Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-12-05

was preached by the pastor EeT. l.. e.
Ware, from Psalms, - INV.
Whom have In Heaven tut Thee: an there Is
none upon earth Thai desire besides Ihc-.
God is above ali his gifts, and His own
hest giving is Himself Our best cause for
thanks is that lie comes to us aud is with us.
with revelations Of His greatness and His
love lie i, oars more than all lie gives lie
gives hut he takes away-and we can only
say. blessed he the name of the
Lori The word Of our God will stand
for ever ami His mercy is everlasting.
If Thauksrivine Day r"ncwg our SarroN
for gifts taken away l., il also renew or
faith and oar @iaiiucss thai He never takes
Himself away hut ali,lcs with us forever
Earth ami skies. seasons and climates, life
and its countless cnjnymen,S, conscience and
its admOnitionS the gospel and its revcla-
tions all testify that the tabernacle of God is
with men and that they are His people and
lie their God. To-day the most determined
pcssimi-t would iind ii difficult TO preach his
creed. Looking Al the bountiful harveSts
and the return OF prosperity, dull in mind
and unreSponsivc IN heart are they who do
not find this Il glad day
The Governor in his excellent proclama-
ton gives most Of the material reasons for
liltllAS9lNlll-. lblt DtSlti-S lUtSt- illttt art
honor. good deeds. faithfulncss and all rcve-
lations of the Deity and works of His spirit.
1t is Il feast of the harvest that we celebrate.
descended in right line from an old Hebrew
custom. But in all religions there has been
some such festival. Under the names of
many gods the one Deity has been cele-
DRAFTED. There is no more venerable mem-
orial. The things that art seen are not the
cause of the warmest gratitude or the pro-
foundest thanks, hut Gods revelation seen
through them. To the Maker nothing
can be common or uncican ri all His works;
so to those in whom the mind OF Christ IS
working nothing is SO common that they can
not look into it and see Il revelation Of the
Most High. lie is the master Of life pres
ent and vita! everywhere. The world is no
machine, but living universe. God is not
an artisan but the artist Of His work. He is
well named the Infinite Artist. The micro
scope and telescope alike bring US revelations
of beauty. The poet said, boldly but not tco
boldly, God holds all the universe forth
upon His hand and looks upon it with Il
smile" \ ilower-bud contains the divine
mind Is well as the solar system. 1t is not,
then, for material blessings that we alone
and most worthily return thanks, but be-
cause we know Him and lie reveals Himself
toUS
Bu, something remains. In director ways
He addresses Himself to the spirit within
us and 20 our inner life. This is the reyela-
ton 10 us Of Ills Fatherhood in Heaven.
Thanksgiving is at its lest when it is the
sincere THANKSGIVING of child The pity
forgiveness. tenderness, justice of the Father
are revealed In our good and i'll it is all
one love in which the Fatherhood of God is
revealed, and it is here that the Psalmist'S
ejaculation becomes the tender though! Of
oar hearts.
To return for one last second to the Gov
errors proclamaiirn. there is a good bit OF
picturesqucnesd in that passage which speaks
of our repeating IN ancient ceremony Of
this feast uf the harvest, waving the rich
fruits Of our abundance toward the four
quarters OF the world" The suggestion
Of this "reminiscences is Il most valuable one.
The waving of the fruits was peculiar fca-
ture of the Jewish peacc-otferinE. Let us
to-day lit our hearts to God with prayers
and praises. He is the fHliiller of all good.
The completeness of our thanks is in our
thankinlntsS Tor Himself