The record-union., 1891-11-30
Rev. G. II. Beechgood Reviews the
Blessings That Have Been Show
cred Upon the Nation.


your praise in glory. AS the sun is
sinking down to rest after his days jour
hey, and descends the mountains of the
sky, the herdsman of the Alps, looking
toward the west, lifts high his Alpine
horn and shouts, praise ye the Lord"
From another peak another herdsman
replies, Praise ye the Lord" From
peak to peak the voices of thanksgiving
ring, Praise ye the Lord" From wall
TO wall, the echoes answer, Praise ye
the Lord Till Switzerland, as III
national acclaim, gives praise unto the
Lord.
America, o, America, beloved and
blood bought, Land of the noble free,
where wanderers from afar may comeand
breathe the air of liberty" lift up thy
vsice and sing, Praise ye the Lord"
Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
Thanksgiying's songs.
Let mortal tongues awake,
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break;
The sound prolong.
In the early history of our country
there was a time of great scarcity. In
one of their public assemblies it was pro-
posed that a public fast be proclaimed,
when an old farmer arose and said, My
friends, let US not provoke heaven by our
murmuring." He then spoke of the
goodness of God, and of the blessings
that crowded into each day; and public
thanksgiving was proclaimed instead OF
day OF fasting and mourning. Since then
it has been the custom of the people of
these United States of America to observe
one day in each year as a national hOli-
day and day of Thanksgiving
day when the people of God go up to
his temple to worship Him and to
bring their Offering of praise; day
after the harvest have been gathered in,
when the bins and granaries are bursting
with their wealth, the mows groan-
ing beneath their burdens, and
when the cellars send forth delightful
hints of their ripe treasures; a day
when the old homestead opens all It's
shutters and the rooms are filed with
children's children; when the old fire.
place glows as it did in the olden time,
and the backlog snaps and crackles as it
did in childhood; a day whose evening
rings with the shout of blindman's buff,
and the swapping of popcorn, when the
friends and neighbors are gathered in,
and from under the mistletoe kisses are
stolen from blushing, but willing vic
Tins; a day when old age grows young
again as he feels again the springing
health of boyhood's hour, and when
laughter and merrymaking drives out
the blues.
And why should we not be joyous and
laugh and shout? God certainly intended
that we should, or he would not have so
perfectly developed these faculties.
Laugh, it viii not hurt you. Sing, it will
do you good. Be merry and live longer.
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all
ye people; making every day day of
thanksgiving, and Gods harvest fields
luelodious while the grain is being gath
cred in, for praise is comely, praise is
pleasant" Men feel more like Offering
praise when they are CHEEKY. ] remem-
ber an old darky at my old home. The
boys used to gather about him and get
him to laugh, and then we all would
laugh till the tears would run down our
cheeks, and it was one of the best tonics
in the world. Solomon says, "A merry
heart is like medicine
But why should we offer praise to God
and appoint a special day of thanksgiv-
ing2 To answer why would be a task,
both of time and eternity, but we may
speak of some of the reasons why we
should praise God.
Plato used to thank the gods for three
reasons. First, that God had created him
man and not beast; second, that he
was born a Grecian and not a barbarian
and third, that he was philosopher. But
we may find three better reasons. First,
that we have been created men, who have
the promise of a life that is better than
this; second, for the gift of His Son, who
by his death gave to us redemption and
offers a full pardon for all who are in re-
bellion to him; and third, for the help
that he has promised to give us as we
journey through this life toward the
home which he has prepared for US in the
world above.
If we were to endeavor of ourselves to
come to settlement with God and to
prepare a trial balance of all our accounts
we would be appalled, at the debts against
us and in despair would say, 1--WE never
can pay the debt" And we never can,
but here Christ comes in and indorses
our bond and the debt is paid. All TO
Christ we owe. Let us praise God to-day
that we were ever born and became re-
cipients of such bounty and favor. Let
us praise God to-day that we We're born
in land where the inalienable rights of
man are recognized, and where civil and
religious liberty is the palladium of our
homes. God is the God of nations as well
as the God of men.
Many years ago the Pilgrim Fathers
landed at Plymouth Rock, bringing with
them the seeds of liberty, to be first
planted in the New England States To-
cay, on that same Atlantic Coast, the
beautiful Bertholdi Statue of Liberty, lifts
high the light of freedom. But what
price it cost to erect that statue; but we,
to-day, enjoy its blessings. Dark and
ominous the clouds of war settled on the
New World. Those brave hearts that had
left the fatherland, braved the terrors of
the sea, and cut for themselves homes out
of the mighty forests of the West, that
they might worship God according to the
dictates of their conscience and that they
might be free from oppression. We're de-
MED the rights of freemen; and the man
who is not free is bondman. Their
chains CALLED and fretted them, and the
fettefs were riveted by tyrants hand
But the seeds which the Pilgrim Fathers
had planted found fertile soil, and the first
fruits were carried into Independence
Hall and laid upon the altar of liberty. 1t
was q momentous hour. The lives of
thousands and the happiness of unborn
millions were in the scale. Here were
assembled patriot statesmen, who knew
the right, and knowing, dared maintain.
Their long train of abuses was recounted:
and with a firm reliance in the protection
of Divine Providence, and pledging to
each other their lives, their fortunes and
their sacred honor, they resolved that
I'VE, the representatives OF the United
States of America, in General Congress
assembled, appealing TO the Supreme
Judge of the world for the rectitude of
our intentions, do, in the name and by
the authority of the good people of these
colonies, solemnly publish and declare,
that these united colonies are, and of a
right ought TO be, free and independent
States"
The old bell rang out the birth of Amer
lean independence, and the glad tidings
were heard with rejoicing. Then followed
those long and bloody years-years made
sacred by the patriotic devotion of patri-
otic people-years of intense darkness,
and yet OF hrm reliance in the God OF
justice.
At last the final hour arrived-the hour
which was to establish the fiat ofa nation,
when the SONS OF liberty stood face to