The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-11-30
UNION THANKSGIVING
SERMON BY THE REV, GEORGE
ALCOTT AT GRACE CHURCH.

of the Church Rendered Special Mu-
sic Appropriate to the Occasion.
Union Thanksgiving services were
held in Grace Episcopal church yester-
day morning at 10 o'clock. There was
a large attendance. Excellent music
music was rendered by the vested
choir Of the church. The order of SER
vice included the following: Organ
voluntary, Mrs. Charles Baldwin; pro-
cessional hymn, Come, Ye Thankful
People, Come" morning prayer con-
ducetd by the rector, Rev. George A.
Alcott; Thanksgiving hymn; scripture
reading, first lesson. Rev. R. E. Brown;
second lesson, Rev. DR.. Senath; Psalter,
Rev. E. C. Tullar; sermon; the conclud-
ing hymns We're America" and the
Doxology. and the occasional The Of
fering was for the MT. Carmel home.
An excellent Thanksgiving sermon was
delivered by Rev. George A. Alcott
The text was, Say not We, There are
yet four months, and then cometh the
harvest? Behold / say unto you, Lift
up your eyes and look on the fields, for
they are white already ito harvest,
etc.
Mr.. Alcott said in part: cat harvest
time the husbandman rejoices as he
looks over the waving fields of grain
some dead ripe waiting for the reaper's
toll But many an axious hour was
spent months before the seed was cast
into the ground. Would 1t come to ma
turity? Would the rainless sky wither,
the frost blight, or some other unfor-
seen contingency blast the hopes of a
fruitful year? He could not surely tell.
But under the kindly influence of ma
ture, ever guided by Providence, the
fields Of earth, year by year, and with
but few exceptions, bring forth fruit to
gladden. the hearts of men. 1t was this
general truth which led Christ to speak
these words at the well. All around
under the genial midday sunshine, the
fruitful fields Of Samaria were green
and growing well, promising in the
course of the season an abundant har-
vest. In four months time those fields
would resound with the joy of the reap
et. and mems hearts would be glad in
the bountiftIl gifts of God. And this
1oy Christ was then experiencing in a
marked measure. 1t lifted Him above
the necessities of the body, and gave
Him meat to eat that His deciples
knew not of. In the Samaritan's draw
ing near Him, the Master saw the first
ripe field of that spiritual harvest which
His disciples would yet gather from
out Of every nation under heaven. He
saw in visions all those kingdoms of the
world which He had seen on the mount
of telnptation-all those various fields,
which, being sowly brought under Gull
tivation, would yet yield a glorious har-
vest. In some the good seed would
grow slowly. In Others, as in Samaria,
the seed would ripen as in an hour.
And all the fields were white unto the
harvest.
Since those memorable words were
spoken nineteen hundred years have
gone by. Many spiritual harvest has
been reaped, and again and again the
seed has been sown, and has sprung up
and brought forth fruit. But much has
been wasted by the folly of man. And
in many field the enemy has sown
tares. And in many more the harvest
has remained ungathered, because the
reapers have been few and careless.
And all the while the field has become
wider-the members Of the human race
has increased largely, until to-day the
same voice speaks to us in tones of
mingled reproach and entreaty, "Lift up
Your eyes and behold the flelds' Vast
and ready is the harvest. But are we
doing our part in gathering it for the
Lord Of the harvest?
Are we helping the church carry the
gospel to other lands? Let us get out
of this indifference while we are here
on earth. Let us avoid the mental at
titlde of the apostles when they looked
upon the Samaritans as only fit to trade
with, and let us say with the Lord
Jesus, Behold, the fields are white al
ready to the harvest"
And then let us be centers of life
and Tight for others, and give of our
substance for the work of spreading
the seed of eternal life unto all lands,
so that the harvest at the end may be
greater, and the joy greater, as all the
redeemed rejoice and give thanks to the
Lamb of God upon His throne for their
salvation, and for the salvation of those
to whom they give light and guidance
into the way Of peace while on earth
and working with Christ to gather in
the harvest of humanity unto eternal
life.'