Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-11-29

and saw grace, our children and loved
ones being gathered about the dining
room table, groaning under the weight
of the best vlands the markets afford,
may, ne thank God that that dinner
will not be stopped on account of that
grace o religious liberty, thou art
not always honored in this twentieth
century, for the living have never seen
the dagger Of bIgotry driven into thy
rich, warm. throbbng heart! 0 re-
lIgiods liberty. before whose shrlnes
CrornHelPs Ironsides made the earth
tremhie and at whose affairs the cove
nanters and the pilgrims were ready
to saotlfice their lives, may we be ready
to rapturously greet thee next Thurs
day morning and to reverently touch
the pure white hem Of thy garment
with the holy kiss OF thankful lips! 1t
was Tor this religious liberty that the
pilgrim fathers thanked God In 1921
It is FOR religious liberty that we, their
children, ought to welcome the au-
tumnal queen Of American festivals.
With humble prayer and fasting
In1every strait and grief
They sought the Everlasting
And found sure relief.
Their covenant-God O. ershadowed them,
Their shield from every foe.
And gave them here a dwelling place
Two hundred years ago.
The Lesson of the Pilgrims.
My friend, there ought to be lesson
for you in the pilgrim fathers grati-
tude to God for the supplying of their
necessary temporal wants. You may
not be millionaire. You may not
have a big bank account nor enough
money to keep you in ease II you
ceased to work; but, like the pilgrim
fathers Of old, on this Thanksgiving
day OF 1902 you can thank God that
you have home in which to live, no
matter how humble that home may be-
You can. thank God that you have
enough clothes to keep you warm and
enough good, plain. wholesome food to
eat. Should your table be simply
spread you can thank God with the
same hnnible, beautiful Christian spir-
II with which Elder William Brewster
of Plymouth colony gave thanks. AL
though the bread supply and the coffee
and tea supply and nearly all other
supplies for months had failed, and he
and his family for weeks at a time
were compelled to live upon fish alone,
yet William Brewster used to gather
his children about his table and utter
a devout grace. With nothing but
clans and oysters for breakfast, din
ner and tea month In and month out,
William Brewster used to thank God
"that they were permitted to enjoy the
abundance Of the sea and the treasures
hid in the sand"
But. although a few of us may thank
God merely for the bare necessaries,
most Of us can thank him next Thurs
day morning for the luxuries as well.
Our national prosperity was never as
great as today If we were to cross
the seas and recount to the inhabitants
of any other land all the temporal
blessings with which we are surround.
ed, those foreign inhabitants would not
believe the Utoplan stories we would
tell them. They would be as skeptical
about our Munchausen-like tales as the
relatives Of one Of DR.. William g.
Breckinridge's parshioners were sup
posed to be.
1t was during time of great plenty
In Kentucky. Food pr that time was 81
abundant as to be practically without
value. But one day this parishionel
came to DR.. Brecklnridge and asked
him to write to his family in Ireland
Among other things be said, "Tel
them | have meat twice week, with
out fail" Why. Patrick" said Or
Breckinridge "you know that Is no
the full truth. You know you cal
have and do have meat every meal o
every day instead Of only two times
week" II know that, your honor,
was the prompt reply. "but II tol(
my old father and mother. who rarel.
have meat In Ireland more than ono
a week, that meat was 80 plentiful II
America that could have 1t twenty
one times a week they would not be
lieve another word that l might eve
say" Next Thursday, like the pilgrim
fathers. all can thank God for the bar
necessaries of life. On that day, lik
DR.. Breckinridge's parishioner, nearl,
all Of us can thank God for the lux
uries also as we'll as the necessarieS
We can thank God that under tn
shadow Of the American eagles wing
there are this year more refined ant
cultivated homes. more abundant ia
bles, more beautiful wardrobes. NOR
well selected libraries, with their foo
for the mind, more pianos and musics
instruments, more pictures upon tn
walls and more Of everything that goe
to make temporal life happy than eve
greeted any Thanksgiving day befor'
Thanksgiving day Is harvest day
day for recounting your temporal a
well as your spiritual blessings. 1t
q time for thanking God for full cul
board as we'll as for church altar.
The Freedom From Sin.
The pilgrim fathers rejoiced becaus
they had removed their children frol
the sinful temptations OF a foreig
: land. They themselves were men all
J women Of sterling and unimpeachab
integrity. They were just as willin
J to lay down their lives as martyrs Il
Jesus Christ, In Leyden In l62O,
were their three fellow townsmen, he
, ~ Barrows, John Greenwood and Jof
Penny, who, In 1893, laid down the
lives In England; but, though the p
, grim fathers might be ready to die Il
/ Christ, their undeveloped children,
J account probably Of the influence
J their foreign surroundings, were not
!, ways Of the same mind. Their sol
: and daughters sometimes drifted ava