The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-11-25
THANKSGIVING SERVICES.
The Union Services Held Yesterday at The
First Presbyterian Church

As per previous notice, there were union
Thanksgiving services held at the First
Presbyterian church on yesterday. Bishop
Kavanaugh, who was expected to conduct
the service failed TO reach tue city, and
Rev. II. A. Bourland, of the Lamar street
NJ. e. Church, ofiiciated. Besides q large
and intelligent audience, there were present
the following named ministers; DR.. J. NJ. !
Binkley, Presiding Elder, w. c. McCune,
of the Congregational Church, l.. 2, Smith,
of the Floyd street NJ f. Church, Rev ].
S. smith, Rev. John Allen, DR.. Broughton,
of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church
and Dr. Irwin, OF Ennis.
The music was led by the choir OF the First |
Presbyterian church with Mr.. G. Ii, Ed |
wards presiding at the organ. After sing |
ing the hymn,
Thanks and praise Jehovah's name
For His mercies firm andsure,'
Mr.. Bourland read rs his text Psalms 10th |
and 9th verse, also Luke 10th chapter, sd
and 24th verses.
The sermon was one of his most happy
efforts, and we regret that our space will
not allow us to give it entire as delivered
The following are extracts
THE SERMON,
The revolving year has brought to us
another National Thanksgiving occasion,
awakening generous sentiments in every
Christian heart. Thanksgiving Day What
hallowed associations cluster about it; what
tender memories of the past are aroused, as
we enter the sanctuary Of God and look
back upon the mercies of the past year.
There is no stronger evidence Of a healthful
moral nature than that readiness which re-
spends to the favors received from q bene-
factor, whether human or divine; there is a
spontaneity about it which resembles the
loud anthems of celestial chOirs. We stand
bewidered in the multitude of Heavens
mercies toward us; truly God has daily
loaded us with benefits and crowned all
the year with n radiant dadem of goodness.
We are called upon to give thank to God
for the blessings of free government; for
civil and religious liberty for a sutiiciency
of agricultural products, prosperity for
the maintainence of order at home and
peace abroad. Our country, while com
pared with others, is young; with vet the
dew of youth upon her brow, she is never
theless strong in all the resources that go
to make people potential for good or evil
Our future prosperity depends upon our
virtue and fidelity to the high and holy
trusts committed to us. We, therefore
hail this recognition of Divine Providence
by our Chief Magistrates. The proclama-
ton of Thanksgiving, is simply our national
confession OF faith. When we give thanks
for bountiful harvest we confess the i'm
potency of mechanical skill, and manual
toll, independent ofthe early and latter rain
For religious freedom we give thanks, not
to wise legislators, but to an in
fnitelv wise God the inspiration.
Another most cheering indication of the
times amidst which we have taken exist
ence, is the real unity of Christians not a
forced constrained unity, or rather uni
formity, endeavoring to compel men to con-
form to certain confessions Of faith; not the
marshaling of great numbers under one
name, but that better unity of the spirit
oneness in Christ. The Evangelical Alliance,
fair and beautiful child of this country is
growing every year in queenly grace and
bringing Christiansin closes relations, and
inspiring them with delightful harmony in a
common cause. 1t is accomplishing this by
new process, we may say, nevertheless as
old as the gospels, it wars upon no mans
opinions, but brings us nearer to each other
because nearer to Christ Like the spokes
ola wheel the nearerthey come to the center
the nearer they are together, and on the con
srary the further removed from that center,
the wider apart they become, so the nearer
they come to Christ.tLe nearer they are to
each other. Certainly, then, there is wide
"
The former is of the Spirit, the latter of the
sect. One is constrained and unnatural,
the other is free and joyous. The effort of
to-day is not to bring all men to pronounce
the same Shiboleth not to formulate
creeds, and demand subscription upon pain
of bitter anethemas, but it is the more
Christlike endeavor to reach mems hearts,
and purify the very fountains of thought
and emotion. The motto Of Christendom
is more than ever that of reformation "in
nonessentials liberty, in essentials unity,
and in all things charity" But while we
are thankful for liberty, alas that we should
confound liberty with license, and suppose
because we are free, we are above law, and
can set at defiance all the wise regulations
which look to the general good. Liberty is
freedom within the bounds of law, license
is the very spirit of the French Commune
In our country this is our greatest danger,
the rock on which we are in danger of
stranding
The sameisapplicable to men who hold to
no religious faith. Six days they may pur-
sue with impunity their traffic, but il is an
outrage to Christian decency and propriety
that our wives and sisters and children
should be insulted on their way to the
house of God by the clink of saloon glasses
and the exposure of the merchants wares,
Was it ever heard of since the world began,
that day was only seven hours long ?
This subject of religious liberty in our own
commonwealth, is Of growing Importance,
because of the rapid increase Of population.
The busy tribes Of flesh and blood are flow
ing in upon us from every corner and
granny of the globe,
After the sermon prayer was again offered
by Dr. Broughton.
The choir then sang the doxology "Praise
God from Whom all Blessings Flow" DR..
w C.McCune pronounced the benedic-
tion, after which the audience was dis
missed.
Disappointment in meters of pleasure is