Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-27
They We're Extensively Of
fered Up Yesterday.
Union Church Services Charac-
terized the Day.
Well Attended Exercises Which Were
Enjoyed Yesterday.
At Emmanuel Church-The sermon-St.
Paups services-At the DAILY
Street Congregational
Church-Notes.


The Thanksgiving services held in the
various churches yesterdaymorning were
largely attended. Many of the congre-
cations combined and held union SER
vices.
IMMANUEL CHURCH.
An audience composed OF the congre-
cations of the Presbyterian, Lutheran,
United Presbyterian, Baptist, United
Brethren and First Christian churches
assembled at Emmanuel church, at Pearl
and Tenth streets. The church was well
filed and the services were most inter-
ing.
The following ministers occupied seats
ON the platform: DIR. Chichester, DR..
Crabbe, DR.. Smithers, DIR. Heisler, DIR.
Hutchins, DR.. Colmery and DR.. Starkey.
DIR. Chichester opened the service. and
was followed by DR.. Smithers, who made
the opening prayer. DIR. Heisler read
the Thanksgiving proclamation. The
scripture was read by DR.. Colmery, and
DR.. Hutchins led in prayer. An appeal
for assistance to the Ladies' Aid society
was made by DR.. Chichester.
Rev. DR.. Crabbe preached the sermon
ON the text, Bless the Lord, 0 my soul,
and forget not all His benefits. Psalm
CHI, 2.
Extracts from the sermon follow:
This day completes another cycle in
the calendar of time, and in response to
the invitation of the president OF our
country and the governor of the state OF
California, we are assembled to return
thanks to Almighty God, our Heavenly
Father, for His manifold mercies to us
during the year which is drawing to a
close, and to give expression to our graf
itude by appropriate and liberal offer
ings for the benefit of the needy.
/ respect the thought that it is day
of Thanksgiving and of almsgiving, and
not a day for murmuring and COM
planning and grumbling, although there
might be in the minds of some cause for
these rather than for the giving OF
thanks. Nor do we feel disposed to
make it the occasion for finding fault
with the government on account OF its
shortcomings, as is often done, and TAX
ing a pessimistic view OF things in gen.
eral.
l. OQC6 utdIQ u nlulbbCi dnhouhOO do ~
text for Thanksgiving sermon, 1T Is a
good thing to give thanks unto the
Lord" and he began "straightway" by
saving, 1--WE have come here to point
out the sin of this government and
mourn over the corruption of American
politics" and from the beginning to the
end OF the discourse there was nothing
to suggest the thought of thanksgiving,
save the text which he announced.
l, of course, will not be understood as
even intimating that there are no flaws
to be found in our government, or that
we have no sins of which we are, as ma
ton, guilty, and which ought to be re-
proved; but, notwithstanding all this,
we do not feel at liberty, nor do We be-
lieye it the proper thing to turn day
of Thanksgiving into day OF parading a
long. dark catalogue OF sins before the
public, nor to turn it into day OF
mourning, espsc tally when we have
abundant reason for pouring out our
hearts in gratitude to our Heavenly
Father.
To do otherwise, it seems to NE, would
he like a father calling his children to-
gether for day OF festivity and joy, and
when thev are assembled and ready
to enter upon the joys of the occasion,
turning it into day OF sorrow by re-
counting the shortcomings OF the house
hold and the want of reverence and
respect for authority. There might
OF course be just cause for his reproofs
but it would be very improper time
for them. -,
In like manner it does not seem like
the right thing when we are called upon
by our ruler to meet in our own re-
spectiye places of worship to give thanks
to Almighty God for his mercies, to turn
the day into something different from
that which was intended. day ol
fasting, humiliation and prayer would
be an appropriate time for such course
Then il would be perfectly proper tt
point out the many and aggravated stint
of the nation, and to call upon the peo
ple as Jonah did the Ninevites to repent
and If possible stir their hearts even al
the Ninevites were stirred.
We desire, therefore, to give ou
thoughts to the theme suggested by thu
text-Thanksgiving. Let US call upol
our souls and all that is within US, ever,
faculty and power OF our being, to bles
and praise Gods holy name for all hi
mercies. :.
Let us be grateful for the day itself
We should be exceedingly thankful tina
our chief rulers are men, as we tax
them to be from the spirit of their proc
lamation, of thankful hearts, recogniz
ing that their thanks are due to Hin
who hath done so great things for u
as a people. We love to see,
in them, and earnestly hope tina
the proclamation of those in authority
calling us together in The capacity il
which we are assembled today, may b
more and more framed after the peopl
which recognizes the Lord Jesus as tn
mediator between God and man and q
the ruler OF the nations OF the earth:
But we should, as | said, be thankfu
for this ''blest thanksgiving day." D.
cause it has tendency to cultivate
.spirit OF thankfulness which is not onl
scriptural but is an exceedingly helpfr
exercise.
A thankful heart is compared by SON