The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-12-11
THANKSGIVING SERMON,
Delivered ut the Church Of st.
Mary's Mission, Savannah, Mo.
Oh Thursday Morning, Eovcm-
ber 20, 1874, by Rev. john Ben

inu I'LL verses: Ills coinici>>lblS I..ii
not; they are new every morning"
1t is every way LETTING that. once in
each Year. the people u; Il sovereign
stat" should lie publicly called upon by
,h,ir official head, Ia observe a specified
day rs Il period of Thanksgiving" t. Al
mighty Cod. the infinite drlivcrcr from
all the ills OF life. The Thanksgiving
proclama.inn> which. about this time,
nave cmanatcd from the chief executives
OF many Of the States Of this Union. are
= formal a,il public recognition of our
dependence on = experimenting Provi-
lcnce, and our duty IL a people, rs
well As individuals, Ia recognize God as
our bountiful benefactor, and To render
unto Him the solemn homage and graft
itude OF our hearts.
In Il government like ours. where,
happily. no unnatural and e%ntangling al
liances exist between the Church and
state. such proclamations indicating. rs
IA popular government they are like
" to do, the settled sentiments Of the
neople. are n valuable testimony in ia
vor of religion. In the Protestant
Episcopal Church. the propriety and
duty Of an annual and public Thanks
giviu. are SO clearly recognized, that
among the admirable provisions of our
excellent liturgy. is a special service for
this occasion. with directions that where
no day is designated by civi; authority.
it shall BE- used on u specified day OF the
present month: so that in our church
This occasion is observed in the Use Of
the same forms of Thanksgiving in all
the States Of the Union. not only where
: civil authority prOclaims the day and
duty, hut also where the State Execu-
iivrs are silent on the subject.
The lcadm. purpose of this observ-
arcc. the feature by which it is di>tin-
guishcd from ordinary public worship,
i the special expression of gratitude.
the .ivin. of thanks to God; and, there
tore, if in keeping with its object. it
should In, fc>tal and jubilant in its tone.
Ii seems to me i perversiOn of such an
occasion to make it Il time for striteful
and bitter controversies. To devote it Ia
I~ucrul"us fault findings aEd denuncia-
ti"nS Of others in the spirit OF ancient
Phariscci>m. II seems to me that on
this day of Thanksgiving. il upon ne
other. we might bc permitted to see
how kindly we could think Of each
othcr-io forget public and private diff
i~crcnces. to view as lcniently rs pos>i-
BILE the faults and failings Of those who
may lie worse in some respects. and
probably better in others than ourselves.
We are not convened to think of the
troubles or misfOrtuneS of the past, or
those that may happen in the future;
l,,s ,,-. ,r., mat trnl>t with nIlV .lnsI
grateful hearts, To count over the mrr-
cies of the past and the blessings of the
present; To remember the good things
God has gwen u, AMI thus In strength
en- our trust III Him for that future which
is, To Us. dark and unknown.
While W. arr. met in Gods house and
name - record our thankiulnr>S for the
onolnrss w%hcrcwiih lie has crowned
the past. ! am sure the text will furnish
4 not unsuitable key note, rs well rs
cxprcsSion, To the feelings we cherish
in our hearts, and strive To utter with
orr lips: ..Iii> compositions fail not
they are new every morning." Gov
crnci by this inspired scripture. pro-
pose 10 speak ut Gods compaS-ion>. to
Show that they are unfailing. that they
are daily and perretually renewed: The
term here used tn designate the divine
goodness. is most happily chosen. ami
is more expressive than IN other word
tina, could he used in this relation.
Commission. more than pity. is suGgcs-
tive of tenderness: it implies all the
kindness that pity has tor distress. be-
sides a quick and apprcciative S,ympa-
thy with the wants, AMI weaknesses.
and woes of human kind; something
like what is affirmed III Christ'> relatinn>
with the members Of the mystical body.
where it said that lie ..can be touched
with the feelings of "a iniirmltic>.
Who can cOnnt owe or conceive Inc
number and richness Of Coils compass
sions? The stars ot Heaven. that daz-
! zlc with their radiance, and weary :
with their numbers. are not hall :"
!, bright, or beautiful. or numerous rs the
; commissions of God! The several
drops of water that compose the springs.
and riyulcts, and rivers, and lakes. and
, oce,ns of earth, the several blades oil
rrass that grow in beautiful greenncs'
!, To carpet all the valleys with vcrdurc.
/ and feed the cattle upon a thousand
; hills the multitudinOus leaves that
: han. out their various draperies On all
) the forests of earth. as = refuge and
!. shelter for the inferior creation, the
5 countless spears of grain that in
I the genial brecZcs of summer harvest
: fields IN all quarters Of the globe. aud
: the lavish store Of fruits that arc poured
: into the lap of autumn for the Use OF
. man; all together are not half So MI
merous rs Gods compositions! They,
= altogether, form but a part. the lca7
9 valuable part.of ''Ilis compassions' ,f;:'
..f,il not" These are among the SUBJ
/ ordinate works of Gods all compre.
!, hcnding compositions; rather they ere
0 preliminary preparations which his IN,