The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-27

Penn Avenue CnufcH.
1t was termed a National Thanks
giving Service" and the patriotic
thought was uppermOst in all that
transpiled.
The programme included the reading
by DR.. Griffin of the presidents Thanks
giving proclamation, special responsive
readings, prayers by DR.. Gitiin and
Mr.. HumpstOne, and an excellent array
of music, under the direction of Charles
T.. Whittemore and j. Alfred Penning-
ION. the music directors of the Penn
Avenue and Elm Park churches. re-
sTectively.
DR.. Dixon's sermon topic was THE
Wider Thanksgiving" His text was
''Thanksgiv;ng be unto our God for
ever and ever" Revelations, vii, L..
lie said:
The story goes that on Thanksgiving
morning, the bells in Eastport. Me, viii
begin to ring. slowly, measuredly. In"h
the towns further west will take II up
one after another, bell after bell-then
they will begin along shore, the sound
st, ais up over the White mountains down
through the valley of the Mohawk II
swells, and SO along the lakes and down
the Mississippi, across the PLAINS uhtll TIE
far-of western slopes give back an an
swering melody, and the chime from ten
thousand steeples calls a nation to prayer
and thanksgving-suc an oratorio Of
praise us Handel and Beethoven never
dreamed OF.
CALLED BY PROCLAMATION.
We have been called hither by presiden-
tial proclamation: our mcrcies have quick
ened every slow step toward the gates of
Gods house. that we might set our hearts
to the rythm of the bells. This Is Thanks
giving morning. Each soul is to become
a cathedral along whose arches and archi-
traves there shall roll anthems of praise
a Te Deum universal-from whose towers
there shall be ceaseless chimes. blending
with the Doxolosy of the Revelation,
And all the angels stood round about the
throne, and fell before the throne on their
faces and worshipped God, saying. Amen.
| blessing and glory and wisdom and
| Thanksgiving and honor and power and
| might be unto our God forever and ever
amen"
Shall our lips be silent, and our hearts
| duh with their load of care while God
has written on the universal creation
notes of divinest praise. Gratitude H. on.
| of the fine arts. To be ungrateful is to
| live outside the realm of poetry and music
| sculpture, painting. To be ungrateful Is
| to make out OF life songless summer
! ingratitude takes the lustre from the brow
| of all brightest shining achievement.
| am not here this morning to fill your
mind with the lumber of arguments why
we should be grateful-why, as national
| beings we should offer praise unto God
| When this world was made and slid down
| the ways into the ocean of space, the
| morning stars sang together and the sons
| tures the hymnwriter for the early
| church takes UP the strain. praise the
Lord from the earth. ye dragons and all
deeps; fire and hail, snow and vapors,
tans and all hills, fruitful trees and all
kings of the earth and all people. princes.
and all judges of the earth. both young
men and maidens. old men and children
| let them praise the name of the Lord. for
| His name alone is excellent. and His glory
is above the earth and heaven" This
| then, Is my warrent for urging that nature
| is vocal with praise-this old brown earth.
| earthquakes and shattered by volcano
| strife-this earth, mans battlefield and his
grave, is place of praise.
! DR.. Dixon then drew attention to che
harmony of everything that goes to-
ward the making of humanity and
| things material. 1t was humanity s
weakness, said an old philosopher. that
its gratitude was the most apt to grow
old before any other thing, and it
| should be our care to refute that be-
lief. He called attention to the Pill
| grim forefathers and the cause for
thankfulness born of their coming.
Fruitful harvests had been the coun-
try's blessing all the year, in business.
| III lhe, III IcllS anu Ill dll else. w e.
| have had harvest of national hon
or" he said, land the national con-
science has had the barnacles scraped
| off,"
THE JOY OF WORK.
Another strain in this carol of humanity
| Is the privilege and joy of work. Work il,
| honorable and desirable. 1t Is a blessing
| and not a curse. The trouble with Adam
| was that he didn't have work enough to
| keep him out of mischief. Adam might
have been in Eden yet and all the rest of
| us have been there as well if he had
been compelled to raise his own fruit. The
| fruit raised itself. Some one has said.
| Work is Gospel on its blunt end. A trop-
| ical climate and Satan go together
wickedness and laziness are twin sisters
Work and worhiD is a part of the divine
programme
| ] believe New England triumphs in her
| glorious and glorified influence over the
whole American domain because her peo-
| pie were compelled to delve among the
| rocks and scratch a living out of the in
hospitable SOIL The men who settled In