The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-11-25
REASONS FOR GIVING THANKS
Told to Audience at Union Service Yes
terday Morning.

Union Thanksgiving services were held
at 10 o'clock yesterday morning in He'd
ding M. Z. church with fair-sized con
gregaton in attendance. Rev. J. w.
Barnett, pastor Of the Congregational
church, delivered strong sermon ap-
propriate for the day At the opening
OF the service Rev L. 0. Thayer, pas
tor Of the church, read Governor Mead's
Thanksgiving proclamation, after which
prayer was offered by Rev E. c.
Downey, pastor of the Universalist
church, and Rev. w, i. Braisted, pas
tor Of the Baptist church, read the scrip
ture lesson. Mrs j. H. Cutler led the
singing and also sang pleasing solo.
Miss Gale presided at the organ.
DR.. Barnett took for the subject Of
his sermon Reasons for Thanksgiving -
His text was taken from the 92nd Psalm
1T is good thing to give thanks unto
the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy
name, o Most High" He said in part;
This was the psalmist's admonition un-
to Israel. He had come to see that it
was better to be grateful than migrate
full unto the Lord. And what is true
of Israel is true of our own land. There
are many reasons why it is a good thing
to give thanks, and what are q few Of
these reasons
First it is sign Of the higher and
better life 1t il only the man who
reaches this higher life who gives thanks
Tie british man does not give thanks.
1t is a good thing when an individual
gives thanks unto God for il shows
within him the presence Of the higher
and better life. Only the grateful soul
goes onward and upward The soul that
never expresses its gratitude never rises
upward, its tendency is just the reverse.
The man with gratitude in his heart
lives more in the true sense Of right
living So in the material life man
may not have so many dollars but what
he does have is worth more Only the
man who opens his soul and gives ut
tcrances TO his feelings is able to rise.
It is recognition OF the divine goodness
that leads us to divine life.
Again, it is a good thing to give
thanks because of its influence upon
others. Your gratitude and mine is con.
tagious. Not for ourselves alone do we
give thanks but for the ministry that
you may perform for others who sit
IN darkness. 1t is good thing to keep
one of these churches open and hold
thanksgiving services for it bides I'll
OF any community that does not do it.
Lest We, too, should forget God is
another reason why We should be CRATE
ful and give thanks, | call attention
to the great things that God is bless
ing us with to-day. All over our fair
land the granaries are bursting with
good things. There is such an abund
ance OF good things that it makes the
days of our forefathers seem poor in
deed, and yet there are multitudes to-
day whose granaries are full who are
reyelling in luxury and never think Of
lifting their eyes or voices to give
thanks unto Him who made these good
things possible Ungrateful for all that
God has given them,
Still again, there is the blessing Of
religion which enlivens and unifies the
race in the home, in society and In the
government. Think what would be the
result with all the sin in the world to-
day if it were not for the unlifting in
iuencs of religion The exposures that
are being made Of graft and other cor
rupt practices to-day are a sign Of the
influence which Jesus has on human so.
ciety. We give thanks not Tor graft
but for the exposures because they show
the going on OF Gods work in the world
The power of Jesus Christ is going to
remove it from human society. In con
clusion let me say that those Of us who
are bearing the burdens to keep open
and maintain the churches should give
thanks for the privilege that is ours.
Let us give thanks for the opportunity
to keep open the way to the cross and
the crown that the people may thereby
advance to that higher and better life.
During the service an offering was tax
en-, as usual, for the City hospital.