Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-12-01
THE PRESBYTERIANS
United In Services at the United Presby-
terrain Church.

The Presbyterian congregations VI
the city united yesterday at the U. P.
Church, the sermon being by Rev.
Joseph Speers, pastor of the Second
church. His text was Thes. ", IS. A
summary of his remarks, attentiVely
listened to, may be given as follows:
In the closing days Of the century,
as well as in the closing days of the
year, this Thanksgiving day had pc
culiar significance. That when we cast
the mind over the century We mark
the mighty changes, discoveries and
advancements that have been made for
which We have great cause to rejoice
and give thanks to God, in the name OF
Jesus Christ.
The changes, discoveries and ad-
vancements in civilization and learning
and in all that makes the long ago
seem rough ad unlovely, yet the long
ago is a background of stern immov-
able integrity, reverence and heroism
which towers above the foreground of
the picture of the present, checquered
with shadow and gold.
Year by year, the memory associ-
ates special experiences and seasons
and the impressions awaken sad and
sweet thoughts.
He spoke of the memorial days OF
the nation, and compared them with
memorial days in the home life. Re
Viving these days the head is softened
and brought into touch with the things
which make for righteousness and
peace and call forth gratitude and
thanksgiving to God for all his bless
ings, not only for the bright and
prosperous days, but even for the dark
and sOrroWful ones, even for wear out
of which has come the abiding unity
of this nation which is destined of
God to be the means of making the
kingdom of this world, the kingdom of
our Lord and Savior.
He spoke Of the influence which the
nation has attained in the commercial
and political world and the respect and
admiration given unto it by all other
nations.
On account of this old time custom
of Thanksgiving still has its true mean
ing as evidenced by the Presidents
proclamation where he calls all denom-
nations to celebration of the day in
| religious exercises.
He referred to the ancient custom Of
| the Israelites in Offering first fruits Of
the harvest unto God, an illustration
of our Thanksgiving day.
The lesson he drew from it was the
gratitude which all should show for
the blessings which God has so bounti-
fully bestowed upon us as individuals,
| families, as a nation. He appealed to
| the young hearers to consider the priv
ileges and opportunities which were
| theirs and for which they should thank
God. To parents for the responsibility
of fatherhood and motherhood. To the
old and tried servants Of God, travel
! ing calmly on to the sunset Of life, and
looking back over the long, yet seem
ingly short period of life. They had
much for which to thank God, their
| joy and sorrows, the perplexities and
adversities which had ripened the char
acter and deepened the faith, that pa
tiently waited upon God. and who were
like the sailor after a long voyage in
sight of land, at peace and full of hope
of the joy set before them in the enter
nal home. Closing with the fact that
this Thanksgiving day, which was an
American institution, to-day touched
| the ends of the earth as from the isles
of the sea and from the sea itself as
we'll as from every part of our home
| land, the thanksgiving would rise to
the throne of grace for Gods provi-
dence and love, in the abundance of the
prosperity of the country, by all classes
| and conditions of men, and that the
| day carried us to the country church
yard besides the bleak New England
coast, where each in his narrow cell
! forever laid. The rude forefathers of
| the hamlet sleep, who instituted this
| day, and whose memory stirs up to
pray the God who rules all, that we
may find that no darkness surrounds
our lives when the future upon which
| we enter is upon US.