Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-02
THANKSGIVING SERMON.

in the Methodist Protestant Church or
! Thursday, November -. l--3, BY Rev
ID. j. Pierce, pastor First Baptis
Church, Seattle:
.' Giving thanks always for all thing
unto God and the Father. n the nans
OF orr Lord, Jesus Christ. ."-Ephesians
v, -.
Ihankfnlness is the natural condi
tlon Of a .ocl that recognizes God as
being of supreme goodness. exercising
bene.cent rule over the beings He ha,
created. II all Is not plain in His wav
yet. with David. lie can say. Z" Though
walk through he valley of the shadow
of death. will fear no evil Thy roc
and Thy staff they comfort me-
Being depe dent upon the recogni
ton of living. loving God, this Is pc
cuiiariy Christian grace. The Bhud
dist cannot be- thankful. for with hin
An unerring fate grinds through the
mill Of merit and eEes ont 10 each his
measure of veal or Woe Wa cannot
be thankful for what we deserve. The
Aahomedan cannot be thankful, for he
believes in humble submission 10 the
Just DEGREES of A Just God. Tha.Athe.
ist cannot be thankful, for he has no
BODY to thank. The deists' cannot
thank helpless God fox allowing the
fixed laws Of Nature to work ont a
destiny which. deity cannot control
Thanksgiving is therefore the spon-
taneous outflow of greatful heart to a
gracious person, and "the unspeakable
gift" of a loving Savior to An undeserv-
ing world has filled earth with thanks
giving and heaven with Joy.
The prosecuted Christians Of apostolic
days astonished the heather with their
songs OF praise In the dungeon, for they
could still thank God for deliyerance
from the pit.
Every epistle of Paul. save that to the
recrsant Galatians, Is Overtiowing with
doxologies of praise. When the heathen
were still pale with terror from ship
wreck, Paul astonished them by pro-
posing a thanksgiving service.
His earliest epistle to the Thessalo-
mans expresses his continuous thanks
giving "for their faith in Christ, and
their love to all saints"
Tho Corinthians we're SO badly divid-
ed thai ii is doubtful if any modern
pastor would have heard a call to their
circle, yet Paul thanked God always
on their behalf for the grace given to
them"
The dearly beloved Philippians stirred
his heart to thanksgiving upon every
rememberance of their fellowship in
the gospel until now" The very tomb
stones of the earlv Christians told the
sweet story of Christ's Transforming
power.
As of the Puritans one has sung
They made the woods of the forest
ring
With their hymns Of lofty cheer"
so tho Christians tighten the dark re-
cesses of the Roman catacombs with
their faith in their resurrection morn.
why should the children of king
Go mourning all their days 2"
The religion Of Jesus lights the soul
" Dissolves the heart in thankfulness,
And melts the eyes to tears"
What strange misguided spirit tells of
Christian gloom ?
A hundred md fifty years ago, when
rigid thought shut out much of the
present sweetness of love, DR.. Watts
could sing
SOIDo VIC bubt IOVe Tue lyOEu,
And let our joys be known"
and stirred his brethren by the assur-
nnce--
Religion never WAS designed
To make our pleasures less.'
And in view Of their gracious gifts. ex-
horted them to
" Let our songs abound,
And everv tear be dry.
We're marching through Immanuel's
ground,
To fairer worlds on high"
The gift Of Christ has been one of Joy
TO this world, and Of pleasures forever
more.
Why should no. its receivers be thank
full?
NATIONAL CALL
From the chief ruler of great Christ
ian nation has this day called forth
from sixty thousand churches the crate
ful response of prayer and praise, that
like cloud of incense rises with the
sun on the cOasts of Maine, gathering
from millions Of heart offer
ings as il rolled over great continent
1000 miles to Puget Sound.
Such feast of JOY pervading an en-
tire nation, suspendinc business and
multiplying joy, is a wonderful proof of
the influence of a free Christianity.
Let us. however. recall some Of the rea-
sons for thapkfulnsss by the residents
Of this Territory. to whom is addressed
the invitation Of our Governor to day
Of praise and thanksgiving.
INDICATIONS OF PROSPERITY.
These cannot be properly estimated
without 0lancinQ over the entire area of
the Territory. For regard any effort
to divide the commonwealth IA unjust
to all sections, u serious bar to our high
est prosperity, emanating either from a
idea Of our proper relations
or fron Q sectional prejudice which
should not be euooura Zed by any Sec
tion.
Puget Sound ia rs much interested in
the growth Of eastern Washington
wheat and wool az in her own products
Of luwbsr and coal, for the commercial
interests of the two must vet be ident-
ical. We need Walla Walla wheat while
she needs our coal.
4 line Of road making exchange of
the two would be beneficial to both par.
ties. We. therefore. join with ont eact-
ern friends in thanksgiving for an
abundant harvest. which insurss COM
fort and plenty to q thousand poor
homes. aud Quickens the pulse o: bust
ness throughout the Territory.
Three years ago Dayton drew ali her
wheat 10 miles to Walla Walla. This
year she reports 5000 tons in her own
store houses. Her business has treblei.
her farm land dooblsd ia value and her
people are happy.
Three years ago the frs. buildings Of
Cheney were erected. Today she il
prosperous business center. with ambi-
tious plans for several railroads and
western Saratoga within call.
The eastern portion Of our Territory
will ship > COCO tons of vheat this year
Waiia Wal,a Cnio.. Oct. -. S3l, and
II becomes With US an important ques-
tion whether il shall 60 To Puget Sound
or st. Paul. The vast region east of the
Cascades, north OF Snake river, is rap
idly filling up. where You may ride
from Spokane Falls to Almota, 100 miles
south, through continuous wheat
country. and from Moscow you may ride
l50 miles vest to the Columbia Bend,