Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1908-12-03

Preached BY Hev. Joseph Hamilton nt
Union Service IN NJ. &. Church.

FFoocnoo ~ Rev. Joseph Hamilton nt
Union Service In NJ E Church.
The Thanksgiving service last Thurs
day morning in the Methodist church
called out scant 40, including the cho-
rus choir; stto praise the Lord for His
goodness and declare the wonders that he
doeth for the children Of men," The
other 1860 OF the population may not be
taking the favors Of life and health and
comfort and happiness and friends with
out q thank-you, but they were conspicu-
ously not making a public aclnowledg-
ment Of gratitude.
The day has come to be 50 entirely Civ
en- over to eating and drinking and fam
lily reunions that never more than .
handful OF people think they can spare
time 10 lift up their voices in prayers and
hymns to the Giver Of all time, and q
service On that day. on account Of its slim
attendance, Is almost travesty of general
Thanksgiving. It might be better II the
real giving OF thanks should be done on
the Sunday before Thanksgiving day,
when congregations naturally assemble
In their appointed places Of worship and
might be in something higher than tur-
key-gobbling frame Of mind.
A very excellent sermon was preached
last Thursday morning by Rev. Joseph
Hamilton, whose text was Psalms 30 H.
I. Blessed Is the nation whose God is the
Lord, and the people whom be hath chos-
en- for his own inheritance"
This text, said the preacher, undoubt-
eddy refers to Israel and the people Of
Israel-kept for Gods purpose and given
for an inheritance a beautiful land, one
Of the richest spots to be found In ali the
world, having all climates and seasons
and producing all kinds CT fruits and
grains, animals and birds, 80 that 1t was
called q land flowing with milk and
honey. II was a rich place God had had
his eye upon for many generations for q
people who should carry out His plans
and purposes in the world.
It was nearly 5000 years before God
gave His people that beautiful country.
He called Abraham out Of Mesopotamia
and promised him Canaan and that his
posterity should be as the stars Of heav-
en- and as the sand which Is upon the sea-
shore. He prepared His people for their
inheritance and to carry ont His viii and
do the work He had for them to do.
Joshua led them across the Jordan and
took possession Of the goodly place. They
grew to be q great nation 30 that In the
reigns of David and Solomon they were
did 90 much for the world as the Jews,
whom God selected to give to rs the Bible
Ito make known in the earth His will
and His word. He located them in that
goodly land TO do something for human
ity.
God entered into 9 covenant with Abra-
ham, and circumcision became the token
OF Jewish faith. God sent His son, the
Christ, to spend His life in the Jewish
church and nation and, thus, through the
chosen people came the Word. the
Church and the Savior. From them, too,
is derived the foundation Of ell moral and
civil law; for the hest laws Of all states
and nations are based upon the Jewish
code.
In q great many respects our nation Is
like the Jewish nation, and we resemble
the Jews in many points. II might be
said OF this nation Blessed Is the ma
tom whose God Is the Lord. !" have
wondered why God kept this land 80
long from discovery, kept Il hidden from
the eye Of the world, and left to savagss
one Of the richest and most delightful
spots on earth. God had . purpose in
view. This choice place had been select
ed tor people who should carry out His
plans in these later days.
No other country on the face OF the
earth has such resources as ours Il has
all temperatures from the frigid TO the
torrid zone and has all the fruits. grains,
animals and birds TO be found in any
zone. So rich are its productions that It
can bread the world without any trouble.
A billion and q half OF people could live
here end have enough and to snare.
God prepared the people who should
inhabit this happy place. Ferdinand and
Isabella helped Columbus to discover
America and he took possession of It in
the name OF Spain. But spaniards were
not the chosen people, and the country
passed into the hands Of the French.
France, however, was too much in the
power Of infidelity and so, on the plains Of
Abraham the French lost this land fiow-
ing with milk and honey to the Anglo
Saxons, who were selected to develop its
resources and carry out Gods will
Our fathers were once savages-some
writers say they were the lost ten tribes
OF Israel. Out of Britain they drove the
Romans, from whom they received the
religion Of Christ, and in England they
formed the Anglo-Saxon race, that finally
landed on Plymouth rock and took pos
session Of the new world. This is the
nation God raised up for himself to carry
out the work be had planned. To Amer
lea the Anglo-Saxons brought the leaven
that has ever since been working on the
hordes Of immigrants from Europe and
transforming them by the power Of the
strong Anglo-Saxon spirit This nation
il Gods nation and we are His people.
When the 10 states threw OF the Brit
ish yoke, appealing to God to help them,
they had 5000, 900 Of people with one
church member in every 10. Still the
immigrants have kept pouring in from
Ireland. France, Germany, Italy and all
the countries of Europe, increasing our
| population from 5000, 900 to 0,0O0. 900,
, and yet the Anglo-Saxon ieaven has been
so strong that we now have one church
| member for every 2-s Of the population.
! There are q, 900, 900 in the Protestant
churches Of the land.
In these later years We are having an