Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-01-30
THANKSGIVING SERMON
by Rev. A. W. Taylor, at Tuscu!um,
Tenn, Nov. 20, 1894.
Published by request of the Literary so
cieties of Tusculum College.

cieties of Tusculum College.
TEXT-"I speak as unto wise men; Judge We
what say."-l Cor. X: 10.
From our pious ancestors has descended
the commendable custom of setting apart
one day in the year for special Thanksgiving
for the blessings, individual, domestic and
national, with which the bounteous Creator
has crowned the year. The Chief Magistrate
of our nation has designated this day, and
and we are convened at this hour and place
for that purpose.
The manifestations of our gratitude, how
ever, should not be confined to songs of
praise and other acts of formal worship; but
should find fullest expression in words of
sympathy to the sorrowing, and, especially
in deeds of charity toward the needy and un-
fortunate.
While the crops have not been quite so
abundant as in other years, our fields, at His
command, have so far awarded the toll of
the husbandman that we have "bread enough
and to spare" According to His gracious
promise we have had seed time and harvest,
and all the laws and processes of nature
have ministered TO our necessities.
Nevertheless, in the opinion of many, the
present Is rathera time for fasting and pray
er, and for deep humiliation, because of the
general stagnation in all departments of
trade and business, and the wide spread fl
nancial disasters which have brought us face
To face with hard times. And IL Is undeni-
ably true that the immediate past has been
fraught with trials and vicissitudes of unu-
sual severity, and that the laborer has felt
the keen grip of want, and the business man
has been perpleXed to meet his maturing
bills, and even the opulent have realized the
instability of wealth, and all have been COM
PEELED to practice economy and self denial !;
yet, there is much in our surroundings and
condition to inspire brightest hopes, and to
challenge our most profound gratitude. Let
us not be so uEwise and thankless as to waste
our time In fruitless murmurings over the
temporary evils; which are passing away !;
for II we Will but enlarge our vision and CON
trast our financial and political condition
with that of all other nations, we will not
fail to see that we are still the favored ma
tion of the earth.
Our social and domestic eniOyments have
been continued, and our religious privileges
have not been interrupted. In all its full
ness and beauty health has been the heaven
ly boon OF our people. Famine has not
"wasted us at MONDAY" nor has "pestilence
walked among us in darkness;" while other
nations have been stricken by epidemics,
and thousands have perished for lack OF
bread. And while we are at peace among
ourselves and with all the world, fierce war
is wasting the vast empire of China, contain
ing two fifths of the human race: and from
other foreign nations "wars and rumors of
wars" greet our ears, while vast military es-
Establishments are maintained to preserve the
peace in the European States. But while we
have been .graciously preserved from war,
famine and pestilence, we are today con-
fronted by evils that threaten the very life
of the Republic. 1t has been said that polit-
ical optimism Is one of the vices of the
American people. ave seem to take it for
granted" says DR.. Strong, "that no matter
what comes, the Lord stands pledged TO our
prosperity" Or, as some one has said. ale
takes care of children, fools and the United
States" While we are not inclined to take
hopeless view of our nations future, IL is
neither wise or brave to close our eyes to i'm
pending perils.
1t is my purpose to consider, briefly, this
morning, some of the perils that threaten,
and the hopes that cheer us.
|. We ask you to contemplate our perils,
not from political, but from moral and
patriotic standpoint.
judge, somewhat, Of our nations life, its hap
piness, and its probable duration, from the
| changeless laws of the nations God, which
are indelibly stamped on the moral consti-
| tuition OF man, whether in his individuality
or in the body polite The immutable de-
cree has gone forth that 1t is Righteousness y
| and righteousness alone that "exalteth q
| nation" One fact is prominent in the eXpe-
rience OF the human race, to which history
| furnishes no exception, and that Is that no
| form of government, no matter how free
how wise, how beneicent, how strong, can
save vicious people from speedy and utter
ruin. All forms of governments have lost
their prestige, their power, and their life, be-
cause the people did not fear God and work
righteousness. History informs us that
| Greece was not purer under the reign of the
wise Solon than under his bloody successor
| Nor was Rome purer under the republican
| Cicero than under the tyrant Nero; nor
| France under the republic than under the
empire. All history proves that back of con.
stitutions, back OF laws, back of administra-
tlons, there must be virtuous and intelli.
gent people. Three facts are recalled to your
mind which are worthy of our most profound
| consideration, the first of which is: that sin
| works out the same moral results in ma.
TONS life that ii does in the life of an indi.
vidual. That which tends to degradation
penury and woe in single citizen, produce:
corresponding results in a nation. Nationa
character is the aggregation of individua
character. As is the individual so is the ma
| tion.
2. That which calls down the curse of Goo
upon man, calls it down upon a whoe peo
pie; the only difference being one of time
the nation is punished here, the individua
hereafter.
8. Moral corruption works out politlca
ruin, whether in Monarchy, Aristocrac!
or Republic.
And while "there is no recorded instanc
in the history of time of the overthrow of
virtuous nation," from Sodom to Babylon
from Babylon to Jerusalem, from Jerusalem
to Rome, vice has worked out national death
/ his "Reign of Law" the Duke of Argyll
says, "The principal causes which produced
the overthrow of the great historical ma
tions of antiquity, are no longer in exist
ence." This Is, perhaps true, If he referret
to the underlying causes of some of the de
structive wars of ancient times. resulting ii
the reconstruction of the populations of tn
world, for the day for such human irrup
tions has, happily, passed away. But othe
causes are as rife, as destructive and as Ger
tain as in all the past. We have time to no
tice only few of these:
!. INoRDINATE LOVE OF MONEY.
"They that will be rich, fall into tempta
tion and snare, and into many foolish an
hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruc
tion and perdition," is the strong testimon
of inspiration against those who "will b
rich," at all hazards. According to semi OF
fetal statistics the total wealth of the Unite
States is estimated at $6l, ,459, 100000. Nor
than enough, 1t is said, to buy the Russia
and Turkish empires, the kingdom of Swe
den and Norway, Denmark and Italy, To
gether with Australia, South Africa and al
of South America-lands mines cities, pal
aces, factories, ships, herds, Jewels, thrones
scepters, diadems and all-the entire posses
sions of l77,OOO,OOOof people. Wear rich be
yond any other nation, and have, besides
more thrift and enterprise than any othe
people. But wealth is not a sure support {
national life. "The wealth of Crmsus ha
passed into proverb, but IL did not say
him from the Persians on the plains of SaI
dis" Nor did the enormous and i'll gotte
wealth of Tamerlane save his kingdor
to his sons. II is the saying of Pliny tina
avarice and luxury have been the rui
} of every great State. When the love {
money becomes a ruling passion and al
serbs the energies of people, to the exclu
, sion of moral and intellectual development
the end of that people is nigh at han,
"Unless intelligence is generally diffuse
, no republic can long endure"
Great wealth tends TO make its possessc
, Indifferent TO the claims of the State, n
citizen, no matter what his wealth or occr
patton, can afford to be unconcerned for tb
, welfare of society, and the Improvement an
preservation of public morals. Nor can an
Christian citizen stand aloof from polite
in government wherein the people are th
source of power. 1t is because SO many goo
) men are so absorbed in the accumulation ,
wealth that the interests of this country nj
7 thrown into the hands of the ignorant an
vicious. twill be an auspicious day for tn
republic when the entire American pulp
= VIII have the courage and patriotism
speak out IN trumpet tones, touching I'll
great, living, moral issues that appeal