The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-11-25
THANKSGIVING DAY,
Large Congregation Present at Union
Services.
REV. BATEsoN breaches
Collection Taken for Associated Charities.
The Present Committee is
Reelected

ke- Elected.
AS is the custom, union services were
held Thanksgiving Day at IL O'Clock.
This year the services were held in the
Presbyterian church and the sermon
was preached by Rev. Bateson. of the
Baptist church. The music had been
prepared for the occasion and was rend-
cred by double quartette composed of
Mrs. Philbrook, Mrs. Bradley, Mrs
Martyn, and Miss Hunter and Messrs.
Cassaday, Gebbert, Gibson and Phil
brook. Mrs. Bradley sang very sweetly
the solo, "Heavenly Love Abiding.'
Miss Mclaughlin presided at the organ.
The sermon was the equal of any ever
delivered on SIMILAR occasion and was
received with rapt attention. 1t is with
pleasure that we are able to give sy-
nopsis of the sermon below. After the
sermon the report of the secretary OF
the board of Associated Charities was
read in the absence of the secre' airy.
Mrs. Georgia Mcclellan. A colItc ion
was then taken 10 be turned over 10
the use of the committee which was by
motion retained for another wear and
consists of Mrs. Gulick, Mrs. Jones and
Mrs. Luney. Mrs. Georgia Mcclellan
as secretary and Mrs Marcus Jones as
treasurer, have served with entire salts
faction and will likely be chosen for the
respe ctive positions by the committee
for the coming year.
TRUTHS PURSUED & POSSESSED.
BY Rev. +. w. Bateson.
MATT XVI: 2. 3.-Eut He answered and
said unto them, When it is evening. we say.
1t will be fair weather: for the heaven is
red And din in the moning It VIII be foul
face of the heaven but we cannot discern
the face of these times,
1t was once thought history was the
past re-told, and prophecy was the fu-
ture fore told. The historian, dealing
alone with what had been, turned and
looking backward recovered the past;
the prophet, dealing with things to be,
outlined events which cast their
shadows before them But, today we
have come to truer conception in the
recognition of all history, when rightly
read, as prophecy; and all prophecy,
when rightly interpreted, as history.
The historical fact is vain and void
without the prophetic Interpretation
The worlds transactions are mirrored
daily within the gaze Of every man
The question no longer is, what are the
facts? But, what are their significance
This view exalts the historian to tn,
rank Of the prophet, and dignifies thu
prophet with the unfading garb of tn,
historian-Historian and Prophet ION,
and inseparable."
The text reveals fatal lack on tn,
part of the Jews to transfer the exer
else of their interpretative powers from
nature to Providence. They knew a
sunrise blushing sky betokened
tempest; but when the.Sun of Right
eousness arose at once piercing thei
cloud Of doubts and penetrating thei
blast of oppositions they failed to dis
Germ the approaching dreadful storm O
Judgment which would thrust apostat,
Israel into moral midnight and mud.
But let us mingle sympathy with ou
cup of censure. The hardest task O.
humanity Isl not to specialize the pas
or speculate on the future but to dis
Germ the face of these times The Pas
is simple and lucid, the Future is silent
and bright-the Past like the dead, an6
the Future like the unborn allow III
without murmur, price or penalty tt
carve our own interpretations upor
them; but the Present is at once the
burden and problem for Sage and Seer
Great truths newly enlist themselves
among the worlds forces as noiselessly
as day breaks and shadows fall; new
epochs begin like new seasons and new
years; and not until man, who had
failed to discern or resolved to ignore
them, has himself been expelled and
his theories exploded has he come
under their dominion.
Let us seek to forestall disaster by dis
corning the signs of these times and
emphasizing their significance. This
sounds Ikea gigantic task. But the
fundamental and controlling ideas OF
this or any age are very few, and
though primary ideas they are the least
recognized There are few dozer
chemical elements but countless com
pounds And as IN the chemical world
the ordinary man seldom sees the ele
msnts except in compounds so in prac
tical and personal life the springs Of
action are hidden and the sources Of
supply concealed. The individual il
the product of many forces. Society il
mighty fabric, having all shades Of
opinion, figures of speech and forms Of
action imaginable. Yet, civilization
has been built up and buoyed up; and
society today is moving upon the foun
dation of a few Fundamental thoupht