The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-11-30
KEY. c. B F0RD'S SERMON.

ne Preac!ies to Union Cong"e" ation
 at the G and Avenue Congregational
 hurch. ''' ''
 Union Thanksgiving services were held in the Grand avenue Congregation al church yesterday morning at 1O:30. Rev. J. Lee Mitchell, the pastor, read psalm evil, and the quartet of the church sang the hymn,
 The God of harvest praise,
 In loud thanksgiving raise"
 Prayer was offered by Rev. D. M. James of the Second Congregational church and after the singing of the anthem, "The Lord is in His Holy Temple" Rev. c. B. Ford, pastor of the Howard avenue M. E. church, preached the sermon. Rev. J. H. Hand of the East Pearl street M. F. church was to have preached, but owing to a severe cold he was obliged to ask Rev. Mr. Ford to take his place. Mir. Ford's text was: Let the people praise Thee, o God; let all the people praise Thee" MT. Ford spoke in part as follows: "We have reason to be thankful to God that our rulers have called for the observ- ance of this day. That those who have been called to places of honor and trust are not forgetful of the fact that God is the ruler of this nation, and that the president and governors have issued their proclamations calling upon the people to assemble in their places of wor- ship to-day. We as Christians ought to be thankful that our rulers, whether from their Christian motives, or in fol- lowing peculiar custom, have set apart this day as season of thanks giving.
 We have reason to be thankful to- day for the spirit of unity among these Christian churches. Fifty years ago you would not have found in this pulpit to-day a Methodist minister. I can re- member when there was spirit of an- tagonism between the several denomi- nations represented here.
 During the past year there has been very little of war in all the earth. There is still war in the east between China and Japan, but the war is between heathen nations. The principals of Christianity have so permeated the na- tions that arbitration is coming to take the place of war. We should also he thankful that peace has prevailed with in our own borders. We have reason for thankfulness that no pestilence or fierce disease has ragged in this land. Let us lift up our hearts in thanksgiving to God for the abundant harvests of the year. We have heard something of hard times, and yet it has been long time since any of us have felt the hand of starvation in our own homes.
 ssWe have occasion to offer especial thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father for the personal independence and love of righteousness that have come to us the past year. There has been an elec-' tion; and we ought to be thankful for. the manifestation in this land of person. al independence and righteousness such as has seldom been witnessed before. There is a district in the south that was solid. Who has not heard of the solid south, and of its antagonism against particular party? But during the past year this solid south has been broken, Men have begun to think independently. And there, is the overthrow of Tammany in New York, and the hearts of all should bow down in this. Here was a great evil and the people came together Of party. and said 1t must be overthrown. The overthrow Of Tam-s many implants in all good men the hope