Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-11-29

Thanksgiving sermon, the full text Of
which ia as follows:
n Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable
4rift. III Corinthians, 8: 10
Il The President and governor have
&again invited us to Join in thanks
fgiving to Almighty God for the pros
perity aud happiness of another year.
The founders Of our Republican insti-
buttons we're men Of faith, men who
believed that all the blessings of life
were the gifts OF God: and, hence,
they set APART a day, at the close OF
the harvest, for the special purpose of
celebrating the Divine goodness, the
prosperity OF the Nation, and the hap
< piness of the community, by religions
&services of gratitude and praise. But
4 In following their example the chief
Y magistrates of Nation and State are
n not SIMPLY acting in harmony with an
old tradition. They, too, are mon of
4 religious training aud Christian prin-
ciples, who ssa the presence OF God In
human affairs, and fec! the proPriety
H Of a special service OF public prayer
and thanksgiving, in which the pevple |
acknowledge their dependence upon
God, and give utterance to the praise
of thankful hearts. As in the days Of
\ old, when this Nation was anail-n
mere child among the peoples Of the |
earth-the fathers trusted in Divine
Providence, and gave Gud thanks for |
outward prosperity as well as for |
spiritual blessings; 81, today, rejoicing
in its manhood and strength, as one of
the greatest nations in the world, the
N people Of this country are conscious
~ that the destiny of the Republic is in
y the bands of God. and they wish to
express their gratitude in appropriate
publ, services.
A The distinguished German scholar,
4 BaroI Won Bunsen, spent many years
4 in collecting material for his great
shortly before his death about 40 years
ago. The Investigations of Modern
4 Science and the higher criticism Of
n the Bible during the half century since
that book was published, have changed
many theories and opinions; but it is
4 safe to say that, notwith landing all
& such changes, the vast majority of the
n Intelligent and educated people of this
u free and growing country still hold,
with Baron Bunsen, the conviction
n more or less clearly defined as work
ing principle in thought and life--that
there is Divine meaning IN the affairs
N OF nations, and OF individuals, in which
this Republic shares; and that our
~ of our institutions depend, In q high
IA degree and In real serse, on the
n faithfulness with which We listen to
and obey the admonitions of the Divine
IN Spirit.
M Ard yet we often talk, and maybe
& feel sometimes, as il all the sanolity
'M and divinity of human history belonged
~ to the hidden past; as II God had
IN chosen only tho ancient Hebrews TO To
,# His people, and had exhausted on
|& them His spiritual eating and foster
Jill ing care. But in our saner moments,
y! when we allow the better self to utter
M our deeper thoughts, are we not con-
N scious of feeling that this is also a
|*& "holy land" that ours is q "chosen
V# nation" that God ia leading and pro.
teoting tho people of America, even as
iM He led and cared for the Israelites Of
III old? Indeed, | believe it growing
conviction among thoughtful persons
KS that the history OF Israel, as chosen
III people OF God, is q parable, teaching
l% that all the people of earth are tbs
,obiecIs of Divine care, the children o.
M Divine lore, whose ways are known tt
God, and whose happiness is dear tt
@ Him.
IN Why should we look backward
M through the centuries, to find tn,
UHY AIdTutu VI buo LoEu1 vi ibI hia W
All final contamination, to discover tn
@ Fathers house? Why climb tn
heights, or descend into the depths
M or flee to the uttermost parts of spac
M or time to seek the dwelling place o
NH the Spirit in whom we live and NOV
M and have our being? The throne Q
M the living Gud, the secret place of tn
Most High, is in each atom of tn
X universe, and in the aspiring soul @
every child Of earth. The place wher
on We stand is holy ground, this rerio
of history the day OF the Lord.
The omnipresent and indwellin
Spirit, to whom we. give the name
God, is the fountain of all life an
power, the source CT all wisdom an
M goodness-the creating, organizing
sustaining, directing, renewing energ
ny Of the universe And yet there a,
superficial thinkers who imagine thi
W the doctrine of evolution has made
IA pussible tor the world to get alon
without taking God into account. IT
truth is, however, that the new scie,
M tifio point OF view makes the idea
III God more necessary Ia explaining tt
M unity and harmony OF nature and Ii
than the old supernatural and mirap,
Vi lous method OF thought and belief. r.
evolution is not a force, IS not Il
universs-does not control the being
the destiny of anything whateve
Evolution Is only law OF heing,
X process according tic which energy act
Or, as John Fiske has very happi
said: 1T is God's way of doing II
work" It's law is one method, al
W the best method within our prese
AZ knowledge, OF explaining the mysteri
of nature and of Lille. Through Its he
We are able to see more clearly, th
by any other theory, TINT the intini
and eternal Spirit is above, beneat
within all things, the life and pow
of the universe, forever manifest
Ne himself to mortal sight and fn
&& thought In the outward material wop
M When we have once e. asred this ID
ofthe inuweiling presence OF God
the life and power Of the universe
heart Of tho material atom, no !,
than the soul of human consciousness
The outward world becomes his boz
hs full OF Divinity as your body
mine is full OF life. Moreover, we sh
then feel no need to call on him
come to us, when VIE sing his prai
or bow in prayer but, hand in hal
I've shall walk with him from day
I1ay, conscious of his presence at
Zines, whether at worship or at wo
&lways and everywhere sustained
the inspiring thought that his Iii
hnd lore are our guide and suppc
nd then, also, in outward nature