The San Francisco call., 1906-11-30

IounQatlon Tor II mere by lines or truth
and purity alone our hopefulness can
never be in vain.'
METHODISTS GIVE THANKS
Union Services Attract Large Gather
ing of Worshipers
The California Street Methodist
Episcopal Church at California and
Broderick streets was crowded yester-
day morning by the congregations of
the several Methodist churches east of
Preside avenue. the members holding
a union service The following was
by Rev. George W. White of Wesley
Church; reading of the proclamation
of Thanksgiving by Rev. A. c. Bane of
the Howard Street Church: vocal selec-
tions by the choir; reading from the
Scriptures by Rev. Karl Warner of
Trinity Church; offertory hymn;
Thanksgiving sermon by Rev. George
A. Hough of Grace Methodist Eps-
copal Church; anthem; hymn and bene-
diction by Rev. E G. Keith.
Rev. Mr.. Hough took for his text:
What shall rendf- unto the Lord for
all his benefits toward me? 1 will take
the cup of salvation and call upon the
name of the Lord" Pslam cxvi:12-13.
He said in part:
"Ingratitude is one of the basest of
sins. 1t is the sin against love. 1t is
forgetfulness of the heart. 1t is worse
than revenge, for revenge is the
turning of evil for evil, while ingrati
tude is the returning of evil for good.
If ingratitude is placed first among the
vices, gratitude may we'll be given pre-
eminence among the virtues of the
heart
THE measure of ingratitude is the
extent of the benefit received and the
motive which inspired it's bestowment.
Gods gifts are always the richest and
his motives are always the highest.
Thanksgiving day is peculiarly
American institution, which has as its
purpose the broadening and deepening
and enrichment OF our spirit of graft
ture toward Our Heavenly Father"
Mr.. Hough dwelt upon the bounteous
blessings and priceless privileges en-
joyed by Americans.
LAS Americans" he said, 1--WE ought
to be grateful to God for the constantly
increasing evidence of his guiding
hand in our history and for our in
creasing usefulness and influence in the
solution of the worlds great problems.
Truly, our lines have been cast in pleas
ant places. We are citizens of the fair
est and freest nation of earth.
While America is not all that we hope
she may become, yet our privileges are
peerless and priceless
He then spoke at length Of the recent
experiences in this city and said:
I'm those dark hours men did as the
psalmist did. They called upon the
name of the Lord. Never before had
such tide of prayer swept out of our
city and up to the throne Of God. And
the answers to prayer granted to US In
those days were enough to forever set
tie the qeustion of whether or not God
hears and answers prayer. As we seek,
briefly, to review ali his benefits to-
ward us, we must not forget the
prompt and generous response to our
appealing cry for sympathy and help,
which came from our brothers every
where Whatever San Francisco may
have been in the past she has always
been generous and charitable, and the
bread which during other days she had
cast upon the waters came back to her
in her time of need, multiplied many
fold
Time would fail US to enumerate all
the blessings which God has bestowed
upon us. But we must not fail to
praise him for that spirit of hopeful
ness which he has given us, which en-
ables us to rise, undaunted, above
every obstacle. Life in our city during
the past seven months has been
fraught with much unpleaSantneSS and
inconvenience We have cooked in the
streets, we have slept in the parks, we
have stood in the bread line, we have
boiled our water, we have walked miles
through debris-littered highways to
our work, we have been cajoled and
cheated by insurance companies, we
have been terrified by highwaymen
and often imposed upon by our public
servants.
I'VE have been packed like sardines
into our street cars and driven out of
our homes by greedy landlords We
have eaten dust ~and cinders by the
peck, gone without telephones. and
even been compelled at the point of
the bayonet to go to bed at o'clock.
And yet through it all we have kept
fairly good-natured and always conf
dent of the ultimate future of our city.
And already our God-given hopes
are beginning to be realized For our
streets are again echoing with the
footballs of thousands of traffickers.
our schools are crowded with the child
life of great city, and our churches
are thronged with worshipers. An
army of artisans are at work clearing
away the old and lifting up the new.
and ere many months shall pass there
will stand by the Golden Gate a new
city, greater and better than the old.
whose graceful arms will reach from
sunny bay to silvery sea-"