The herald., 1895-11-29

from countless sources outside of himself,
the student has his dictionaries, cyclo-
pedias, records of research. treatises his
mathematics and astronomy. And so
come the instruments of the surgeon
and civil eng ineer.
I'VE may not delay to follow the steps
IN the stride from wIgwam To our pres
emit public and private buildings; our
furniture, parks, pianos, palace cars and
family carriage. OF none of these things
can me most gifted say, This is all my
WORK. lie Is very great man who
gives to the world more than one or two
really valuable and new ideas or inten-
ti0ns.
Through what unteld lips and minds
mas come our language without which
we should be in solitude, even in "A
crowd, Il l nguage so copious land com
prenensive, enriched by every other Lam
guage OF worth, that it can carry and
express the sweetest, sublimest, most
sacred, most practical thoughts which a
human being can think; and SO subtle
that with it the thinker can penetrate the
invisible; winged language on which
the worshiper can commune with the
INFINITE. And from q similar and untold
hest of minds, with protracted study and
deep heart-experiences, have come our
conceptions, iuea, doctrines and the
81 BILE in our own tongue.
And where were our liberties. recop-
nized rights, our Sabbath, Christianity.
the sacredess OF home, our security from
intrusion while in this Assem- bly,, our
| assurance of the forgiveness of sin and
hope of heaven, put for the sacrifice in
tegrity and devotion of others, not least
of all of whom was the Son OF Man, who,
though he was rich. yet for your sakes
ne became poor that We through his pow
erty might be rich
From these examples comes the
Thanksgiving thought of the year through
which We live, the powe. which we
sess and the destiny which may
be ours through the labor of
others. We not only stand where sthe
ages wait on us, and where thousands of
years are represented in a single instru-
ment or argument, but where we may live
with all the excellent and illustrous
since the opening of the histories with
Abraham and Aristides; witness the bat
ties OF Marathan and Waterloo; hear the
inaugural of Washington and the elo-
qrencs of Burke; look in upon all the
great assemblies of the earth while they
are in session: read this morning what
was said on yesterday in London and
Constantinople; and through what OF
the past may be blended III one mind, at
this hour, live longer, feel more in one
year than Methusaleh did in all his long
life. Our real life is not thirty or three
score, hut some thousands of years.
And each modern man is himself,
plus some millions of other men whose
labor and thinking he has been able to
make his own. The man of TODAY
touches the button and harnessed
Niagara responds. He speaks, ana the
industrial system of the continent halts.
He reflects, and in ten minutes compre
hends what neither Job nor Plato ever
realized.
1--WE rejoice in the peace. health, pros
periey. educational aud religious work
done In our monweaith and city dur
ing the closing year. But this has been
possible only as we and our fellows have
been able SO largely to enter into the la
bors and lives of such a host of other
men.
"Puny beings, we are of ourselves, and
creatures IF less than day, if dependent
on our own vitality; but through this
amazing ability to enter into the achieve
ments Of others, We have not only been
able TO rise to the earthly heights on
which we stand, but it is also possible TO
lay hold on life which once walked this
earth in human form, and by what may
come from his life to rise to the expanse,
experiences and companionship of
gloriied INN ortality in the city and
home of our God"
The clergymen who assisted in the ser
vices besides DR.. w. j. Chichester and
DR.. Day, were Rev. Mr.. Smithers of the
First street Christian church, Rev. Mr..
Crabbe of the First United Presbyterian
church, Rev. Mr.. Ball of the First
Lutheran church.
The collection taken up goes to the
local branch OF the Cnildrens' home So
ciety. 1t was exceptionally large. The
musical mum bers rendered, during the
services, both vocal and instrum entail,
were of more than usual merit.