The record-union., 1893-12-01
RETERENT And PATRIOTIC.
A Thanksgiving Day Sermon That is
Full of Thought.
Discourse Delivered Yesterday by Rev.
Mr.. Baugh at the ThanksGiv-
ing Union Services.

Ing Union Services
The Thanksgiving Day union services
at the Sixth-street NJ. Z. Church yester-
oay were largely attended, the capacious
chur ch being crowded. The singing was
unusually fine, and the contributions to
the poor fund were generous beyond ex-
pectation. Altogether the services were
very interesting, the pastors being
pleased at the earnest devotion mani
tested by the large congregation.
Rev. Mr.. Dodge of the Central NJ. +.
Church and Rev. Mr.. Baugh of the Four
teenth-street Presbyterian Church de-
livered thoughtful and able sermons,
which were listened to with deep inter
est. The latter took for his text tEph. V,
20): "Giving thanks always tor all things
unto God and the Father, in the name OF
our Lord, Jesus Christ" He said:
1t goes without saying that we, as Chris
tians, as American citizens and IndlVldu-
ais. above all the nations OF the earth
should on this, the 30th day OF O.
venber, in the year OF our Lord 1895,
record ourselves among the most CRATE
ful for all the rich national blessings,
for all the most excellent bene-
factions from God, as well as for all the
personal liberties and privileges we en-
JOY.
Even amid the financial disorder and
somewhat embarrassment, who IS 1t that
this day cannot find something for which
his heart furnishes a song of grateful
ness?
Who does not recall the abundance of
grain and fruit in the land of flowers and
sunshine? Who is it among us that does
not rejoice in the emblematic olive branch
that rests in peace over him, his nome,
his State and Nation? These and all
other similar blessings of National and
individual character which lie at your
door as numerous as the autumn leaves
that lie Just now in the streets OF this our
beautiful arboreal city of Sacramento,
and as fresh and inspiring as the flowers
every morning in your own lovely gar
dens, leave for your daily thought and
reflection, and turn to consider other
standpoints from which we should strike
the key of praiseful gratitude.
Speaking broadly, there are three
things in particular for which we ought
to be profoundly thankful 1t is in these
/ desire to voice your sentiments this
morning.
If it snould turn out that you do not
altogether agree with me, even then there
remains a ground Of thanksgiving in
that that you do not accord with such
views, and Jnat there is no legitimate
power to force you to conclusions con-
trary to your belief:
l. First am thankful for what l am.
''I thank God l was born a man." said
Plato "and not q beast; that | was born
a Grecian and not barbarian" Per-
haps it is little Pharisaical to say IL,
but | go the whole length Of such sentl-
ment as that Of the classical philosopher;
only, in view of the light which | have
at hand, l can say that L am thankful
that / am an American and not HOtten-
tot. a ParSee, a cannibal or Chlnaman.
Not that in the common brotherhood
they may not be by nature as good as
am, and not yet for what we are abso-
lutely and positively, but for that which
negatively creates the difference between
them as aliens and US as American citi-
zens
Why should we not boast somewhat in
our personal, all-embracing privileges
and national aggrandlzements?
Boast of being an American! Why
not?
Look at our history! Born of Anglo
Saxon blood, inheriUing the AnglO-SaXOn
spirit, embodying the best elements of
civilization that have ever graced and
embellished powerful people. Born
with love for liberty, the highest sense
OF honor, a devotion to home, high ideal
Christianity. Therefore. if aliens boast
themselves in their respective inner
itances, we more. NO man shall stop
me of this boasting," says Paul, lin the
regions of Achaia." l substitute only
the word America in Padl's declaration.
| ask you, Who were your fathers?
Look at the rock whence you were hewn,
the pit whence you were digged! Were
not your virtues born in the sturdy Pill
grim Fathers? We're not the foundations
of our civil, moral and religious life laid
on Plymouth Rock?
AS Mr.. Gladstone has so we'll said
"There we obtained all that was demo-
cratic in the policy of England and all
that was Protestant IN her religion"
1t is as interesting as it is curious how
the American people have inherited and
blended in their life all the social features,
all the strongest, purest, best elements OF
the only three great nations OF antiquity
that have contributed anything worthy
of incorporation in the development OF
civilization. l mean the elements of re-
ligion, of intellectually and Of a physical
nature forced into the veins of our ma
tional blood by the influence of the He
brews, the Greeks and the Romans,
which have nodded in some measure at
least our civil lie.
These have given us Our intense indi-
Vidualism, our personal, democratic
force of character. Thus we have devel-
oped nation that is marvellous i'll that,
that there is none like it upon the face of
the globe; none so strong in the COM
bined power Of flexibility and elasticity.
At once the most unified and the most
diversified people in existence.
1t is often said that in unity there is
strength.
But that depends. The statement is
not universally true. There must be
unity in thought, in civil and religious
feeling, in a love of country and the spirit
of brotherhood. These form the essence
of national unity and constitutional
power. These we possess.
A nation may be held together by the
iron thumb-screw of despotism and yet
carry with it the seeds OF its own destruc-
tion, because its unity is physical and not
moral. Patriotism and personal inde-
pendence are wanting. When these are
not, strength is not. For this very rea-
son great despot-ruled Persia was simply
powerless before small patriotic Greece.
The difference between the Asiatic
kingdoms and our nation is that the for