The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-11-26
THANKSGIVING DAY.
Religions Services at the English Lutheran
Church.
SERMON ~ REV. p. 2. HOLDEN.

Crawford Street. There was large con
zregation present, and the services
throughout were inter and impress
i've. The services began with beautiful
Thanksgiving anthem, sung by the choir,
wifh organ compartment. Following
tai. the HgGu
Lord Iei Thy goojuc~- lead the land,
sill keep by Thine Almighty hand,
was sum by the congregation and choir
Of tl.e church. The Scriptural lesson If
the morning was the 145th Psalm. Rev.
Il. d. Krrz then offered an eloquent
ana impressive prayer. The 57Sth hymn,
swell the Anthem, raise the song"
which was sung. concluded the devotion
al exercises. By an arrangement of the
cIergymen Of the city, Rev. p. B. HoL-
Den, Of the L. B. Church, preached the
sermon Of tie day.
SERMON OF REV. p. Z. HOLDEN.
Enter into His gates with Thanksgiving and
into niS courts win praise; be thanKfI! unto
him, and bless His naIne.-P5 AIMS, c. 1.
Through the goodness of a kind Proyl-
dence we have convened to celebrate an
other thanksgiving-day, in obedience to
the proclamatiOns OF the Chief Execu-
tives OF our country and State.
We regard this custom as becoming a
dependent people, who look TO the hand
of ii gracious God for supplies for both
soul and body. Every good and every
perfect gift is from above, and cOmeth
down from theFather oflight, with whom
is no variableness, neither shadow of
turning"
Relative TO the beginning Of this Gus
tom: DIR. Franklin says, ''Fhat in time
of great dependency among the first
settlers of New England, it was propos-
ed in one of their public assemblies TO
proclaim a fast. An old farmer arose,
spoke Of their complaints, reviewing their
mercies, showed that they had much to
be thankful for, and moved that, instead
Disappointing day of fasting they should
appoint day of thanksgiving. This
was saccordinglyd done, and the custom has
been continued ever since"
If an exhausted and needy traveller
should rest at the foot OF a castle, and
some one from the walls above should
reach him a supply for all his needs,
could he keep from looking upto see who
had relieved him! So, is it not possible
for the true Christian, who lives daily
out of the alms-basket of Gods provi-
dence, not to look with thankfulress to
that Father who literally supplies all his
needs.
The text says: Enter into his gates with
Thanksgiving. and into his courts with
praise; be thankful unto Him, and bless
His name.n
We shall consider: First, The nature
of these duties. Second, State some reG
sons for their performance.
First: The nature OF Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is a. The act OF render
ing thanks, or expressing gratitude fol
favors or mercies. Every creature OF
God is good, and nothing to be refused,
il it be received with thanksgiving. =
TIM. ". 4.C2.) 4 public celebration of di
vine goodness, a day set apart for relig
ious services, specially TO acknowledge
the goodness of God, either in any.re
markable deliverance from calamities ol
danger, or in the ordinary dispensation
of His bOunties.
This day We have entered into Hi.
gates with Thanksgiving, not for any re
markable deliverance frOIu calamities
for, from these we have been mercifully
preserved. but for the abundant dispen
sation of Heavens bOunties unto us
Our expressions OF gratitude should bt
from the ''great deep" of our hearts
fall of sincerity and love, the souls rich
est tribute of praise and blessing. Al
incident Of the late war may serve as al
Illustration. A soldier could not vel
understand how men should do the harC
service of the hospital and battle field
without pay. 4 delegate of the Chris
tian Commission told him that the hear
ty grasp of the hand, and ''God bles
you!" of the relieved, was pay enough
for him. The grateful soldier replied
''Shura, if that's the pay ye take, VIII!
thin, God bliss ye! God bliss ye! Vel
be rich Nv the coin NV me heart all YER
daysr We may not be able to rende
an equivalent to God for his rich bene
tits, but like the grateful sol iier, we cal
make God rich Of the con OF on
hearts.
Our thanks should not be the result o
coercive power, nor stinted to the loves
measure; but the free and abI1dant out
flow of the souI ia fervent expressions o
gratitude. Our gratitude should not b
parOxysmal, ba constant NOt the bah
BILE Of frenzy, bat the fash of intelligen
thought upon the clear sky of "a soun'
mind Not with dependency and sad
ness, but with joy and giadness. Not wit!
complaints. but with hearty ameas TO "a!
of Gods providences. Our hearts shoul
be fountains. sendin~ rb-'', etpE ms o
grateful love, d. ...o.,- .,i.I, a., J1eIdti
and dept.
"Eater ilto NJ ~0-'~'s -;,h praise
the beautiful laa.sa x u the inspired
Psalmist, Praise" is very near akin Il
''thanllSeiving. and i part of the dut,
enioinai ia tiIe text To praise is q.
To commanl = p eytoi. % To ap
pIaui.
Wlos. praise ar- wa t) celebrate to
day? NDrmtr's. bIt Go.rS. His name
his pa-Iecrioni. his at-ri5IseS, love, meT
cy. goodness. Justice, vision, all thes'
are objects 0f cOmmsn1ItiOn. And, fur
ther. wien rqa contempiate the eternit!
of God, his omnipo,enca, omniSicence
omniDraSanca. o. how greatl How high
Past finding Ogt." 1T every tongu,
speak the hono-s of His na4a.
the nam. high over all,
In hell, or earth, or SKY.
Algs aal ma before it fall,
AlI devils fear anJ fly
Said Mr.. Bowes: praise is the ren
we owe to God; and the larger the farm
the greater the rent" ''The Lord ha
many fine farms from which lie receive
but little rent. Thanksgiving isa goo,
thing; thanks living is better. Pat
Henry.
We ara renters On Gods bolaties, ant
we owe him a large debt of praise; ma
we pay a grand iustallment to day.
| is said that, when the sun is going on
of sight, tie pious Swiss herdsmen o
the Alps takes his alpine horn and shout
loudly through it, Praise We the Lord /!
| Then a brother herdsman on some dis
tant slope takes up the echo, ''Prais
the Lord" Soon another answers, still
higher up the mountains, till hill shout
to hill, aud peak echoes to peak tn
sublime anthem of praise to the Lord o
| all. So, we trust, that His praise Wi
b. carried from lip 10 lip throughout tbi
congregation. and from city to cit
throughout our great republic, and frou
nation 10 nation throughout the world
until mountain shall echo back to noun
tain, and valley answer to valley
Praise ye the Lordr'
praise the name of God most high,
Praise him, all below tie sky;
Praise him, all We heavenly R0sii
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
| As through countless ages past,
Evermore his praise shall last
We proposed, second. to state som