The Newtown bee., 1909-12-24
The Ncwtown Bee. Newtown. Friday, December A, 1903.
THANKSGIVING Or Patriotism Pro and Con,


 Psalm 11:3. n the foundations be destroyed what can the righteous do,"
 It is a true saying that Gratitude is the fairest flower that blooms" And If any nation under tne broad heavens has reason to be grateful and to offer her yotiye offerings, her VOW offerings, her vote offerings of thanksgiving and praise to God most High, 1t is our nation, the American nation, the American nation with her stars and stripes fair emblems of Gods own domains and symbols of subjects and principles of redemp- tion. For the saints shall shine as stars and suns and be arrayed in white in those sehigher realms, through the redoeming blood of the Son of God. Daniel l2:S; Matt 13:43; Rev 3:5.
 The words of our testimony may seem strange for a Thanksgiving ser mon but we must not be surprised at anything in these strange days from pulpit or pew. But rather be pre- pared to meet all emergencies and do battle for ouI Lord where ever there is a demand for it, at any price, at any cost. If we were to preach from the text If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the sinner and the ungodly appear" We may appreciate the fact that a good all-round evangelical or gospel ser- mon may be forthcoming from it's consideration. But from the text se- lected one may ask what considera- tion can we obtain from it for a Thanksgiving theme.
 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Pri- marily these words suggest to our minds the foundation truths of the whole superstructure of revealed re- ligion, upon which is based the whole superstructure of Christianity, upon which is based the whole mem- bership of the church of God. But if the foundation truths are removed then the whole colossal superstruc- ture goes to pieces. Whatever may be said of the critical nature of the text, whatever may pc said of dis pensational truths, and the trend of modern theological thought and the converging forces that are, making for battle, one thing is sure; that the of the righteous, the righteous, not semi-righteous, half righteous, sham righteous or make believe righteous, put the righteous, "the foundations of the righteous shall never be removed" Having this seal God knoweth them that are His, and the gales (the powers) of Hell shall never prevail against them"
 But passing from the spiritual as- pect to the national aspect of the subject. First, it is ours to remember that our Commonwealth and the great republic of the United States was founded upon the foundation truths of Gods Word, the foundation truths of Holy Writ, foundation truths with Divinest sanctions. Our pilgrim and Puritan fathers drew up ] their solemn and bountiful compact to live in just relations to God and 1 each other upon the foundation l truths of the Bible before they set l foot on these fair shores, before they | lisembarked from the Mayfower, be- | fore they drank from Columbias l crystal springs and inhaled the ozone 1 )f her forest glens and beheld the l charms of her woodlands, 1 her shrubs and vines and corn fields l md flowers of every hue. Before ;heir pilgrim feet found their way l 70 the kirk or meeting house. And 1 because our pilgrim fathers remained 1 rue to their sacred cause and solemn pledges to God and to each other, ant because our granLsires, our grand ,athers and grandmothers kept ster with God and step with the word of dod in all they had pledged and pro- missed, the doors of gracious provi- lence, the abundant resources of a God, the unlimited favors ,f a generous Father, the Creator of III things, the Redeemer of all .hings, opened up to them with ever sphere and satisfaction he riches and resources of the coun- ny. Till the wilderness blossomed IS the rose, the forest gave place to he habitations and dwellings of men md communities and cities of Chris ian civilization. The billions of iquid crystale that coursed down )ur mountain slopes and traversed 'ur plains in streams and brooks and ivers, silently on their WayWard light to the ocean-save for the mu- ic of their blending charms where Utilized to turn the wheels of factor es and revolve millions of spindles, which in their turn furnished work ood and clothing ana comfort to lappy toilers, a free people and nation that has taken ront rank among the nations of the arth.
 We'll may we then say, what has aod wrought for and through and by lis people, who pledged to live and walk with Him and do to others as hey would be done by" Not only ave the forests been felled, the wat rfalls, the cascades and the light ings been harnessed and made sub ervient to the commonwealth of un- aralleled growth and prosperity, ut the enemies of the wilderness, he invasions of foreign foes, the raitors within our own domain have cen all in their turn beaten and anquished. Independence became urs, autonomy of the people, by nnnnln fn,. tho ,nonnln ham mo h. l