The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-11-29
THANKSGIVING.
The Day in Portland.

Thanksgiving was the quietest day Portland
has seen for years. Owing to lack of snow
and the disagreeable weather the streets were
almost deserted; in fact Sunday was not as
quiet The religious services mentioned i'll
Thursdays PRESS came off with good atten-
dance. Only two sermons were preached, one
at Payson Memorial Church by Rev. q. A.
Dickinson and one at the First Parish by Rev.
DR.. Hill.
PAYsoN MEMORIAL CHURCH
At this church Mr.. Dickinson took for his
text Acts xxi: 80. which he construed as
"Christian citizenship" The sermon was adj
mirable and interpreted means this
Don't be fool. if you can help it.
Don't be afraid to scratch the ticket, on
occasion.
3-Respect the opinions and prejudices of
your fellow citizens, as you wish them to
respect yours.
FIRST PARISH.
Rev. DIR. Hill preached at the First Parish.
The text was Mark v, 10: show great
| things the Lord hath done for thee" In 8
| brief Introduction, DR.. Hill raised the inquiry
| whether the question of optimism and pes
| simism is one in which the golden mean is
| safest; or whether it Is not. rather. one IN
| which must choose an extreme; and either
| say with Hartmann and others that existence
is the greatest of evils, and the humiliation of
| the race the only god to be desired or else
with Ieibuiz that this is the best possible
universe and must produce the greatest possl-
| BILE amount of happiness. The preacher IN
| c,iued strongly 70 the view that there is no
| third altern atlve between pess!miSm and OPP
timism; but ne warned his hearers against
using even the true alternative optimism, as
| basis from which to draw private conclusions
as 10 duty. \ hnt3 inteilect cannot safely
argue from premises which involve the Inhn-
| te The existence of terrible evils Is mani
| fest, and our duty to labor against them is
| imperative. Nothing can exonerate US from
the obligation to labor for fellow men,
| for the reioIm of abuses aad the establish
ment of righteousness nor can any optimism
deny that the neglect OF duty may bring terri
| BILE evils, at leas. upon ourselves.
The speaker then passed TO a nsideration
of few Ct the great things whirh the Lord
has done for man. Ali the universe Is fitted
for man, aud man for the universe. His first
illustration sight; the morally healthy
soul looks ell day upon d succession Ut pc
tures, each full of inimitable beauty; and al
| night gazes out upon buuadless ualyer~e o.
stars. rha second illustration was the ear;
1t d~e!ls IN "a world of melody and harmon, ;
it rtsouuds with the voices of aft elton and
friendship. The inferler senses of touch.
SMELL and taste also alluded TO, as
sources OF pleasure, and OF instrucuon.
But the ueuta and moral powers Of man
are also sources of happiness TO him. The
wonderful triumphs OF the modern arts and
sciences,-what sources of intellectual pleas
ure they have been! They may have led
some unwi.e souls toward atheistic thoughts
but they have LED wiser and proounder think
ers to deeper appreciation OF the dignity OF
human nature; to a reassured certainty thai
men are the sons OF God. Finally the moral
and se .thetic faculties of man were adduced
as Illustrations OF the great things which the
Lord has done for US. The language Of the
fac arts, and the wonderful language oil
speech, ia vain endesyor to express the in
I tense pleasure of pereeiving beauty, the in
tense pleasures of afec ion and friendship.
Thanksgiving day is family festival; its
most hallowed associations gather around
the family hearth; and the deep and quiet
i,ys of Christian home can not be overstated
The happiness OF home is too sacred TO bt
RELY spoken of; what then can be said o.
the still deeper springs of JOY opened in the
gospel of Christ! Thanks be to God, wher
he heart is too full OF peace and j,y 70,
ut(erancp, it finds relief by turning with {
spirit of thanksgiving and praise to the eve'
bountiful Giver who will accept the sincere
thanks even unspoken.