings of our iniirinitirS."
Who can count over or conceive tie
number and richness of Gods cDmpas-
sions? The stars OF Heaven, that duz-
zlc with their radiance, and weary US
with thcir auml,eys, are not Isvff so
bright, or beautiful. or numerous ~ the
compositions of God! The ssycral
drops OF water tliat compose the springs,
and rivulets. amt rivers, and lakes. and
oceans Of earth, tie several blades of
grass that grow in beautiful grcenncs,
to carpet all tle valleys with veriurc,
and feed the cattle upon Il thousand
hills" the muaitudinous leaves tina.
hang out their various draperies on al!
the forests Of earth. as Il refuge and
shelter for the inferior creation, the
countless spears e grain that wave in
the genial breczes Of summer harvest
fields III all quarters Of the globe, and
the lavish store of fruits that are pourcd
into the lap of autumn for she uSe of
man; all together are not half - nut
mcrous as Gods comparisons! They,
altogether, form but !. part. the least
valuable part of Ills compositions that
fail not These are among the sub