The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-11-27
A UNION OF METHODISTS
THANKSGIVING III GRACE M. II.
CHURCH YESTERDAY FORENOON.

Ihe lolloWlHB Is an outline OIL the ser
mon preached at the union service of
Methodist churches held in Grace M.
E. church Wednesday Thanksgiving
morning, by Rev. Fl. F. Kastendieck,
pastor of the Howard avenue NJ e.
church. The text; I'm everything give
thanks II. Thess. V, IS,
Man is often grateful, but it is his
ingratitude that is proverbial. Israel
Is delivered, counselled, nourished, and
promised the riches of Canaan by the
true and living God, and then murmurs
and goes into religious foolery before a
golden calf.
Ten lepers are restored to physical
soundness by the Man of Galilee, but
only one returns to give thanks. The
perfectly altruistic life of our Lord led
to the tragical solitude and suffering of
the green hill far away
Caesar, the savior, promoter and
friend of Brutus lives to see him
among his assassins.
History is corroborative witness
to the assertion that if a man wishes
to incur the Indifference, displeasure,
hatred and malice of his fellowmen, he
has but to go among them doing good.
The more he does, the more he may do
and ought to do; and when he has done
all, when he has sacrificed ambition,
health, wealth, and ease for Others he
finds himself stranded, snubbed and
scandalized, and often friendless and
helpless.
Thanks? Count thyself happy, o,
benefactor, if thou escape with thy
sandals and empty wallet, and if, final
ly, no worse fate overtake thee than to
inherit the epftaph:
Here lies John Mains,
He carried others debts and crosses
and died
"A fool for all his pains"
What shall we say of the Christian
congregation? We are summoned once
a year to the sanctuary to render
thanks for national blessings. Even
where union meetings are held, what
convincing evidence does the attend
ance furnish that the benedictions of
The Eternal Goodness are recogniz-
ed and properly esteemed?
Still, gratitude Is found among us,
and is sometimes very freely and roy
ally expressed.
1--WE have been called together, and
are here to-day to give thanks to Him
who, through another year has been
mindful of us in every way. Our
hearts should burn within US as we
think of his innumerable benefits. The
rhapsodies of the psalmist are within
bounds. The opulent praise, the hearty
- o,.1rc ,;,I, ~,
burst forth from the sacred poet are not
only justifiable, but have often proved
to be an invigorating tonic to our dole
full weak, and ungrateful spirits.
Praise we the Lord For it is He
who covereth the heaven with clouds,
who prepareth rain for the earth who
maketh grass to grow upon the noun
tains. He maketh peace in thy borders,
and filleth thee with the finest of the
wheat
What an eloquent exhortation to
doxology we have in the 14Sth psalm.
Angels, sun, moon and stars, the heav-
ems of heavens, and the waters above
the heavens are to praise Him who
made and controls them. Fire and
hail; snow and vapors; stormy wind
fulfilling his word mountains and all
hills; fruitful trees and all cedars;
beasts and all cattle; creeping things
and flying fowl-all are to praise the
name of the Lord.
who can adequately declare His
goodness?
THY bountiful care what tongue can
recite?
1t breathes in the air, it shines in the
light,
1t streams from the hills, it descends
to the plain,
And sweetly distills in the dew and the
rain
However,, we respond to the sum
mons pause in our much asking and
will endeavor to show our gratitude
for what we have received.
1.-THE apostle, in the words of the text
announces what should be the scope of
our thanksgiving: In everything give
thanks In health and wealth, in joys
and successes? Yes. Before shattered
ambitions decimated hopes, and i'm
paired business? Yes. Before multi
plying and burdensome tasks? Yes. In
the presence Of painful and serious
sickness? Yes. Standing in the quiet
acre of the Lord at the newly made
mound? Yes. What courage it takes,
what love, devotion, and faith are re-
quired to accept and practice such
thankfulness. However, as those who
believe that all things work together
for good to them that love Cod we
will take our harps from the willows;
we will break our silence and say, for
every dark, mysterious event; for loss
es, ill; for all our griefs and fears which
only shall be clear when this frail tent
shall PROSTATE lie beneath the winging
years-we give Thee thanks, o Cod
eve are here to-day as Americans,
and it becomes us again to give thanks
for our glorious heritage-for it's pre-
servation, progress and possibilities.
We know well that we have our prob
lens. We have not yet dreamt that
our land has right to be called AL
truria.' Labor, with its strikes, boy
colts and progressive demands; capital
with its greed and oppression; the sa-
loon, with its havoc; immigration, with
Its complications, still claim our ripest
thought and serious attention. Trusts,
standard of character in public SER
wants; recognition and faithful dis
charge of obligations of citizenship; our
position among the nations Of the earth;
our duty toward suffering Armenian