The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-11-25
THANKSGIVING DAY.
How 1t Was Observed in the Churches
Yesterday.

Thanksgiving opened bright, but the
heavens were soon obscured and the
snow fell quite rapidly. By noon the
skies cleared and the rest of the day was
| pleasant
| At Williston church there was qnite
an attendance at the morning prayer
meeting and at the West Congregational
church there was very pleasing social
service. In the evening the Danish
Lutheran Society held an evening service
at Preble Chapel.
The various church societies of the cit y
held union service at the Second Par
ish church yesterday morning which was
well attended. Rev. John. Carroll Perk-
ms of the First Parish (Unitarian)
church, preached the sermon, of which
| the following is an extract:
Text, Ezekiel 2:l. ''And He said UNI
to me, Son of Man, stand upon thy feet
and I will speak with thee.'
The spirit of our Thanksgiving turns
unto the past for its justification and as
surance, but it opens its heart to tie flu
ture for the hope and confidence that
every new communing with Divine life
makes possible for humanity. We are
here today rejoicing in single impulse
We are here, a union of churches, led in
to this presence in response to the offlc-
ial voice of President and Governor,
summoning us not only as state but as
nation, to meet together on this day in
humble acknowledgment to the kind
Providence that thus far has watched
over our welfare. Whatever the events
that have characterized our individ-
ual lives, whether success has attended
| our efforts, or whether we have been
| forced to bend our spirit to the heavy
hand of failure, we come here together
| as into the nearer presence of God, to
| Join with them whose hearts spontaneous
ly cry out in thanksgiving and seek to
| learn something of the lesson such spir-
| it can teach. Memories there are for all
of us, for the associations of such day
touch chords of deepest emotion, and
vibrate in harmony with the very foun-
dalton principles of the human life.
ALI the associations of this day must
lift us above the trivial and feeble judg-
ments that engage too much our human
life and usher us into the presence of
those higher revelations to our nature
that gains practical power only when we
stand erect in the consciousness of our
highest manhood.
The day belongs to us in common with
all mankind. Its source is not in the
great gratitude of our Pilgrim fathers; it
is not in the harvest feasts of the Jewish
worshippers, but in that common gift to
all mankind, that enables each soul to
stand upright and speak face to face with
Divine Providence.
The first notice that history has taken
of such general celebrations comes to us
perhaps from the Dutch in Leyden in
1876 who united in Thanksgiving for the
deliverance of that city from siege, that
had occurred the year before. At Ply
| mouth in 1921, at Charleston in 1928, at
Boston in 1881 and SO on through the
colonial history, different events of
common interest brought the people
together. Since 1868 the proclamation
by the President has provided annually
for day of national union on such oc-
casion.
Our greatest cause for thanksgiving
should appear in the confidence and trust
in the higher nature of man that the. ex-
perience Of the world has taught. When
man is not bowed in fear, but erect in
III uSb UuCA tOlCOo VI wv SOAAAo AAS0 SA-O
life in the truest way. When life is met
at its highest point, then it is that we
have confidence that God is fulfilling his
purposes and revealing new phases of
the Divine truth to the world
God speaks through man, but only
when man is alert, erect, active in his
highest humanity.
In our political relation, our social
relation and our religion, the same
principle is at the base of all.
Though selfishness, dishonesty, greed
appear we know they are never born in
the soul that has respect for his own
manhood. They are never found where
the spirit stands upright in the face of
duty's call.
Humanity is saved through itself but
only when men touch the heights of their
nature. This is the great truth of
Christi nifty.
So God has intrusted us with his own
nature to exhibit in perfection before
the world.
Our thanksgiving may mean most to
us when we trust the power God has
given to us and enter into their highest
Interpretation. Only to the soul that
stands erect can God speak.