Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-11-29
THANKSGIVING.
The Programme of Ats Observance i'm this
city.


garded in the usual modern custom In the
morning il was observed in Il public manner
by union services at the Congregational
church. and by exercises at the Rev. Mr.. Up
Johns church. Both these services were
fairly attended. and those who listened TO the
sermons which were delivered were the recip-
tents of earnest religious teachings.
The other modes of celebrating the day
were many and various. There were pleas
ant reunions of families, the absent ones inn
proving the opportunity to return TO their
homes. Turkey dinners and all sorts of din
ners were partaken of. and the tables of many
poor families were supplied by the bounty OF
charitable men and women. The day was
not remarkably pleasant, but many treated
themselves to their first sleigh ride of the
winter, while the boys and girls enjoyed the
sliding. In the evening there was another
representation of Pinafore, and after it
dance at one of the halls. The streets were
quiet throughout the day, and not till into
the night were any arrests made.
At the Jail the prisoners were remembered
Wednesday night by Mrs. Williams, accord
ing to her usual custom, each one being Civ
en- mincc pie and a bountiful supply of APP
pies. On Thanksgiving the inmates were
kindly thought of by Jailor Libby, who al
lowed them to be together in the guard room all
day, and at noon gave them nice dinner of
chicken, vegetables, fruit, &c.
At the Insane Asylum the day was spent
much as usuu. The worthy Steward, Mr..
Lakin made most ample provision for the
table, which was loaded with feast of good
things. The party in the evening-the great
occasion of the year-was largely attended,
the patients and guests numbering at least
three hundred. The time was spent in the
most enjoyable way, in conversing, walking,
PLAYING games, Sc, into which all entered
with the most hearty zest. Good music en-
livened the hours, and the usual refreshments
of apples candy cake and nuts were served
to the great satisfaction of all. At nine
o'clock the patients retired to their rooms and
the guests departed to their homes. This
party has been feature of this annual holt
day for many years at the institution. The
Superintendent and his assistants contributing
in every way 10 make the occasion a bright
spot in the life of every patient.
SERVICES At THE CoNGREGArIoSAL CHURCH.
There was quite large tendance at the
services in the Congregational church,
Thanksgiving forenoon. The music was
4 1. Al L., 80 FL.
church. After the reading of scriptures by
Rev. Mr.. Sterling of the Methodist church,
and the ofleriag of prayer by Rev. Mr.
Thachcr of the Unitarian. the sermon was
given by the Rev Mr.. Ecob, the text being
from Matthew 6 80, But seek We first the
Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and
all these things shall be added unto you" Fol
lowing is a synopsis of the discourse:
The commandments of God are not bind
ing simply because He utters them. If He
should command you to steal or lie. or kill,
that command would be null and void you
would be bound to disobey. His commands
issue forth from the deep places of the eternal
reason: they chime with the established con-
stitution of things The law of gravitation
rules us not by reason of an arbitrary man
date, but back of that law stands the consti-
tuition of the universe. Now this law of
gravitation is nothing but Gods reason
speaking in matter SO with all the laws of
nature they are simply commands of God.
We never question their rightncss, we never
seek TO evade their authority.
''The pure in heart shall see God" This is
spiritual law. 1t holds us because it has
back of it the constitution of the spiritual
universe. Its authority is its inherent rea-
sonablness. 1t could no more be changed
than IA mathematical truth. SO we, who
should undertake to drive the rising sun
backward and downward into night. would be
guilty of no greater madness than the man
who should undertake to see God with an i'm
pure heart The same is true Of every word
that proceedeth from the mouth of God.
Such command is our text 1t is no utter
ance of bare authority. But as we look into
our relations to God, and into the nature of
His kingdom, we see that this command or
law to "seek first the kingdom of Cod is
as absolute, and necessary in the spiritual as
any law in the material world.
Now is Christs law or philosophy of life
founded in the nature of things? Is it sui
cidal to transgress it? In the first place God
could not set anything before his kingdom in
the earth: God is holy, men are sinful. Be
tween holiness and sin there is such neces-
sary antagonism, that there is but one thing
which either can demand of the other, instant
and absolute surrender. Holiness flows out
upon sin from sheer necessity of nature. II
it did not it would fall out of character, and
itself become sin. We see, then, that the
law which places the kingdom of God first in
the world, is one of those great original de-
mands of the constitution of things, precisely
analogous to the law of gravitation, or the
law of the earth's motion, or the law of chem
zeal action. In the second place, we see that
this law of seeking first the kingdom of
Cod is founded not only in the relations
between holy God and sinful world, but
it is likewise founded in the nature and con-
ditions of the soul itself.
Christ could say, Satan cometh and fndeth
nothing in me. In all the territory of that
divine life there was not one inch where Sa-
tan could set his foot. But coming to us
he finds the door thrown open and over it
written, ''hail-fellow well met" He enters
in and there is rioting and filth and sacrilege
in the most holy place of the soul. Now the
soul being thus broken and diseased and de-
bauched by sins, branched out of its normal
relations to God, of course the first thing, the
only important thing is that the soul be heal
ed, purified, lifted into its natural relations.
After the soul has been thus purified God can