Milford chronicle., 1902-11-28

Chicago. Nov. %. - The similarities |
and the contrasts Of our approaching |
anniversary with that celebrated by |
the pilgrim fathers Of the seventeenth |
century are wildly sketched in this |
sermon by Rev Frank De Witt Tai !
mage on the text Psalm c, /, BE thank
full unto him"
Thanksgiving day Of 1920 is our theme
today. Plymouth rock is the pulpit
The mighty trees of the American Tor
ests are the massive pillars Of the sane
tuary. Our dome is the blue skies Of
the heavens. The sunshine Of The ''In-
dian summer" which derived is name
from the time Of Massasoit's visit to
the Plymouth colony to be the Pilgrims
guest on their first Thanksgiving day,
Shall he our Illumination. The waves
Of the fathomless deep, with their white
fingers Of foam playing upon tile many
keys Of projecting rock, shall lead in
our singing. The bold, bluff lillsides
overlooking the harbOr Of Plymouth
shall be our auditorium. And we shall
gather within these four walls as wOr-
sinners the stern faced, iron muscled
and godly voyagers Of the little sailing
ship Maynowcr, whose sacrifices made
the pilgrims first Thanksgiving day
possibility. Surely, if Governor Brad
ford and Elder Brewster and Captain
Miles Standish and Edward 7Ninslow
and Isaac AllcrtOn and john Alden
and that little band of twOscore and
ten men and women and children had
anything to be thankful for 2S1 years
ago we Americans now living ought to
welcome the THANKSGIVING day of 1902
with open arms. After the eX1m nipple of
our noble ancestors, whose names have
made the Plymouth colony Immortal,
we should never cease to thank God
for the goodnesses and the mtrcies he
has showered upon us and cur land
during the past twelve months.
The proclamation which President
Theodore Roosevelt sent forth Il few
days ago, appointing the day when the
autumnal queen Of American festivals
shall summon all people to worship a
the sacred affairs Of church and home
/ y
proclamation which Governor Brad
ford gave to the pilgrim fathers anC
mothers in the autumn of 1921. TIL
first Thanksgiving day was really {
harvest home festival On that mem
orable morning the new governor-fo
John Carver, the first governor, hat
lately died-persOnally led his peopl
and guests into the house of worship
where religious service was held
There the psalms were sung Their
the prayers were offered. There Eide
William Brewster thanked God tina
he who had fed the flying birds an
had clothed with fur the wild beast
of the forests had fed and clo.hed an
l. protected them. Then the rest of I'll
day was spent as Il home day, as a da
p of feasting and frOlic and fun. Let Il
. read to you the account which Edwa
Winslow. the historian Of the famol
colony and one of the participant
wrote in reference to that day:
"Our harvest being gotten in, o.
governor. William Bradford, sent TO
men on fowling, so that we might I
ioice after a special manner, after '
had gathered the fruits of our labor
At which time among Other recre
lions. we exercised our arms, many
- the Indians coming among us, amOl
the rest their greatest king, M.assaso
with some ninety men, who for thu
days we entertained and feasred. A
they went out and killed five de
OF which they brought to the plantati
m and bestowed upon our governor a
&C upon Captain Miles Standish and o
EST ers. And although it be no. alwa
n so plentiful as it was at this time W
= us. yet by the goodness of God we ;
so far from want that we often W
you partakers of our plenty"
The First Thanksgiving.
Yes. even among all their sorrO
3rer and troubles the pilgrim fathers l
ich many, many blessings surround
rvs them on that first Thanksgiving d
And it is to catalogue some of IL
- ancient blessings, as well as some
\ the multitudinous blessings of our O
an time. thut preach this sermon.
on. The pilgrim fathers rejoicCd in
ligiOus liberty. They reiOiced hat t
could not only worship Chris. in Il
own way and according to their c
Del belief, but also because as Congrt
tionalists they could select their {
Is. pastors and elders and deacons
have their own kind of church {
eminent. 1t was in order to win
religious liberty that the little banC
pilgrims first endured the peIsecut
In the village of Scrooby, England
was to win this kind of reli giOus
erty that in 1909 they emigrated f
the English shores and became e2
- in Amsterdam. 1t was in order to
S fSti this religious liberty that the
re q band Of pilgrims in 1910 broke Il
9ilti from Amsterdam and, under their
noes tor. the famous John Robinson, '
lord TO Leyden. and it was in order to
this religious liberty that the imm,
lO2 passengers of the Mayfower
~ ~ crossed the seas and emiglated
new and unknown world. Relis
liberty means more than life and
fort and money to strong, ccnsecl
men. It means their combined
poral and spiritual existence. 1t N
so much that, though one-thi'd Of
memorable pilgrim band died the
month after they had landed upol
Incl American shores and though all a
abov time were helpless on account of
. Is 9in ness except seven men and womeI
lerats when the time came fer the sailil
e ica the Mayhower back to England
resses one of the survivors would retu
wife's their old home, even though Gov
collins John Carver and the company
ations ready to let any one 90 who v
&c for The spirit winch led the descen
of the pilgrim fathers a century
Furnl half later to sled their blood at
cord and Lexington and Bunker I
DEL. prove that taxation without
s2ntation was wrong and must Il
I0N ST. was that same spirit Which
lUV5 the pilgrim fathers on Americas
Thanksgiving day rejoice il rel
liberty. They thanked God for rel
liberty, even though the dead sl'
mr. upon Burial hill Outnumbered Il
DIE, ing. They thanked God for rel
liberty, even though, to protect, il
"uS' had to go to church armed. VII
main congregation prayed with
mental eyes shut, their sentinels on guar
- to pray with their keen, vigilan
wide open. So next Thursday,