The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-02

every kind has prOSpereQ. ana especially
tnral interests. The farmer is the bone and
slnew of the country. Upon him depends the :
prosperity and wealth o? the nation: If he
ceeds, every other industry, ,prospers: Gpd
has graciously smiled upon the husbandnan
during this year. They have reaped bounti.
ana 5ne ana
everything necessary TO sustain life and add
to Its comforts. A people thus blessed with !
material prosperity should return thanks to
shine and the shower. Without his blessings
upon the 1abors of our hands, we toll in vain,
and agriculture ana mere msrchandse ,a Use, and COM
| II. Another national blessing which calls
for our gratitude, Is civil liberty. We live un-
der the best government in the world. It isa
for hs psope as % hs
yoke of despotisr, but we, the free citizens Of
this free Commonwealth, hold the rein Of gov :
put in office are not our masters but our ser.
wants, Sc, occupying positions ih Of p1blic trust
try for the fathu hdu dutX In no
JOY as much liberty as under our system OF
government. America has been called the
asyum for the OF, Of every patton
poor. white all colored, but all classes have
equal rights. While other governments de-
prive their citizens of many OF their 'origi-
Of liberty, there is II ieedom Of thought, free
dom, of speech, freedom Of conscience and;
freedom of action And then there is peace.
with all other nations and at peace among
ourselves No tocsin Of war is sounded, no
gathering clouds Of bloody strife are seen, but
from the ATLANTIC to Pacific, from the Queens
peace and good will are heard. The civil lib (
erty which we enjoy, the peace which reigns
throughout our country, the unity and har.
ings which should cali for our gratitude to
God whose hand IS leading us and who pre- ,
sides over the destiny OF the nation.
return thanks to God is religious liberty. Wei
do not appreciate rs we should, the fact that
we live IN q land of Bibles and religious toler-.
dwelling in heather darkness without gospel
privileges, ignorant OF Christ, ignorant OF the,
glorious plan Of Redemption, knowing moth.
Ing of the glad tidings Of salvation, we are
the light Of the blessed gospel OF Christ is
and m infldels ,' deny % that this is + t5ris1!an
the decline, and is destined SOON to pass away:
But what are the facts? JUST one hundred
years ago there were only four members OF the
popunt tion OF the United States, but now
there is one member OF the church in every
four Of our population. According to the last
5
cent, and during tho same decaae the mem.
bershp Of the church increased forty-eight
per cent. There are IN this couhtry eighty.
thousand churches, with seating capacity Of
forty illions. These churches are estimated
to be worth four hundred and fifty milllonsiof
dollars. Ninety millions of dollars are an,
nually expended for churches There are over
seventy thousand ministers. Are such figures
an indication that Christianity Is dying out7
Never was the church stronger, and never was
Christianity more vital and aggressive than
l at the nreSeNf dav Nor uOuld forget IN
mention, among the blessings which we en-
JOY In this Christian country, our educational
facilities for they are the products OF Chris
lianity.
We have two hundred and thirtysix thou
sand school teachers, and two hundred and
twenty-five thousand public schools. sup.
dollars. Who CO can n estimate the blessings
of the public schools to our county?
Stand by the public schools, foster and sup
unty and eve 's ehd an eppe @
of securing, at least an elementary education.
Then think Of the vast number Of schools and
their Organization, their influence and teach
Ing And upon these Christian instituiions
Of learning depends the safety and hope of
the republic Christian education, not sim
ply the training Of the intelloct-but with
it the culture OF the hearts, the watchword
of the hour. It is the rock on which rests the
strength and stability OF the nation. And are
Christian institutions of learningi Is it not
q cause for Thanksgiving that so many Chris
tim men and women arc deyoting their lives
to the intellectual, moral and religious train.
ing Of the youth Of our country? In view Of
the great national blessings which we as a
people enjoy It !sappropriate that we take up
the song Of Dayd Bess the h9
But let US give this subject more practical
application. What have we as individuals,
what have you and to thank God fort There
are some who are always looking on the dark
|
and nothing beautiful in life. who are always
complaining of their hard lot, who think OH
and forget the many blessings they enjoy.
However hard the lot, however crushing the
misfortune, however severe the trials, howev-
er gloomy the prospects, there Is not living
many blessings for which he should return
thanks to God. -.--
l. We should thank God for the preserva-
have passed from time 10 eternity-some pre-
pared, some unprepare-dduring the past
year! Is it not something to thank God for.
We are ays and enoy the gs s1
And by what right are we alive and here this
morningf Have we done anything TO- lay
God under obligation to let us liver Call up
the past aud let the thoughts and actions OF
q misspent life answer the question. 1t Is not
because we deserved to live, but because God
lisa God Of mercy, not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come unto him
and live. Had he entered into strict justice
with us and dealt with US after our sins and
rewarded us according to our iniquities, how
many Of us would have been here to-day?
Not one. We would have been cut down as
| cumDererS Of the ground.
! II. We should thank God for his providen-
tial interposition In our behalf We have all,
many times, been saved from dangers seen
and unseen along our paths. 1t may be that
some of you business men can remember q
time when you were within one step OF fall
urc-all your possessions were about to ne
swept away-and you saw no way by which
you could esrape the impending ruin; but
when you had lost all hope God opened up
q way out Of your perpleXities. Some of you
may remember time when you were III,
your physician and friends expected you to
die and you could almost feel the cold dew
drops OF death on your brow, but suddenly,
you knew not how, the disease yielded to
some healing remedy, and You are alive to-
day. Some Of you may remember when your
little one was lying. as you thousht, at deaths
door. You retired to your closet, your heart
all bleeding, your eyes blinded with tears, to
tell God about your trouble, and In answer TO
yonr earnest p!eadlngs he spared tie sui,-
have been. delivered by an Invisible hand
| from great floods Of trouble, which, If we had
been left to ourselves would have wrecked
our lives and sunk our fortunes!
| III. We should thank God for the trials
and aflicticns, the troubles and sorrows
which he sends upon us. know this Is hard
| to do. 1t Is very easy for man to return
thanks to God when he Is In health and pros
pcrty, when all his affairs are radiant with
with s;lckcloth and and ashes, when 1nisfor-
tunes have blasted lis prospects and death
has taken his loved ones, 1t is not so easy then
to sing of Thanksgiving. But If. we had
for all things. David, after he had passed
through the fiery fnrnance, exclaimed, 1T Is
good for me that I have been afflicted" Oh
for II simple, trusting, chid.likc faith that will
fl,4r