The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-11-22
FAIR HAVEN HAPPENINGS
THANKSGIVING DISCOURSE YES
TERDAY BY REV. DIR. SAGE,

S"uASh Lnursuhy-ETehChlhB AeoteNuhy
by Rev. j. II. Henry at NJ. Il. Church
Allusion to the Great Football Game by
Rev. MIR. Mitchell-other Notes.
Union services will be held in the
Grand avenue Congregational church
on the morning of Thanksgiving day
and Rev. Mr.. Dent of st. Andrews M.
E. church will preach.
Rev. William Roberts supplied the
pulpit of the Second Congregational
church yesterday morning.
Rev. John r, Henry of Wesleyan COL
lege preached at the East Pearl street
M. E. church yesterday morning, filing
the place of the pastor, Rev. N. G.
Cheney, who is ill., Mr.. Henry attended
the Princeton football game and
made allusion to 1t in his sermon, claim
ing that it Illustrated how devotion to
cause would ultimately bring triumph.
He compared 1t to religious matters and
urged that Christians should bring an
equal fervor into their work for the
Master.
| Allusion was also made to the great
game by Rev. DR.. Mitchell at the
Grand avenue Congregational church.
DIR. Mitchell, Harvard man, has play
ed on the college teams and Is greatly
interested, still, in athletics. He at
tends college games occasionally and
retains his old-time enthusiasm in the
contests.
An excellent and instructive Thanks
giving sermon was delivered by Rev.
| DR.. Sage in the Grand avenue Baptist
church, yesterday morning. The text,
Eph. 5, 20: "Giving thanks always for
| all things"
Thanksgiving day has come to be
regarded as fixed anniversary in our
American calendar" said the preacher.
| Without any regard to the charac-
ter of the national life during the year,
1 whether it has been one of prosperity
or adversely, the people are called by
president and governors to be thankful.
| These high officials do not presume to
examine the records of the past twelve
| months and weigh evidences as to the
appropriateness of calling for a day of
Thanksgiving, but when a particular
| month approaches wherein it has been
| customary to issue proclamation, out
goes the official order that on the fixed
day, rain or shine. peace or war, power
ty or riches, sickness or health all men
shall be thankful.
I'm response to these proclamations
all worthy citizens are supposed on that
day to come into harmony with the
prevalent spirit of thanksgiving. Ftnan-
cial loss may have been the outcome of
their business transactions, continued
sickness may have been the portion of
the family, loss Of friends by death the
most significant event in all the year,
yet to them as we'll as to those whose
| days have been few from cloud and
storm, the call Is issued to be thank
full.
What justification is there for such
custom and what right has Iublic
official to thus presume to govern the
motives Of a people who are subject
to the vicissitudes of life? What re-
Spouse can be expected from those por-
tons Of the country which have been
swept by fire or blood or deadly epidem-
les? What family can enter joyfully
into thanksgiving, where stand the va
cant chair and in which is painfully
silent the one voice which made the
last anniversary the day of genuine
gladress?
/
quiry, it might be replied that the day
was intended for those who have I'M
mistakable reason for gratitude to God
The business man might look at his
bank account and find balance in ex-
cess of last year to his credit and then
might go to church and be thankful
The farmer might look over his fields
and seeing the prospect of good har-
| Ind tI,p+ 1a
serve the generous proclamation. The
head of the family might refer to his
expense account and finding that his
doctors bill had been light decide tc
join the company of the thanks-givers
The president Of the United States
might ask of the proper officials q re-
! port Of the condition Of the national
exchequer and finding the national debt
reduced and the gold reserve intact
and the credit of the country good
conclude to issue the customary cal
for national Thanksgiving.
preparations as this course mus
seem to everyone who considers it, the
principle involved in such a course will
be found to be illustrated in much O
the literature which is issued about this
time of the year, The gist of it all il
= this. You nave UeeH pTOSpeTeu, tHeTe
fore be thankful Governed by thi
principle the people have allowed ever
partisan politics to gauge their emo
lions of gratitude to God. Following
\ are autumnal elections when the repub
1icans have been successful in the cleo
!, ton of a president, the favored ma
iortty are ready to sing songs of praise
, and in the year when a democrati,
administration is introduced, anothe
X company Of singers occupies the choi
3 gallery OF late years Thanksgiving
anthems have been antiphonal
This principle of being thankful on
\ ly when may be seen, evidences of pros
perity, closes the month of vast mum
Y bers of citizens whose hard struggle il
h life leaves little to show for which t,
Y be thankful to God. When the Thanks
giving day orator points to fields o
h waning grain and then says because o
that we should be thankful, does no
logic drive the poor man irresistibl,
u to the conclusion? having no fields o
grain for me the reason for thanksgiv
X ing does not exist
d "a new and true philosophy of lif
D needs to be introduced into much o
our Thanksgiving day literature. W
IL "a III,