Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-12-01
THANKSGIVING.
How the Day Was Observed In Brat.
bOrO.

Christian Endeavor societies of the R,n
list and Congregational churches. the ~
worth league of the Methodist church ap1
the Young Peoples Christian Union ot
the Universalst church, held a union ann
rise service in the Universalist vestrv 49,
o'clock, Mrs. Nora Kenney, Robert Gro,,
and S. A. Daniels, presidents of the 6rsf
three societies, and Rev. r. K. MarviD
acting for the last named society. conduc,'
ing the services. AT IL o'clock the church,,
united In services at the Congregational
church. The program, besides the singing
Of hymns, was as follows: Invocation ana
responsive reading, Rev. r. K. Marvin.
scripture reading, Rev. Z. @. S. Ospood.
prayer, Rev. r. E. Marble; sermon. Rev
Fl. K. Miles; benediction, Rev. R. r
Lowe.
The Thanksgiving Sermon.
Rev. Mr.. Miles's text was Deut. XII. -.
aye shall rejoice before the Lord your
God, ye, and your sons and your danob.
ters, and your man and your maid servants.
and the Levite that is within thy gates
for as much as he hath no portion nor
inheritance with you" This verse pict.
ures the primitive religious rites of Israel
The nation was commanded to make a
great feast before Jehovah, with the titbes
of its harvests and wine, the irstlnes of
its hocks and herds. The servants.
widows and orphans were hidden to this
national Thanksgiving. Those who had.
were commanded to praise Jehovah for life
and the things whereby we live. They were
TO make their Joy overflow upon the widow.
the orphan and the slave.
Joy in the goodness of life on the earth
was one Of the fundamental elements in
the religion of Israel. 1t is UNSUITABLE TO
consider joy felt by the individual the OBJ.
ject of religion, and do we seek to do this?
/ believe that the motives to religion most
commonly urged are prudence, in the high
sense of taking the long view instead Of
the short; and the duty of serving others.
Religion must always insist upon the Ne
cessity of foresight, yet no one catches the
spirit of Christianity until consideration of
the results OF right living is outgrown
through finding well doing its own reward.
The duty of serving others is so empha-
sized today that the requirements of Chris
tianity are frequently summed up in the
golden rule. The first glory of our age is
increased appreciation of the new com
mandment of Christ, growing sense Of
social responsibility and the obligation to
| give every man a chance. This work
seems the peculiar mission of democracy
and of our country.
Because We are making serious effort to
| love our neighbor as we love ourselves. we
should understand that the commandment
to which we have vowed peculiar ale.
| glance is the second, not the first. Be-
fore one can give anything TO another he
must have possessed himself of the thing he
would give. The first command is, Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart and with all thy soul and with all
thy might" This feeding OF heart, mind
and soul on God is life, and when life is
| gained, the second commandment is to
| give it in full measure TO your neighbor.
Ability to proclaim the message of Christ
| grows from the inspiration Of having re-
joiced in it.
The end of life is delight. 1t is a soul
kindled until all faculties throb with vital
ity. 1t is the Joy of participation in
whatsoever things are true, lovely and
| just. The soul absorbed in deep expert
ences does not ask their profit, or question
their permanence; but is overwhelmed in
admiration. Practical benefits come from
these high experiences; not through la
bored effort to turn them to account, but
through their irresistible overflow upon
the commonplace of life. The water Of
life springs from such moments as from
fountain. 1t is not pumped up. The
soul that sums up all Joy in the fruits of the
earth and of the spirit within us, in re-
| joicing before the Lord our God, with
whom is the fountain of life, and in whose
presence there are joys forevermore,
reaches at once the height of delight and
of religion.
The predominant characteristic of Chris
tian life has not always been Joy, and one
naturally asks If 1t ought to be when life
has so much of evil, of misery and of de-
feat. Most leaders of religion have been
cherries, but the greatest of them knew
that He was sent to bind up the broken
hearted, TO give them garland for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning and the spirit
of praise for the garment of heaviness.
Though man of sorrows Jesus was con-
scious of bearing sin away and bringing in
the kingdom of righteousness, peace and
JOY. His final prayer for his disciples was
that his joy, which no man could take
away from him, might be in them. Is
that JOY upon us? Is our religious work
done from divine inspiration, or by me-
chanical routine?
Many religious societies are supported
| Dy people VINO take no personal sausiac-
ton in them, but are under the impression
that they help others. Suspect any meet
ing or movement in which you cannot re-
joiee. At any event it is probably not the
place for you to serve God. You give
least where you get least, and serve best
where the tide of your own life is most
full.
The first thing that God asks of us is
that we rejoice in him. To try simply to
avoid open transgression and deal kindly
with others results in poor, negative life
Think what God has given you in the
fruits OF the earth, the endowment OF
thought, in human friendships, and the
countless blessings that make life good
and rich. Bring to God the first fruits oil
all he has given you. Give him the asplr-
alton of your soul, the love of your heart,
the best thoughts of which you are capa'
bic and the strength of your whole life,
With this offering you will reach the point
where devotion is at once abandon aud en-
thusiasm. Rejoicing before the Lord, you,
God, you will pass over the bounds Oh
your life and be blessing and comfort 10
the fatherless, the poor and the sorroWlng'
|