The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-12-02
ThanlssglvIng serviee.

4 heard DIR. DuBose's sermon on
Thanksgiving day at the Methodist
/ Church. His text was made up Of
portions of the 95th, and 96th,
Psalms, and Luke Ii, ii. The choir
in addition to a beautiful voluntary,
sang the 634th, S56th, and 35th,
hymns of the Methodist book, DR..
Rivers made the opening, and Rev.
Dinwiddie, the closing prayer.
DIR. DuBose introduced his sub
ject By remarking that the chris
tan church had for ages observed
days of thanksgiving, but that with
US, as nation, it originated among
the puritans, and on this wise. On
an occasion when the people had
met, as they frequently did, for pur-
poses of humiliation and prayer, an
old farmer arose and observed that
the custom of the country had been
to meet on the occurrence Of per-
haps, every seemingly adverse visi-
tation, and to bow in prayer, thus
magnifying, and bewailing their
national Affections, and private
grievances; and now he respectfully
submitted that it would be in order
to dwell somewhat on the nlercies
they had received, and the blessings
that had crowned their pathway,
as a nation, and as individuals.
Thereupon the occasion was con-
verted into one of thanksgiving.
This was the origin, to the people
of the United States, of this ma
tional festival. The DR.. elaborated
somewhat the following points. 1.
That a certain class of men, through
infdelity, exclude the Divine Being
from any direct agency in the ordi-
nary affairs of men and nations. 2.
That another class rightly enough
ascribe to Divine agency, the allot-
ments of life, but that they err in
the Interpretation of Gods provl-
Dental dealings with His creatures,
supposing, for instance, that mans
Affections are penal in their nature,
and sent by the Almighty for sins
committed, and supposing on the
other hand, that prosperity is to be
regarded as an evidence of the Di-
vine appreciation. As instances of
this error, the disciples thought
those jews whose blood PLATE min
gled with their own sacrifices, were
abominable sinners, as also those
upon whom the tower in Sloan
had fallen, because they suffered
such things. Again, Jobs comfoI t
ers regarded him as a monster of
iniquity, because of his overwhelm-
ing Affections. So also did the bar
barians of Melita, the scene of PauPs
shipwreck, hold this error, when
they saw the viper fasten on his
hand, and said among them selves
mo doubt this man is a murderer,
whom though he hath escaped the
sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to
live
Even the Psalmist David had well
nigh fallen into this false interpre-
tation of Gods providential dealing,
pcrplexed as he was, at the good
fortunes of the wicked What
can exceed the description Of king
David, of the careless sons Of Nam
mon, who have no concern for the
future, and who say to themselves.
"Soul, thou hast much goods laid
up for many years, take thine ease,
eat, drink, and be merry" Take
sentence or so of his inimitable
portrayal Of this class, as found in
70 Psalm. The delineation is strik-
ing, pointed, graphic, and clear with
epigrammatic terseness. "For there
are no bands in their death, but
their strength is firm. They are
not in trouble as other men, neither
are they plagued like other men.
Their eyes stand out with fairness,
they have more than heart could
wish" Under this vivid impress
sion of their freedom from i'll, and
thei' exemption from care, as con
trasted with the oftentimes hard lot
of the righteous, he cries out,
''When thought to know this, it
was too painful for me, until 1 went
into the house of the Lord, then IN
derstood 1 their end. Surely thou
did'st set them in slippery places. "
Then did his infidelity vanish, and
his feeble faith revive, and with a
better understanding of the ways
of God to man, he uttered the
sublime verdict that comes as p
balm upon every christian heart.
Though many che affiictlon, of the
righteous, yet the Lord delivereth
him out of them ALL
The DIR. closed with what seemed
more especially the thanksgiving
feature of his discourse, by show
ing that while our reverses had
been overwhelmingly great in the
South, still, these visitations
had been tempered with many mer-
cies. Ist. Temporal, in that "Our
barns were filed with plenty, and
our presses burst out with new
wine-the seasons had been fruit
full, the valleys smiled with album
dant harvests, and the little hills
rejoiced on every side" End. Spir-
itual mercies, in that all the various
branches Of the church in the
south, had not only been preserved