Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-12-01
THANKSGIVING SERMON
PREACHED BY REV. J. f. WHITE
AT THE BAPTIST CHOfCH
LAST EVENING.
BY OUR SHORTHAND REPORTER.

BY OUR SHORTHAND REPORTER.
II wish to talk to you a short
time tonight because | believe
that the dealings Of God with the
people of America, with the PEG
pie of the State of North Carroll
ma, with the people of Edenton
today are as sacred ashis dealings
| with the Israelites four thousand
years ago, and that the Song OF
Thanksgiving coming from your
hearts is as inspired as the songs
ofDavid. The history which God
is writing to-day in his dealings
with the people of today form
such a part of the history OF His
providence and is as sacred as the
history of His dealings with the
Jews which is recorded IN the
Old Testament.
u need not go to the inspired
words in order to find a basis tor
a Thanksgiving sermon. look
| before me and see that God has
blessed us just as He has blessed
| Israel, and while l do not see be-
fore me any of the old Patr1archs
as of old, no Abraham, no Isaac
no Jacob, still see men enjoying
the blessings of God, and while
do not hear the harp tuning IN
melody as when struck by David
| | still behold men into whose
souls God has rung the Divine
melody.
"What cause have we for
Thanksgiving?
First, we are Gods people
This is Gods country. God marks
the progress of this country and
regards its people with as much
love and providence as He did
Palestine and its inhabitants four
thousand years ago.
81 think we have an idea that
ours is a truant planet, escaped
from the government of God.
America is Gods holy land IN as
true a sense as Asia Minor; there
fore let us give thanks. There is
a duty which every man owes his
mother, a duty which he owes to
his father, and a duty which he
owes to his family. No man has
the right to trample upon the
mothers heart no man has the
right to outrage the feelings
of the father; no man has the
right to stain the family honor
and above the duties which we
owe to mother, father and family
is a higher duty which we owe tc
| God. He is the father and
mother of the race. Every
man owes a certain allegiance tC
| God, but there are people who dc
not recognize this allegiance. It
is a fact, nevertheless. There are
people in the United States who
are not loyal citizens, and every
land has its traitors and It's rebels
and SO God finds among the pop
ulati0n of the earth certain races
| which are in rebellion, and there
are men who do not own His gov
eminent. But that man is not
you, and you oWet God a certain
amount of Thanksgiving. It is a
coin current i'll the realms OF
Heaven, and every man owes to
God an uplitted voice and pray
er of Thanksgiving. 1t is legal
tender III His courts. Thanks
giving is Gods primary demand
of men. A man who thanks God
truly. earnestly, and with over
| flowing heart. will never fail to
do his duty. He will always be
found ready to perform the actual
service which God demands.
"There are certain men in the
world who think they owe moth
ing to God, and walk through life
finding nothing for which to
thank Him. The crabid man
Have you ever thought how that
word crabid originated? You have
seen the animal called crab. Does
1t go forward? No; t always goes
backward. That kind of man is
an anomaly in the sight of Cod
one of the monstrosities of His
creation. He is a man who sees
nothing good in life. Creation
with him is bundle of errors.
Are you that man? If you arc,
what changes have you to pro-
pose? How would you have had
man created; in what fashion; in
whose image? Can you improve
upon the work of God? In moth
ing IS the wisdom of God more
fully illustrated than in the crea-
ton of the human form. For see
ing, What could be better than
eyes; for speech, what could be
better than the tongue; for walk
ing, than the feet; for working,
than the hands? Don't complain,
my friend, at the way in which
God has fashioned the human
form, And what variations have
you to offer in Notwithstanding?
What for giving light better than
the sun? What could twinkle
more merrlly than the stars; what
can rain like clouds; and what
give vlgor to the springing grass