Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-11-29

REV. SMITH PREACHED SERMON.
Methodist Preacher Delivers Able Scr
mon on Reasons, Necessity and joys
Of Thanksgiving - Congregational
Choir Furnished Special Musical
Numbers-ot Other Pastors Assist.

The churches OF the city Joined this
morning In their annual union service
Of song, prayer and praise Of Thanks
giving at the congregational church
the seating capacity of which was
filled, despite the rain. The service
was in charge of Rev. L. B. Hix, OF the
CONGREGATIONAL church. altho Rev
Merle N. Smith, preached the sermon.
Other pastors assisted in the service
and the choir of the church, consist
ting OF Misses May Smith and Grace
IIix and Messrs. Chester Durelle and
Ross Salisbury, with Mr.. Ralph Hix
organist, furnished the music.
Rev. Xix opened the service by read
ing the annual Thanksgiving procla-
nation of Governor A. d. Cummins,
and following the reading with the in
vocation. The congregation sang the
hymn Come Ye Faithful" and Rev. C.
w. McCod read the scripture lesson
from the 145th Psalm. Rev. P. III.
Hines, Of the State street United
Evangelical church, offered prayer.
The choir sang the anthem, ITO Thee
Oh Lord Our Hearts We Raise" by
Schnecker, after which the Offering
for the Interchurch Society was re-
ceived. The choir sang "Oh Sing Unto
the Lord New Song" by Woodman
and the sermon by Rev. Smith fol-
lowed.
Rev. Smith took double text the
first one being, Tie hath not dealt so
with any nation" from Psalm. 1890,
and the second For about forty years
suffered He with their manners in the
Wilderness" Acts 10: Is. Rev. Smith
dwelt at length on the reasons, ne
cessities and causes for giving thanks.
His sermon was an able effort.
In presenting his subject, Mr.. Smith
said Thanksgiving is good manners
God found Israel TO be an ill-man-
nered people. He had done everything
for them that He needed to do. He
had given them liberty, which is the
greatest gift of the human soul; He
had given them great leadership, fer
tile land, a tabernacle, and high and
holy mission. God gave them every
thing, and they gave him nothing but
Ill manners.
las with Israel, so 1t may be said
Of us: He hath not dwelt so with
any nation Are we truly grateful?
Do we remember God? Consider Gods
hand in the discovery Of the Ameri-
can continent. 1t was opportune. The
new learning was dawning. Religion
was being emphasized, as 1t had not
been for centuries, and God had
ready a man. a sailor of Genoa, who,
broke a furrow across the sea from
Palos to San Salvador, and opened a
new continent to the progress Of man
kind.
when one considers the race to
whom the Almighty gave the final
domination Of the continent, not to the
Spaniard. who discovered it; not to
the Frenchman, eager for adventure,
but to the sound hearted liberty -lov-
ing Godfearing Anglo-Saxon; that the
fathers Of the republic were deeply re-
ligious men, that they were protests
ants, and therefore lovers OF liberty
that He had provided continent At
for the working out of the mighty
0roblem of civil and religious liberty,
we feel compelled to say, He hath
not dwelt 50 with any nation
Further, He has given us liberty,
great leadership, ard mission as
torch bearer and peacemaker among
the nations. Consider the benefits that
have crowned the year. Bodily bene-
fits, social benefits, friends. home and
human love. Never was there a year
when there was brought into the home
SO much of beauty and culture and ra-
tional enjoyment. Our harvests have
been unparalleled in abundance We
have lived in uninterrupted peace
There has been quickening of our
national ethical ideals. Never was
there year when the common schools
more widely diffused the light of that
knowledge that belongs to the COM
mon people. we have enjoyed a free
church, free Bible, free pulpit
tree communion table, a free marriage
altar, a free place Of sepulture.
There are two ways in which in-
gratitude is shown, in the non-use and
misuse of divine gifts. They who
misuse liberty, or law, or the FRAN
chises of citizenship, place and power,
cannot be said to be truly thankful.
Are they grateful for the Bible, the
Sunday school the church who do nor