Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1894-12-13
DIR. s.. A. BRIGHT'S THANKSGIVING
SERMON.

Come unto me all We that labor and are
heavy laden, and | will give you rest.
The millennium is the rest from labor that
has the approval OF God and does not
mean cessation OF effort. The reason
this world is not enjoying this rest now
is-many people are laboring in such
way, and for such purpose, that God can
not approve.
say to you acknowledgements and
women OF free America, and l remember
where l am and in whose sight | stand
it is time in this glorious country to call
a halt. This miserable legion OF bats
and buzzards which have been iattening
in public office and on private corruption
must be driven from their roosts ii we
would have any country left. 1t will not
be an enjoyable or clearly task, but it is
q necessary one. When, q year or two
since, in New York city, DR.. Parkhurst
began to uncover the nests Of vice in that
city, good people stood a.hast and bad peo-
pie made merry. The former said, Dear
me, why need minister soil himself
with such filth 2" and the latter nudged
each other and, smiling said, Git onto the
parson; hurrah for his nibs.' DR.. Park
hurst heard but did not heed either jibe or
jeer. His face was OF flint, his nerve was
OF steel, his shield was OF faith, ana his
was ''the sword OF the spirit, which is the
word OF God"
But what is the result Of that mans
work, and faith? New York city is out
OF the grip OF the most gigantic and cor
rupt combination that ever simed with its
tread the path OF political history.
Hear me today for the cause Of our
country; for remember this is national
occasion. The time has come when vot
| ing is more than 4 privilege; it is duty .
1t is more than a civic duty; it is mat
ter OF religion.
Men may pray right, they may pray
wrong; we may trust God to see wrong
prayers unanswered But when men
vote wrong no power, human nor divine,
can recall the effect OF that action. Its
penalties are visited upon us and upon
our children's children.
You may say, Well, this is curious
Thanksgiving sermon. We usually listen
to recounting OF the things We should
be specially thankful for, and not to a
statement oil unpleasant duties. Well,
do you know that here lately have come
to think that one who can not "think
over his mercies' without having q
preacher to tell him what they are, is
hardly worth preaching to after all.
saw one Of Frank Boards cartoons the
other day that pleased me very much
1t was church scene. The preacher
hat sat just behind him filled with unpaid
and overdue rent, grocery, butcher, and
dry goods bills; dog labelled Poverty
had him by the coat tails; facing him
was the devil, jabbing at him with 3
ee-pronged spear; the preacher wa:
mauling the enemy OF us all over the
head with gospel sermon, while the
congregation. calmly indifferent to the
struggle, with their eyes rolled back like
a dying calf, and singing "Hallelujah
lis Done" with as much gusto as ii the
golden lamps OF the New Jerusalem We're
in sight.
l am tired, for ore, OF doing all the
pugilsm for a church full OF people who
have just as much to fight for, and ~ host
interests aie just as much at stake as my
own.
Ii the church OF the Lord Jesus Chris
would 60 out from this day, when the!
are supposed to thank God for the mer
cies with which he has blessed them, ant
commence to live as ii they believec
their Bibles, the millennium would be
here before Christmas.
Honestly, my hearers, what do yot
suppose your unconverted neighbor
would think OF the Saviour ii they knew
nothing OF him save what they coulC
learn from your life? And it is a truth
, as solemn as death-thc Bibles read by
the world are lives OF professed Christians
And on those OF this free country a won
de,ful responsibility rests. And in the
light OF what has been done in such {
great community as New York, II Aber
deem can not be made what ought to be
the men Of this place ought to buy bib.
and high chairs for themselves and turn
the management OF things over to the
women.
heard man who loudly proclaimed
himself ireethinker say the other day
"We want a conservative ticket" in the
election soon to occur. After listening
to him talk as long as could and behave
myself, and finding out that his idea Of
conservatism was that OF an absence Of
ideas, Il perfect lack Of convictions, a fel.
low perpetually on the fence, l walked
away thinking Of story OF an episode in
a colored church. The preacher said
"1'se gwine to speak to you'uns dis NAV
min on de subject OF sin. Dis subject
naturally divides itself into two parts
you secret sins and you open sins. De
first am de straight and narrer way to deaf
and destruction, and de second am de
broad way to hell and damnation. -
"Hold on dare parson, said an excited
listener, IF all dat are you's sayin is true,
dis niggers gwine to take to de woods"
serve notice on you that the day OF
milk and water, part decent and part in
favor OF corruption, hell and heaven on
the same ticket, is passing away never to