The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-11-25
UNION sERvIcE A sUccEss.
Rev. P, A. Simpkin Explains the
Meaning Of the Day.

the HnllllpS congregational, Inllu
Presbyterian. Tiff and Liberty Park
Methodist churches united in Thanks
giving day service. Rev. p. A. Simp-
kin preached the sermon from the text
20 give thanks unto the Lord for he,
is good; for his mercy endCreth for
ever" He said:
"ln that your hearts language this
morning il ought TO be, whatever life
has brought for you. We come to lay
TODAY upon the altar Of thanksgiving
erected by our fathers a chaplet of
gratitude. The very atmosphere or the
day is fragrant with sweet memory
and influence as it speaks of the mighty
spirit of reverence and religion which
is embedded in the busy life OF this
great, new nation. Our constitution
may be silent as TO religious beliefs and
the deep spiritual convictions of this
great free people. Our government may
exercise no churchiy functions nor
sway any churchly authority. For this
reason the superficial observer who
finds the only expression of religion in
a people as he finds an utterance in
formal credal statements and outward
conformation TO a ritualistic service has
criticised us as nOn-religiOus state.
But the deep life of this people finds
again and again a concrete national
in other forms. and the vast life whose
constituent elements are so varied in
origin, religious faith and characters
tic. holds at heart q regnant conception
of that God over all. who differing in
his aspect to the observer, is still the
one universal Father, &c whose feet
men come in gladness ard gratitude at
the call of our beloved president, and
in conformity with the beautiful Gus
tom of our national life to pay the
1.-THE of thankfuIness to him for his
great mercy. The day is unique in its
spirit and observance. not only in cur
national calendar, but also as a festi-
Val of this nation among nations Of the
earth.
What the Day Means
Custom has made the day one of
more than mere formal Thanksgiving
The truth that the real thanksgiving is
/ expressed In thanksgiving. and that
mere grateful acknowledgment of mer-
/ cies received is too narrow and cold
thing 10 satisfy either cur Own heart
OF the demands of duty is rapidly grow
ing. The cynic who asset ted the graft
( tude is but an attitude which finally
| expresses a lively sense Of favors to
come found perhaps too much ground
/ for the false definition. We are all
! coming to see very clearly that graft
tUde 10 God does not consist merely in
| the prayer and psalm and song. how
ever beautiful and heartfelt they may
/ be- but rather in that ministry to men
ont Of the store of all which comes to
4 bless our life, because men are the
| children of God.
1T is TT that one should remember
I the nlercieS of this year. Our own lives
( with their perils and needs, their prob
! lens and burdens, thei. mercies and
gentle provideuces, are our first thought
and should rightly be. The great tide
/ of goodness that has tapped the shores
] Of our little life, singing only songs of
peace the abundant prosperity that has
rested on all the land. the blessing of
home and friends and simple faith and
love
This is a .perilous time for home, be-
cause of LIES rush and change, Mar
riage must be held to ne as IN the old
en- days, a union for all time and all
eternity, a giving of heart to heart and
/ life to life. in love unselfish; not as a
/ civil compact insuTing to the man 80
much of good housekeeping and crea-
ture comfort. and to the woman so
much of luxury i'm dress and table and
social life as may be agreed upon, but
an absorbing devotion out Of which the
fair temple of fatheriOod and the white
shrine of motherhood shall rise 10 be
at once the glory and security of gen.
/ erations.
Home Is a Temple.
! Home needs TO De a temple a school
and = shelter; a temple holy unto God,
where life's highest inspirations are
given a school where the true training
Is impaired which sends out men and
women filled with self-knowledge, self
4 reverence, self-control; q shelter sacred
and secure, where all is tender and in
whose warmth and light the little lives
/ may be nUrsed through the fever Of
LIES first sore wounds and led into
beauty and power to go forth as Gala,
had's, mighty in the StTaI 9Th Of purity.
go out therefrom into the world, not to
wiring from men by cruelty what may
be wrong. but rather going out with
the one ideal and motto, L serve.
That is the IDEAL home. which makes
the family not merely beautiful with
culture, but beautiful with Jobs spirit
of life
In affairs national there are few
things which should be more provOcat-
i've Of Thanksgiving than the fact that
the common consciousness is being
aroused and is finding an expression
! in regard to common deccncy and hon
esty ia public affairs as is evidenced
by the election in seven states of gov
ernors who are Of a different political
faith than the president elected by
those states. simply because of disgust
i with conditions; an expression also
Of the solidarity of work interests
throughout the land. A keener appre-
citation Of the Inherent rectitude of the
worker claim and of his appeal for a
readjustment of some Of the conditions
I of fc & aV.s- oct
significant advance has lain along this
line expressed perhaps most clearly in
an earnest inquiry into the conditions
/ of social life. and a gripping Of the fac
tors that make up the problem.
One Great Thing We Lack.
I'm one great thing we lack. The
best element or our national life has not
advanced in a way that demands adj
vance. The year past has seen rail
roads and other great corporations TAX
ing steps to compel temperance among
employees. 1t has not seen the great
church Of Christ taking advanced
1 ground or standing loyalty by the old
| proposition Of temperance. The cam
! paign against the greater evil of
modern times has not been carried out
by those who are its only friends. With
/ 60,000000 protesting Christians in the
republic, less than per cent are sufii-
] GENTLY impressed 10 record their dis
/ approval of the saloon at the ballot
box. The procession of the lost goes
on. and in every year by the trap door
of the saloon a greater number of men
and women than has been lost in the
terrible campaign Of Manchuria and
siege of Port Arthur goes out to per-
dition.
"As I speak however 10 a company
| af Christians fhfnL tho fff,,e. fe