Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-11-27

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we are commanded in all things to give thanks
for "a things work together far good to those tina
love God" True thankfulness is an offering OF the
heart-gratitude for that which we know to be rea
and abiding good. The robber cannot be thankful
that he has been successful in robbing bank the
man who has enriched himself by unlawful prac-
tees cannot be thankful.
lie would ask his hearers to look into the past
year, which has been called hard year, and ace
if they could discover any true and abiding good
and cause for Thanksgiving The effects OF the
war are beginning to be felt great firms, one after
another have gone down, carrying with them many
others all branches Of business have been para
| lived a dreadful ethergy has settled down upon
the country which it labors in vain to throw off /;
| confidence in men has been shaken; rich men are
compelled to live narrowly; and already the great
multitude of the poor, without work, begins to
send up its deepvoiced cry for help, like the voice
| of the troubled But in all this we may be
thankful for this period ofrellection through which
| God is now leading the nation. The past htteen
years have been years of activity every nerve ana
snew of the nation has been strained to the utmost
to accomplish stupendous tasks; all departments
of life except the spiritual, have been running at
| high pressure. Consequently men have been TOO
much engrossed in material things. The rches OF
| the world have been sought for, while the riches
! of God have been lightly esteemed But Goa mas
suddenly laid his hand our activities and stop
ped them. Wehave seen our great mills standing
silent, and thousands of hungry operatives march
| ing the streets demanding work. Magnificent
speculations after another have burst Ike buo-
| blcs. Fortunes have collapsed Even legitimate
| trades and occupation are sorely stialteneo.
sabbath like leisure has fallen on us. With leis-
ure comes reelection, and with reflection come bet
ter thoughts. God intends this, and we ought to
be thankful that the nation Is clothed and sitting
in its right mind at the feet ofGod, to be taught by
Him. We have been lifted up and made proud by
prosperity; but when earthly things are swept
away from us, then turn for help to the unseen.
When our hands are empty, then our souls are full
When we are humble and poor in spirit, then the
heatudes begin to descend upon US like ram out
of heaven, and like dew out of the chambers of
God.
Then again, this sudden check on our material
prosperity has proved standard lifted up against
the sceptcism that was coming in like flood
Newspapers. books and sermons have been tainted
with the subtle poison of scientific unbelief. God
aud Christ and the bible have been insulted with
the most lmplous patronage; prayer rldiclled the
deep needs OF the soul that cry for present Saw
ior Knocked with all manner OF vague and baseless
speculations. But silence has fallen on the hosts
Of babblers. Their dreams and theories and bias
phomes are dumb in the presence of profound
| trouble and great wickedness. The fact has been
demonstrated that men must haze living God
present savior, divine Comforter. " hile We
have material prosperity, we may be impudent, and
self sufficient, but when adversely comes, then the
heart cries out from the deeps of its native wants
and its profoundest needs. And its cries are al
WAYS to t;od-to the living Coda God who can
reach his hand down to us out Of the heavens-a
hand warm with human sympathies and strong
with divine power. Not the hand ofthe scientists
God. hut hand that has laid its cooling touch on
fe,,,, 4nd has not been afraid of loathsone lep-
resy, iha has rested in blessing upon the head Of
| little children; a hand that has broken bread to
the hungry, and bound up the broken in heart,
yea that has been nailed to cross. That is the
divine hand that men long to grasp IN their sore
| trosbe, thus witnessing to the sublime truth that
man made foI the gospel Of Christ and the
gospel Of Christ was made for man. This cry for
God has been forced fro our lips bv the wicked
ness of the times. All the miserable talk about
the nobeness of human nature, live out what is in
you, all YOU need is to understand the laws of
ture-a this has been openly and solemny re-
| buked Men say, no! We have found out, by
direful experience, that Christ was right when he
said "ou Of the heart proceed evil thought murders,
aduterie-, foundations, thefts, false witness, bias
phemes Our daily papers every morning preach
us mighty sermons on the depravity of the human
heart, and the need of a return to God
For this public, solemn, crushing rebuke ofscep-
| tici,m let us give thanks to God this morning.
This rebuke has come through the tears of the
ton, but never mind; it has come; and thanks be
| to God for it
| Now how shall we as Christians show our graft
tude to God Shall it not be by solemn conse
Grafton TO God, by falling into the line of His
thoughts ard purposcsi While God is thus deal
ting with the nation, if we his church fail to dis
Germ the signs of the times and lose tn is great op
portunity, who shall measure our condemnation!
The sermon was one of Mr.. Ecobs best occa-
sional d.scourses
The usual Thanksgiving party was given, at
the Insane Hoiptal, by Dr. Harlow the superin-
tendent These parties are attended by those who
are mildly insane, or who are not too demonstra-
tive, the patients being allowed to consult their
own tastes in the arrangement of their costumes.
Thus the va.aries of the insane ladies are brought
out in womans apparel, but the closest observer
conldn find anything so ridiculous in the dress Of
the widest patient the prevailing fashion of the
pinch-bsck dress. One hundred and twenty five
patient. iHod in the festivities, filing through the
corridors, halls and parlors, that were all thrown
| open for their free use. There the usual
amount Of singing and dancing and other merr-
ment. The regular professional violinist took his
station in the hall he assisted in furnishing mu
sic by Miss Eda lIawes who presided at the piano
Deacon Geo. F. Halves played the accompaniment
on a wicked fiddle" But we suppose it is excu-
sabc-crazy folks have right to dance. The
festivities began at seven and closed at nine. Re-
treatments were served to all by Steward Lakin,
consisting of cakes, candies, nuts, apples, etc.
| The good chaplain of the hospital. Rev. Mr.. PEN
ney, was present, with pleasant word for all.
Some sixty or seventy patients, who would
have participated in the exercises, would gladly
have come out, had there been sufficient room
Next year the new chapel will furnish excellent
| accommodations.
| Supreme Judicial Court, Danforth j., Prs-
| siding.
| FRIDAY, November Goth.
Hannah +. Allen vs.. Asbury c. Stilphen
The entire day has been occupied in getting out
the remaining testimony. The prospect now is
that there will be no time to enter upon the trial
| of another cause this week.
China Locals.