The Cecil Whig., 1885-12-12
THANKSGIVING SERMON
Preached in the Port Deposit
Presbyterian Church

By Rev. Louis +. Barrett. Pastor OF Tom
Memorial NJ. f. Church. Port Deposit
nd, on November &c, 1855.
Text-"Now when Daniel knew that tn
writing was signed, lie went into hi
house; and his windows being open il
his chamber toward Jerusalem, h
, kneeled upon his knees three times
day and prayed. and gave thanks be
fore his God. as he did aforetime. -
DaniI Il IN.
Although ''the eating of that forbid
den tree brought death into the world
and all our woe, with loss of Eden. y e
man seems to have emerged from th'
wreck with some degree of gratitude a
least. Gratitude is temper of mine
which denotes desire of acknow ledinG
the receipt of benefit When tn,
Apostle Paul says of the heather
"neither We're they thankful, he stamps
the sin Of ingratitude as peculiarly odi
GUS The devout mind surveys the SOW
ereign bencvolence of the Creator il
every person, in every object. i'll every
quality. and in every event. Sovereign
benevolsuca forces itself cn every sense,
and pervades his grateful heart. Hence
in very early ages man manifested a
sense OF gratitude for blessings received.
Abel, as he stards beside his Spotless
lamb, and Cain, as he stands besides the
fruits of the field, give evidence of their
gratitude. In the Feast Of Tabernacles
or Ingathering, the ancient Hebrews re-
turned thanks for the harvests of the
year. Aud so on down the ages man has
felt bound to return thanks to the GiVcr
| Of all mercies and blessings for providing
for his wants. In our own highly favored
| land we find the Pilgrim Fathers, after
| their first harvest, in 1921, in special
manner rejoicing and giving thanks.
During the Revolutionary struggle
Thanksgiving was national institution,
being annually reconUlended by Con-
| gress. After that struggle resulted in
peace and independence, there were only
occasional thanksgiving days named by
the President of the United States until
1862, when day of National thanksgiv-
ing was ordered by President Lincoln. y
similar proclamation has been issued by
the Chief Magistrate each year since
that time, aud Thanksgiving Day has
become an annual national festival. This
is right and proper. We have much for
which to be grateful, and we should be
willing at least once in each year to meet
in our churches and spend an hour in
giving thanks to God for all the mercies
which He bestows upon us as 4 people.
We are assembled here today on an oc-
casion similar to that which called the
Hebrews together at the Feast OF Taber-
nacles. We see all around US this morn
ing nicely and tastefully arranged, the
evidences of Gods favor in these vege-
tables, grain and fruits, which He has SO
bountifully poured into our laps during
the past year. lie has cansed the earth
to respond to the cultivation of the hus-
bandman and bring forth in large and
abundant measure every thing necessary
to supply the needs of the ph hysical ma
ture, and we would be guilty of one of
the most terrible of sins if We failed to
lift up our hearts in praise and gratitude
to the Giver of every good and perfect
gift. You have, doubtless, noticed as
you have walked out in the early sum-
mer morning the flowers bearing the
pearly dew drops trembling on the edges
of the petals, ready to fail ut thc first
watt of the Vind or brush of The wing of
bird, so should the human heart carry
its beaded words Of thanksgiving, and
at every breath of Heavenly favor let
down the shower, perfumed with the
hearts deepest and hest gratitude.
Not only for theSe physical me.cies
should we be grateful, but also for the
intellectual activities which surround
and press upon us. AS has been well
said by another: "Never was there SO
much freedom of thought and SO much
free thought; the schoolmaster is abroad,
the printing press is untring in it's oper
ations, and the spirit of inquiry and dis
| covery is ubiquitous. Scientists are
foretelling the birth and track of the
tornado, decipheriug the heirographs on
mountain summit and SANDSTONE STRAIT
| UNI; solving the mysteries that lurk III
pond and CELL in tinted sea shells and il
| coral bowers.' Vast continents and un-
| explored rivers age disclosing their beau
tics and treasures. Nature is unlocking
| her doors at the magic touch Of the hui
man mind, and displaying her mysteries
to the wondering gaze of man. The
heavens no longer belong ts the distant
and unknowable; but modern science,
with its long arm of power, has reached
out and laid hold uran planets and
spheres, and suns anl stars, aud brought
them within reach of mans keen facul-
ties: and with more than tGe know ledge
and wlsdum Of IIersohel, he sweeps the
sky with his glass and tells the names
|
worlds. Never did the human mind feed
upon such food as it does today. In the
admirably written thanksgiving prccla-
nation of President Cleveland there are
some special causes for thaplssgiy.ng
named which y wou'd DO we'll for US
briefly to notice. He recommends that
we be grateful
|. For eur prtserrdtiOn as Uhtted Ad-
ton, aud for orr delicSrance from the
shock and dasger Of political coacu!siop.-
Every American citi~.2a faeia patriotic
pride IN the Union Of States, all delegat-
ing certain powers to the Federal Head,
all bound together by one common inter-
est; each State realizing tiiay It is part
and parcel Cf one great Gove, nmcut. By
this Union, toined and ceneuted in the
bond of love and patriotism, We preacnt
to the kingloma and empires Of the Old
World a sublime spectacle, telling them
that people can be free and yet govern
themselves. We cannot be TOO grateful
to an overruling Providence that our
Union has been preserved intact-that
although misgGla2,, iana.ieism would
ha~e separated aud SGT adrift the States
composing this Union. Yet God, in His
wisdom and love, brought all the machi-
nations of these men to rargi.S, and To-
day tbs pas.oa, baptized in its early in
fancy in the blood of our patriot sires,
| and lebaptiZed in its strong manhood