The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-11-27
SERVICES AT CHESTNUT ST.
Rev. e. r. Purdy, of Friends Church
the Preacher,

the Preacher,
Observation-Disclosures the Subject.
The union services at the chestnut
street Methodist church wero attended nv
members Of the Second Parish Congre-
gational, First Baptist Unitarian and
Friends churches. Rev. c. W. Parsons,
the pastor of the Chestnut street church
was unable to attsnd owing to sickness
In his family, and in his absence the as
sociate pastor, Rev. Israel Luce, presid-
ed.
Seated on the platform were the Revs
e. r. Purdy, D. W. LeLacheur, ". S.
Ayres, j. @. Perkins and j. B. Shep-
herd.
The church oraanist DR.. G. o. Files
presided at the organ, and the singing
diraoted by Mr.. John Strout.
The service began by the singing of
the hymn "Come Thou Almighty
King" after which Rev. ]. U. Perkins
read from Isaiah 81, as the lesson of the
morning.
Prayer was then offered by Rev. W.
S. Ayres, after which the Rev. D. W.
LeLacheur read the hymn "Savior like
o Shepherd, lead U.S." which was sung
by the congregation. The usual Thanks
giving collection was then taken up and
the Rev. MIR. Luce announced that the
amount thus collected would be given
to the Portland Provident Association
for their service In assisting the worthy
poor OF the city.
The Rev. E. R. Purdy, the speaker Of
the day was then introduced and spoke
in brief as follows, from the text Cor. 9,
last verse: "Thanks be unto God for
this unspeakable gift"
1t is privilege and blessed privilege
that:we have that.enables us. to:look bao
upon and reflect the events of the past,
fold blessings that have come into our
lives to return thanks for the same.
We ought, therefore, to be thankful
for the day set apart in which we can
come together and 10 this service return
thanks to God.
Today is the day that we show forth
the gratitude andsthanks that is 10 our
hearts. Gratitude is represented to us
as a great privilege. There are many
gifts that come unto our home lives for
which we ought to be truly grateful No
home can be complete without some
gifts. The home may be well fitted up
in every detail and the walls handsome.
ly adorned. but that home is not well
furnished unless those that make up the
household can return thanks to God for
the many temporal blessings received.
We then as Christian people, ought to
fully appreciate the blessings of God.
We meet men from day to day, the in.
fuence of whose lives invigorates us and
fills US with hope and courage There
are others that we meet that the very
atmosphere in which they are living dis
| courages and disheartens us.
A few weeks ago, said the speaker, we
were in doubt as to whether or not 1t
was good thing to be citizen of the
American government. But time rolled
on and today we are thanking God that
we are Americans, and that the blessings
of u free and honored republic are shared
By us all.
Ought we not, therefore. to make our
lives count on the size of Righteousness.
When we think how God has preserved
us since last Thanksgiving day, how
we have been delivered from the results
of the war that then threatened US, we
feel that this teaches us lesson.
Are We, as much as in us lives, TFprais
ing God for His blessings and mercies
vouchsafed unto us? Are we faithful in
every duty in the church? faithful in our
privileges to return thanks to God for
the blessings of Christian Sabbath
We ought to regard God as personal
God and father, and that He delights
In showering blessings upon His chill
dren; and We az His children should re-
turn thanks to Him as the giver of every
good and perfect gift.
We ara in danger as people of count
ing God out of our lives. However con-
scious we are of the blessings that come
into our lives, we are not faithful unless
we are conscious of the fact that these
blessings are from God to whom we
should give our thanks.
We ought to thank Him for the influ-
ence OF the lives about us; for the inf1u-
ence of faithful mothers, wives and chill
dren, who are to us a blessing and a COM
fort in our every day life.
Ii other lives tell lis of the love of God,
how much more does the life of Christ,
the unspeakalbe gift, tell US of that
gift? His was life of self-sacritice and
self-denial.
The service closed by the singing of
America and the benediotion. pronounced
by Rev. j. B. Shepherd.