The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-27
3 : 1919.
We ARE THANKFUL
Rev j. A. Renwick's Sermon at
Union Services.
Prevailing Prosperity the Bur-
den Of His Theme.
TALKS OF POLITICS.
Day of Stampede by Stump Or
atOrs Is Gone.
Press Given Credit for Recent
Campaign Achievements.
TALKS OF POLITICS.

At the union Thanksgiving service
held in the First Congregational
church, the Rev. Mr.. J. A. Renwick,
pastor of the United Presbyterian
church, delivered an impressive
Thanksgiving sermon from the text,
Nal. 3:12, "All nations shall call you
blessed, for We shall be delightsome
land"
In the course of his sermon Mr..
Renwick said:
'"This land of Canaan was the birth
place of real civilization, intellectual
life, and religious liberty; and from
these have been developed all scientific
triumphs, all social progress, and all
the moral grandeur of the civilized
world. A land chosen for the people,
and a people chosen for the land; and
when he who made choice of both
people and land was the Almighty, we
may believe that they were a blessed
people and the land a delightsome
land.
From the literal application of this
text, I wish to make a particular APP
plication. on this our national Thanks
giving day, to our own land, with the
view of cherishing the spirit of patriot
ism, and awakening genuine and pro-
found gratitude to Almighty God,
through our Lord Jesus Christ, for the
blessings that we enjoy, civil and reli-
gious, flowing out of our free institu-
religious privileges. OF our own land
the words of the text may find their
applications: All nations shall call you
blessed, for ye shall be a delightsome
land From whatever viewpoint we
look at our nation, her great territory,
her vast resources, natural scenery, or
commercial interests, all these make it
a delightsome land. Happy are the
people that have such a heritage We
may with IsraeTs poet sing:
The lot to me that fell,
Is beautiful and fair;
The heritage in which / dwell,
None can with 1t compare
LAS we look over the past year and
count up our blessings, we have much
for which to be thankful today. Peace
without and prosperity within our
boundless shores; no lscourage or fam
Inc has wasted our homes; no alarm of
war has sounded in our ears; and no
enemy lies providing at our door. With
goodwill to all nations. the great Amer
lean fleet of sixteen qbattleships, as it
sails around the world, dips its colors
and salutes the flag of every other ma
ton; and has beenrwelcorned and ban
quoted as the friend of all nations.
'The labors of honest toll, have been
rewarded; and such harVeSts have been
gathered, and such prices have been
paid that both he that soweth and he
that reapeth have received wages. The
horn of plenty has flowed in an I'M
broken stream, and the hum of mill and
industry are heard all over the land. A
year ago we were in the throeS of
panic; not a, panic from a failure of
crops; or the failure Of banks; but a
panic resulting from il1egitimate specu-
lation; which tied up capital stopped
the wheels of factories, and sent money
to vaults for safety; but in spite OF
panic the wave of prosperity went
rolling on confidence was restored,
capital came out from it's hiding, and
the wheels of industry began to move,
and a wholesome lesson has been
learned which may save from future
disaster.
"A church on every hill and a school
house in every valley is the only safe
guard of intelligence and morality.
THE patriotic citizen should be an
educated citizen, hence the public
schools of this nation spend their mil
lions OF dollars every year that the citt-
zens may be able to cast an intelligent
ballot, and not read his ballot but read
the times in which he lives.
''It was to this intelligence that the
appeal was made during the late cam
paign. Never before the press and
literature so important a factor. The
people have passed the day of STAN
pede by stump orators; no longer do
brass bands and red light convince the
thinking people; they read for them
selves, and vote for principles and for
men, as was seen in the vote cast for
County Attorney Schenck in the late
election.
"The last and greatest of all that
makes our land delightsome land are
our Christian and religious privileges.
These form the cornerstone of the ma
all our greatness and blessings. The
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