The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-26


vices Were Conducted by Several
Pastors.
Seven Evangelical Lutheran congre-
cations united in a Thanksgiving SER
vice in Holy Trinity church on Adams
avenue, corner of Mulberry street, at
$50 o'clock last evening. The Congre-
cations represented were: Zion's, Rev.
r. Il. Zizelman. pastor; st. Peters,
Rev. j. w Randolph, pastor; Chrst's,
Rev. II. Llsse, pastor: Holy Trinity,
Rev. Charles q. Spieker pastor; St.
Marks, Rev. A. l.. Ramer, Phi. d., pas
tor; ST. Pauls, Rev. w. c. l.. Lauer,
pastor. and Emanuel, Rev j. KCsvalla.
pastor. The president of the CWillles-
| Rarre) conference. Rev. l.. Linden
struth, Of Mauch' Chunk, was present.
The pastor of Holy Trinity, Rev. Mr..
| Spieker. conducted the opening re-
sponsive service and read Psalm Xcii,
and Rev. Mr.. Kowalla read the lesson.
The German address was by Rev.
| Mr.. Randolph A translated excerpt
of his remarks follows:
In obedience to the call of the chief cx-
| ecutive of the United States we Celc-
| brate this year again our Thanksgiving
festival. We lift our eyes unto the hills,
| unto Him, who is the giver of every
| good and perfect gift, who has not only
| created the world but who still preserves
! and sustains it, To Him we owe our
| thankfulness for the fertility of the fields,
| the prosperity in our commercial rela-
| tiOnS. And have we, as Americans, not
| special occasion to praise God on this
| day, and to celebrate it with festal re-
| joicing. Has our country not been en-
| inently blessed? Egypt has It's Nile, but
| we have the running brooks and ma
| jestic rivers; Italy its oranges and lem
| ons, these also blossom under the stars
| and stripes; Russia has its granery, and
| do not we have our storehouses filled to
| oVerfowing? What form of product or
| industry is there which is not found in
our borders? And then reflect upon our
| immeasurabe coal fields, what ineXpres-
| sible wealth is there deposited which
even exceeds the riches of the gold and
silver mines Let the American people
praise the Lord, sing praises to His
| name
His Divine Providence caused America
| to be discovered precisely at the right
time when the overpopulation of Europe
began to be very critical for proper sus-
tenance. His watchful eye kept guard
over state and Union. He called -orth
the heroes who ministered to the welfare,
and even though he furnished you and
admonished you that greed and covet-
ousness are the greatest enemies of a ma
ton, and choke even the virtue of broth
erly love, devastate families and enkindle
civil strife. He was at all times thy
strength and thy shield, the God in
whom thou hast put thy trust. This
has also been the outpouring OF His
blessing in the past year. Our greatful-
ness is not bound only to the material
prosperity and financial success; this
would be to recognize the goodness of
God but in part; but We must return
| thanks for all our experiences even
| GbOn1d have hpnn lack
of harvests or failures in other respects,
are not even all our misfortuneS educa-
tional means Of divine guidance and is
, not even in great measure our happl-
ness and salvation based upon these?
Let us not forget tnat with our simple
expression of thanksgiving little is aC-
complished. There must be a thank Of
fering to be well pleasing unto God. We
know that the sons of Adam offered
unto the Lord, the one the flrstling of his
dock and the other of me fruits of the
ground. Even these have already kept u
day of Thanksgiving. 1t is therefore
eminently proper that We, too, should
give an Offering of our substance and
, give unto those who are in need and
| have claim on our abundance. This
sharing our gifts and doing good unto
others is indlssolubly connected with the
act of true Thanksgiving.
The address in English was by Rev.
! Mr.. Lauer. He said. in part:
We celebrate today, Thank sglving, not
the fact alone that the Chief executive
. of this republic and the highest magis-
= trate of the commonwealth of Pennsyl-
r | Yania have in public proclamations called
r | upon the people to unite in rendering
Thanksgiving to God. but the word OF
$ God itself, in both covenants, urges upon
man the great obligation Of thanktulness
=, to the GiVer of every good and perfect
= off manifestation for HIS
u boundless love in bestowing upon his
L creatures food and raiment and all things
r THANKSGIVING day is dstinctively a ma
s tional holiday upon which all the people
Of our land are invited to assemble in the
| churches and unite in giving thanks u
Almighty God for the mercies of the past
year, individually and as nation. IhHt
our land, despite the prevailing wicked
= ness and unbelief T sy justly be called a
Christian land, there can be no reason
, able, honest doubt.
= God adopted our nation like the Israel
= ties of old as his chosen people He has
= given us this free land which is q fruit
# of the reformation of the Sixteenth CEN
: tury period, has given us a fertile land
:. a land of brooks and fountains, valleys au'
S hills, a land OF wheat and barley ano
corn and vines and goodly trees, a lanl
; where there Is bread without slackness
- whose stones are iron and out of wnOst
. hills cometh brass and silver and gold, a
i land in which God has set up His Holy
IS Tabernacle and sent forth the light OF
the Gospel, a land which is the glory OF
all lands, the house of freedom, of plenty
and OF peace.
We honor God when we trust I'm His
word. The happiness and stability OF q
nation depends upon its adherence L
faith in God. As long as a ation is God
fearing II will abide in peace and happi
ness and prosperity will be no stranger
in that land.
We honor God when our lives are con
secrated to His service, That is q falls
religion which claims to love God anC
does not prove that love by love to men
To do good and to communicate is mor'
pleasing to God than the secriice of tn
cattle on a thousand hills or the bounty
of any self-imDosed penance.
If we thus honor God by obedience L
His divine requirement He viii honor N
by adopting us as His children, that w
may be enabled to say with the apostle
Behold what manner Of love the Fathe
hath bestowed upon us that we should b
called the sons of God" lie will suppor
us in temptation and trial and finally II
will give us an abundant entrance int
the glories of heaven, the land Of tru
freedom and plenty, Of which our land (
but faint type,