The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-11-25

revelations whose inspiration would
lead you to spend not the day but the
year in thanksgiving.
would describe to you something of
the wealth within our borders The
sun and the soil have entered into part
nership combining their energies the
past year in the interest of man. With
no rattle of machinery or forging of
chains natures product has exceeded
that of all factories, much and mighty
though the latter have been The
Northern Lights seem to have kissed
with glory the waving grain nearest to
them, and the corn, abundant, seems to
wave its tassels like silken flags in
triumph that the year has come when
want will not be present if waste is
absent. Fields, focks, granaries and
factories have returned to the laborer
for his labor good measure, pressed
down.
I would tell you of our COM
merce, in our eyes of majestic proper
tions, but visions of fear even enlarge
its outlines to the gazeof our neighbors.
The past year we have more than
doubled our trade with important
Ports, and at once, by the logic of the
survival of the fairest and the fttest
bid far to supersede rivals in the East
ern as we'll as the Western Hemisphere.
Probably no year has equalled, certain
lily not excelled, the past in general
prosperity.
But / would have another message
for you which / should feel would be
worthily preceded by prayer of
Thanksgiving for the brave hearts which
a year ago were and today are not;
worthily preceded by petition for
succor and salvation for those stout
hearts which year ago were unburden
ed but today are heavy laden. 1t is
fitting to pause to commit and com
mend to the God of all comfort those
who today around the thanksgiving
board with minds crowed with precious
memories of those who are absent shall
seek with moistened eyes, broken ac-
cent and throbbing heart to voice the
thanks of those present. Their gift
was national their sorrow and loss
shall not be individual
A war cloud eclipsed our bright sky
of peace filling days with anxiety and
nights with watching and WEAKNESS.
How vast at times were rumored the
ruinous possibilities of that war!
u Would the armed forces of Europe
break camp and start with fierce and
fiery intent upon the trail of the West
ern aggressor? Would the fair cities
on our coast, like diamonds on the ma
tion's BOSOM be shattered and shelled
or, would victory indeed come, blu,
with stained honor; would triumph
3 come, but linked to the stigma of folly
We give thanks today that the year ha'
Q seen originate and conclude war be
9 gun unselfhly, waged nobly and con
g Guided honorably. Marvellous, if no
9 miraculous, have been the deliverance
vouchsafed to u.s.
e But the war itself was only symton
: not cause. Outward acts are to be in
a terpreted in the light of inward prin
t ciples That which is making tn
q present and is to mold the future is tn
+ clearer recognition and increasin,
r power of two fundamental ideas:
r A New Conception of God.
J History records nothing more clearl,
than that the worshipper becomes il
g disposition and character like the bein,
worshipped. This law applies to tn
christian religion. The sad chapters il
church history can be traced to mis-
conception of the character of God
There is nothing which SO powerful,
affects the conduct of men as tn
character of the God worshipped. W.
may not realize it but every day il
bright or black, every duty is light or
} load according to our idea of God
! The belief was once prevalent in tn,
church that God delighted in suffering
and so, many sought to please God b.
pennance and torture and upon thi
7 idea arose that vast and sunless system
of asceticism Again, men have EN-
phasized at one time the omnipotenc'
of God, His Will, His Sovereignty
but all these led to tyrany in the church
and persecution outside of it,
Today the accent is placed on tn,
ethical quality of Gods character No
the sovereignty of power but of good
ness; not the rule of will but the reig1
of Righteousness. God is feared becaus,
Almighty. He is reverenced and wor
shipped because ALLOWING. We hav,
come to see that God does not revea
Christ but Christ manifests God. AnG
what guilty man wants to know is tina
God is as good as Jesus Christ. Herei1
is the explanation of the churcll's awak