The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-11-27
TIIINGST0 BE TlIANKFULF0R
SERMON 81, REV. DIR. M'LdNE YES
TERDAY FORENOON.


A large congregation assembled at
Center church at Ii o'clock yesterday
forenoon to attend the union Thanks
giving service held there by the vari-
Gus Congregational churches in the
central part of the city The Church
of the Redeemer, United church, Ply
mouth church, Dwight Place church,
and Howard avenue Congregational
church We're represented.
The opening prayer was made by
Rev. Mr. Luckey Of Humphrey street
Congregational church, after which
Rev Mr.. Mulch of the Howard avenue
Congregational church read from the
siXtydfth and siXty-siXth psalms
Rev, DR.. Smyth then offered prayer
of Thanksgiving, which was followed
by the singing of America" by the
choir and congregation.
The sermon was preached by Rev. DR..
W. w. McLane of Plymouth church.
DR. McLane took for his text Psalm
65:1, Praise waiteth for Thee, o God,
in Zion
He said that the most common con-
ception of the grace of God is that ex-
pressed in the gifts of God to man
through nature. He then spoke of the
visible evidences of Gods favor, and
said that in gratitude the people rec
ognize God as the giver of every good
gift.
1.-THE Puritans whose minds were i'm
bued with Hebrew principles and an
ointed by Christian faith no sooner
reached their first scanty harvest than
they held a Thanksgiving. So to-day.
throughout the length and breadth Of
this land, from ocean to acean, from
lakes to gulf, in happy homes and re-
united households with spread ta-
bles, thanks will ascend to God for His
gifts to men through nature.
,''But we would be selfish if we were
grateful only because our tables We're
spread and we We're to be fed. II for
this only we We're grateful we would
be like the. OK which knoweth his own
err and ssr gratitude would be of nc
higher kind than bovine gratitude. God
would be displeased if we did not feel
a. higher gratitude and higher praise.
Thanksgiving to God proceeds from a
conception of His providential over
sight and control of men. This was
the reason of the Hebrews gratitude.
They believed that their delivery from
the enemy, their prosperity and their
peace were due to the control and
guidance of God.
so to-day we are to give thanks for
Gods preservation of us as a people.
fnf, II foy,
this supreme fact, for it is evident that
men are not yet all controlled by con-
science, and we notice now and then
outbursts of violence and riotous dis
turbances in the cities Many men are
not restrained from evil by an inward
power, but by external force. We see
such a love of national ACKNOWLEDGMENT
and greatness as is very liable to lead
to a disregard of others. Even nations,
like men, need the control of external
force. If men are not kept in order be-
cause they are good they are restrained
by fear of what may come if they are
lost
Through another year, and especial
ly such a year as the past has been,
domestic quietness, subsection to au-
thority throughout he national govern
ment, and peace with other nations,
has given us great cause for gratitude
to God.
But there is another occasion for
thanksgiving, for the en1inence of God
in the minds and hearts of men, filling
with His love- guiding by His right
eousness. Within all who will receive
Him God will reign. This eminence of
God evidently is not confined to those
completely enlightened in Christian
truth The influence Of the divine
spirit, like the light of breaking day,
does not burst out all at once, but
breaks gradually and finally becomes a
| flood of light making the world warm.
| This spirit which rules in men is one
| of truth, of justice, of righteousness, of
| love, of pity. Where these are found
| in men and in nations they are direct
| evidences of the spirit of God.
Certain things give evidence that
the spirit of God is in our people. We
have passed through another political
campaign, most significant in its feat
ures and results. The most remarkable
thing in it was the revolt against
party leaders, manifested in different
| parties, Parties are necessary in form
| ing government, and party leaders are
also necessary, but manifestly it is not
| well for a man to feel that he can con-
! fer the political patronage of the state
| The evidence that the people still hold
power in themselves is an evidence OF
| democracy, for which we owe thanks.
| although there were attempts in the
campaign to set one part of the country
against another, yet acts of violence
We're few, and fourteen million voters
| throughout the land recorded theil
opinions in peace, and with a deternnin.
alton to abide by the will of the ma
| jority, These also are things for which
to be thankful; they are evidences Of
mems belief in the fundamental good.
ness of each other.
''It would be folly to think that one.
half of the voters of the country are
not patriotic, and unjust to say thai
they are dishonest, but while we desire
to act righteously by the defeated al
we'll as the victorious, after an allow.
ance for personal and unworthy mo-
| tives, the vastly increased majorities ii
the east, the largely decreased MAORI
ties in the south, the large popular
| majority was such as to show us tina
| whatever the questions at issue, il
| their desire to settle them there arr
very many men in this country wht
| placed patriotism and the welfare O