The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-11-30

full for.
At the various centers of Christian
activity meetings were held and usually
the attendance was very good.
Nstion's Blessings.
All the central churches combined and
held Thanksgiving services In the First
ID. E. church, on Broadway.
The sermon was delivered by Rev. A.
o. Bsne and was most interesting
effort and peculiarly appropriate to the
occasion. He based his remarks on the
words: "Oh, that men would praise the
Lord for His goodness and for His won-
dsrful works TO the children Of men,"
Ps. 1918.
With graphic power he began by de-
lineating the nation arrested in its busy
avocations OF every day lie and silence
broodine over the land, while at the call
OF the president Thanksgiving are rem
dered TO God for His matchlsss goodness
and continued mercies.
''In looking over the long list OF bless-
ings that compose the calendar Of 1894"
said Mr.. Bane, ITO select the one for
which We give Heaven the greatest need
OF praise, thu one that claims Americas
chapist OF devotion, we pause at Chris
tianity and the Christisn's God aud ex-
claim: 10 Thee. the father and friend
OF liberty and blessing, we pay our first
and highest tribute, and for Thy pres
ence offer our frat thanksgiving prayer
"Ths American civilization should on
this day feel more grateful for the con-
tinued presence OF God, and the influence
OF ths religion Of Jesus Christ upon the
L. g - fk,o f~r 80
blessing that could invoke her praise.
When the pilgrims launched from the
shores OF England out into the snow
crested Atlantic, in search OF this Utopia
nf their dreams. God was their pilot.
When they stepped from the deck OF the
MAY flower aud knelt upon Plymouth
rock, God was the subject Of their prayer
and praise. When our fathers deter.
mined to cast off the yoke that made
them slaves to the mother country, and
to think and live like freemen. God put
into the mouth Of Henry that sublime
sentence that broke their shscklss, 'Give
me- liberty or give me DEATH
when we fought, child against pa
rent, the great revolution OF 1776, God
led our armies, warded off the ehot and
shell. and gave ne victory; when our
strong union wac formed, Gods hand
traced the constitution that made US a
nation; when We desired to build up q
mighty commerce. God opened the gate.
ways TO the wealth OF all nations, and
presented "a the steamboat. the tels.
graph and the locomotive, which made
us at once neighbors and companions OF
the inhabitants OF every country. God
led the Americans across the rough AL
leghanies and opened up the buried
treasures that lay hid in the valleys of
the Ohio and the Mississippi. He fer
Yied him across the father OF waters
conducted him over the broad prairies,
down the wintry. plumaged Sierras into
THE Ell Dorado Of the west when his
eyes were dazzled by the golden nuggets
that grew in the soil Of cur rockribbsd
hills.
"God aud Christianity have forced
barbarian to give way to civilization,
converted the forests into grain fields,
and the marshy meadows into flower
beds they have removed the solitude
OF the mountain with the glee of chill
dren's voices, the low Of herds and the
noise OF mechanics' tools.
1--WE should feel thankful that we live
when we are; that we live in the year
1894; that wo live in an age OF wisdom
and civilization; that we live in an era
Of peace and progress; that we live in
an age OF inquiry and invention; that
We live In time when the arts and
sciences flourish and are respected; q
time when literature is giving vitality to
che grandest thoughts. revealing the
most precious facts, and giving to the
world the purest and most polished Ian.
guage OF the century. These things
should make us thankful that we live
when we DO. That we live in day
when barbarian is declining, when
superstition is vanishing, when infidelity
10 giving way; that we are living when
religious persecution 10 almost unknown,
when mental shackles have ceased to
fetter thought; that we live at time
when swords lie rusted and the lannon's
mouth serves as q meet for the quiet
. dove; that we live when there is Bible
for every home, when the gospel is con-
tinually heard echoing among the rocks
OF every mountain; when church
steeple rises from every valley and the
banner OF the cross fecks every sea
that we live when the gates of the world
have been opened to our commerce,
when eli men look with pride and bow
with respect to our standard of civiliza-
tion; when midnights quiet lie no
longer disturbed by the yell of the
savage, and morality is gaining upon the
record OF crime. should cali forth our
deepest thanks to the giver of all good.
Our government was devised by
vice and patriotic men; they looked
upon the nations Of 5000 years, and
combined all the virtues they pos.
sessed into the strongest, purest and
most independent framework that earth
mas ever known; the wisdom and civili-
cation OF the world bow to this struc-
ture as masterpiscs. This is the one
republic that has illustrated uninter.
rupted liberty and constitutional free-
dom in all their grandeur and power.
NO other republi can be compared to it;
1t stands alone, on an eminence that no
other people will ever attain. Do not
look over the past for q parallel to this
great government. You look in vain.
America, the child of England. knows
no equal. The world bows to her as the
princess OF republics - Gods asylum for
the free and brave.
And for all this no man ia truly
thankful to God. who might have with
held everything from him. unless he ia
willing to give up his substance to ann