Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-26


According to the common Ideal there 10
no heroi5m IN that at all. For the world
has by common consent agreed TO take as
its finest type OF heroIsm the firm, liked,
resolute endurance OF the Greek or
Roman Stole, loftily Indifferent alike to
pleasure and pain and meeting all the
ills of life with grim defiance, all it's
felicities with surly contempt as alike
the gift of blind impersonal fate which
no effort could avert,no prayer pr0pitiate,
and TO which no thanks could be due.
Not he thankful in everything but be
thankful In nothing was his iron rule of
life; be stern, be self-contained, be In
different to pain or pleasure, life or
DEATH"
Continuing, the speaker observed that
tue most wonderful thing about those I'M
passive heroes is THAT we should wonder
at them as we dO-tbey are so very COM
mon." I'VE used to read with astonish-
ment the thrilling stories of splendid hero
Ism OF classic days, of the age OF chlValry,
oil the pioneer age, and OF the revolution
airy age, but we were never so astoDlshed
as when we were awakened suddenly TO
the fact that the whole continent was
populated with heroic men, capable oil
doing and daring and suffering worthily OF
The palmiest days OF Sparta, orof Rome. 1
am not afraid that the fresh remembrance
OF those days will have the elect undulY
TO enhance our respect for the merely
military virtues; IL has proved them TO be
so common as no longer to move us TO as
constituent. Rather il will lead US to
apprehend the broad distinction between
those virtues which are merely martial,
the pagan, stole valor that Is strong in its
contempt OF pain and death, and that nigh
virtue of the Christian soul which takes
the tull measure of human JOY or woe, the
height OF them, the depth of them. that
knows the sting OF shame, the anguish OF
bereavement and all that is summed up TO
the mind OF man in the one word death,
and that bias no atiectation of contempt
for any OF these. 1t sees, feels, contessas
the awful power of them. and yet sings for
JOY in the midst of them, Rlorying in
tribulation, rejoicing eyermore, in every
thing giving thanks"
In contrasting Christianity with stoic-
ism the speaker drew picture
from ChrisTs crucifxiOn, declar-
ing that the sequel of the story
is pre.eminent among all death scenes,
not only for every outward circumstance
OF shame and intlictiOn of bodily anguish,
but for the deep, intense consciousness OF
them all on tae part of the sufferer.
In conclusion DIR. Bacon said that it
was not to be supposed that the argument
OF thankiuiness is needed only by the
afflicted and the poOr-that the ricn will
be thankful as a matter of course. But
they from whom the Lord hath taken
away best know that it is the Lord who
giyeth. The sincerest utterances OF
gratitude are going up not from opulent
cities Boosting of prosperity, but from the
coasts devastated by floods and cities
desolated by earthquakes, where men
have learned to praise God for the bless
ings that they once enjoyed as well as the
blessings that remain.
AT ST. JOHNS CHURCH.
II Thank Thee, o, Father" was the
subject OF Rev. Charles Ii. Strohg's SER
mon at st. Johns Episcopal Church. The
passage is from St. Luke X, 81. The
words were spoken by Christ and eX-
hibited the characteristic temperament OF
His mind, said the pastor. The Saviour
was thanking God for certain wonderful
revelations that had been given to man.
A wording might have said that
the truths referred to were
learned by study, but the Saviour saw
Gods hand in the matter. That ought to
be the characteristic temperament OF all
Christians. They should see Gods pres
ence in all things. To the wonderful i'm
agination OF the Greek god of some sort
WAS embodied in everything. Everything
was connected directly with a divinity.
Now that has passed out of mans belief.
power to blast harvests or that drysds are
in every grove and naiads in every foun-
tain. God has been taken out of the
old beliefs and out of the hearts
OF men. Man has gone to the other ex-
IRENE and eliminated the supernatural
from nearly everything. If it were not
for the supernatural side Of life, however,
1t would be nothing but torment. All
real consultations, every thing that puts
hnn a mr. N nEn oFn In MI n
makes him willing to bear burdens are
direct from God. His infinite blessings
can never be catalogued.
AT CHRIST CHURCH.
AT Christ Church, the font, filed with
flowers and fruit, was the only decoration.
The rector, Rev. Thomas Boone, preached
a Thanksgiving sermon, taking for his
text the third, fourth and fifth verses OF
| the one hundredth Psalm: "Know We that
| the Lord He is God: IL is He that hath
| made us, and not we ourselves; we are
| His people, and the sheep OF His pasture.
| Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
| and into His courts with praise: be thank
| ful unto Him, and bless His name. For
| the Lord is good; His mercy is eyerlast-
| ing: and His truth endureth to all gen.
| erations."
These words, said the preacher, are
| familiar to everyone. Gods bounty and
| mercy are the universal themes for
| Thanksgiving thought. We thank Him
| for all the blessings that we have re-
! ceived, and we praise Him that He has
kept US from all harm. God did not make
man, he said. merely to throw him
| from Him, but for His own satisfaction
| and glory. BE gifted him with intellect
and free will. Man may Gin and be
| punished II he will, but it is not Gods
| wish. To prevent, 80 far as possible,
| his doing so He put away
sin by the sacrifice OF Himself.
He has made everything universal except
salvation, and that he could not make so
1 except by destroying mans free will. All
/ things else are universal. II there is
| naught else for us to be thankful for IL ia
| that we are Gods people, and so the
| Psalmist adds: 1--WE are His people and
| the sheep of His pasture" As Ameri-
| cans we can sincerely thank God for a
I free country and its tree institutions, and
| for free church. for while recognizing
| Gods temporal blessings, we must not
| forget the spiritual.
The preacher referred TO the many great
blessings which this country and It's
| people have enjoyed, the escape from
great disaster and ruin; the universal
! peace and prosperity which reigns, and
| Tor all things that God has beloved upon
his children.
| ------
RROKE IN THE WINDOW