The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-11-30
ProxIdentiaI openings.


or upon these services and the degree of graft
ude with which we review the blessings of the
ear viii be directly proportioned to the vivid
less of our realization of the support and guild.
Ince of the Divine hand.
Thanksgiving day was born among a people
Who devoutly believed in God. not only as the
'reator and upholder of worlds in broad and |
GENERAL sense. but as one who directly and par
icularly controls and guides nations and indi- /
Fiduals; people who received evil and good |
Alike as direct boons from heaven aud lived in |
The belief so beautifully expressed by Whittier:
Know we'll. my soul. Gods hand controls.
Whate'er thou fearest:
Round him in calmest music rolls.
Whate'r thou hearesti
What to thee is shadow to him is day
And the end he knoweth;
And not on blind and aimIess way
The spirit goeth"
The faith Of the Pilgrim Fathers" says the
knew nothing ofchance. It
filed all places with God; and regarding all
agencies as depending on him. it induced a fear
lessness of any and all things that were supposed
to be dependent upon his favor or his wrath.
The elements of nature and the revolutions of
time. the pressure of every breeze and the bal
ancing of every contingency. were. in their ap-
prehension. part of vast and unalterable ap-
paratus of means. every movement of which was
leading to some religious achievement and was
an approach nearer to those great ends in which
the Redeemer of the world should obtain his re
ward and be satisfied. While they meditated
on these things time often disappeared in the
vastness of eternity and the earth. with its tran
STORY interests. faded into vanity before the
brightness of the celestial kingdom-an eternal
and boundless space"
While we are tempted to smile at the whimsi-
calities and extravagancies of our forefathers.
and must confess that the march of religious
progress has made obsolete many ideas that were
sacred to them. we shall ''go farther and search
long" before we find doctrine of providence
more comprehensive. more scriptural. more
wholesome. more soundly philosophical than
was theirs.
Is the persuasion that nature. overruled by
the Divine hand, is often made a minister of
blessing to the good and ofwrath to the ungodly
an antiquated notion that we will do well to get
rid OFF Then farewell THANKSGIVING dayl For
it was from the force of this belief that it was
first ordained and on no other view can it be
consistently maintained. No thoughtful man
will deny that there are great difficulties to be
encountered in framing congruous and reason
able doctrine of providence. A generalization
that seems to be without flaw breaks down ut
terly when applied to particular cases.
Present affairs are too close to the eye to be
seen in their true proportions; while past events
are too far away. The future which finally ex-
plains all mysteries is q sealed book. Self inter-
est, or what to be self interest. throws its
weight into the scale. Imagination plays its
part in geographically intensifying our emo
tions and fancy takes the place of fact. pervert-
ing our logic and vitiating our reasoning.
"We are verify guilty concerning our brother
Behold his blood is required. Therefore is this
distress come upon usl" was the wall of Joseph's
guilty brethren at the very moment that he stood
alive and well before them. his great kindly
heart yearning over them with love too great
to be concealed.
Queen Esther invites me to banquet with
the King. Now for gallows for Mordecai." I"
was the eager thought of the doomed Haman.
The effeminate Agag comes prancing into Sam
uels presence with the words. Surely the bit
terness of death is pastl'' Nevertheless Samuel
'hewed him in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. /"
rs thy servant dog that he should do this
great thing?" said Hazael. when God called him
to be the messenger of his wrath against Israel;
yet beyond all the predictions of the prophet. his
pitiless hand was stretched forth to slay and his
ruthless heart found wild delight in cruelty and
mu1der.
"If Garfield dies will never more believe in
the efficacy of prayer" said many who knew no
better than to attempt to measure Gods uni
verse with their little pocket rulel
Once for all let me say that the first and main
postulate in reasoning upon providence is the
immensity of our ignorance. By confessing onr-
selves fools we demonstrate that we are wise lat
least wise enough to make beginning. We
must never forget that the greater part of what
concerns us, the appointments which determine
the cardinal events of our lives. are absolutely
beyond our control; that the power that sets
bounds to our existence-that determines when
and where we shall be born-our parentage.
country. language. education. lies all beyond
and above us. II am here" said the old college
professor to conceited student. II am here tic
tell you what I know. which is very shorI
story; to tell you what you don't know would be
an endless undertaking"
We are but insects upon the rim of the wheel
can we understand the mechanism of an infinite
universe? Better for US to believe with Pope
that
MAN who here seems principal alone.
Doubtless acts second to some sphere unknown;
Touches some wheel or verges to some goal
IT'S but part we see and not the whole"
And most becoming in us is it to vail our faces
and listen in solemn awe when. in plying conde
scension
HE. who through vast immensity can pierce,
See worlds on worlds compose one universe;
Observe how system into system runs,
" hat other planets circle other suns.
What varied being peoples every star.
Shall tell why Heaven has made US as we are?'
And also when he defines our relations to him
IL
Yet thou canst not know.
And yet thou canst not see;
Wisdom and sight are slow
In poor humanity.
If thou couldst trust. poor soul,
In Him who rules the whole
Thou wouldst find peace and rest;
Wisdom and sight are well but trust is best.
By faith it is granted us to look at earthly
things from the heavenly side. Where we are
snorant God is wise; where we stand or grope
blindly in the dark he is in the light; where we
question and wonder. he plying our ignorance
serenely knows; and it is my profound convic-
tion that nothing so iIluminates our minds and
establishes and steadies SOULS amid the tur-
bulent mutations of present things as to look
above and beyond them. above to see the Di-
vine hand that controls all. beyond to see the
world Of glory fitted and garnished for the final
abode of man, to which that guiding hand is
safelydand surely bringing US. We must strive
to think as God thinks. With Gods book in our
hands and his grace in our heerts and the sweep
of Gods eternal ages passing in panoramic view
before us, that which is seemingly inexplicable
and contradictory will be understood and we
shall see that the natural and supernatural blend
harmoniously and that the order and. beauty and
symmetry which we observe in nature extends
throughout Gods spiritual domains.
mighty God. the first. the last.
Whatsare. ages in thy sight.
But as yesterday when past.
Or watch. within. the night.
Whatsoe' 'er: our lot may be.
Calmly JIM tthissthought we'll rest.
Could we see as thou dost see,
Wesshould. .choose.it as the best"
Once thesold astronomers, would have it thai
the world was the center of the solar system;
aud.what work they made cfit What fantastic
pranks. did the planets play What wild gym
nastics did they indulge in to the scandal of all
orderly and we'll behaved starsI What wonder
full flights. what elusive app earances and disap-
pearances, what a complex tangle of orbits
Poor old star gazers. what time they had
watching a crazy universeI In their perplexity
they were fain tos
"Gird the sphere,
with centric and eccentric scrihhIed o'er