Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1910-12-01
THANKSGIVING SERMON
BY ARTHUR B. MILLER.
Pastor Of the Presbyterian Church
Delivered at the Methodist Church
Thursday Evening, Nov. ID. 1910

Delivered at the Methodist Church
Thursday Evening, Nov. IL, 1910
Thanksgiving Day in 1910 was just
as fine as theweather man ever furnish
ed for holiday. With bright sunshine
balmy breeze, good roads and thankful
hearts there was opportunity for true
enjoyment of the bounties provided fol-
that special occasion. The large at
tendance at the Thanksgiving service
that evening was renewed evidence OF
the wisdom of changing the time from
morning to night when the men are
relieved from their business and the
women from the duties of the household.
Rev. j. H. Freedline participated in the
service and Rev. A. b. Miller preached
a sermon of much force and interest.
We take pleasure in giving some brief
excerpts of his discourse below.
Mr.. Miller took his text from Luke
12:48. For unto whomsoever much is
given of him shall much be required, y
and took the Expression of Gratitude
to God, as his theme. He began by
quoting, Bless the Lord, o my soul
and all that is within me bless his holy
name, Bless the Lord o my soul and
forget not all his benefits.
1--WE believe that ability measures
responsibility. We find this is law
which is the index to the design of all
Gods creation and the interpreter of
its mission. In nature there is no waste
power. The butterfly does not receive
the wings of the bird; it is expected
only to do the work of butterfly hence
it receives wings of sufficient carrying
power to enable it to do its work. The
little bird does not receive the wings of
an eagle for such wings are not needed
to enable it to do it's work. All thru
nature we find that there is no waste,
that responsibility is determined by
ability. Why should man be any ex-
ception?
Man has been wonderfully endowed.
He has been crowned Lord" of all
creation. The birds of the air and the
beasts of the field have been put under
his subsection. He has been given a
mind thru the use of which he can learn
how to harness the great forces of
nature and cause them to do his will.
He is accomplishing what to genera
ton ago would have been the impossible.
Because man Is so great and has been
so wonderfully endowed a ample thank
you to God will not express true graft
tude. The proper use of a present is one
OF the best ways of showing gratitude
for a present received from a friend.
Likewise proper use of Gods mercies
are the only way of truly expressing
our gratitude to him.
God has given us q wonderful peo-
pie. Ours was no barbaric ancestry.
They were the cream of the old world.
They were the bravest and the best
which Britain, Germany and the
Netherlands could produce. They were
endured to hardships and suffering. They
were the possessors of the best of ideals.
They had good intellects and they were
large of heart. They laid the founda
ton for our great public school system.
They believed that all should enjoy the
privileges of an education. All this
has had its influence upon the people of
today. Ours is an educated people.
This is evidenced in the way our nation
has been leading the world in the realm
of invention. Go where you will and
American made machinery is in use.
Some years ago in the house of Lords a
bill was introduced for free education
in the higher schools of learning. In
the course of the discussions upon the
bill one member said ''if that bill is
passed we will no longer have servants,
such as Wallets, footmen, coachmen.
The house of Lords felt that such sacri
flee would be too great for their beloved
country to make. The result is Great
Britain is using American made
machinery and American made goods
and she will do more so in the future
The alertness, the resourcefulness of our
people have made us a world power
Tho we are not angels, tho we are not
all law abiding, tho we are not all in
terested in philanthropic agencies, tho
we are not all striving to do all
the good that we can, tho we
are not all religious yet 1 want to say
we are great people, and it is not our
selves but God that has made us great. "
II cannot leave the subject of our
mercies without word about the tenn
poral blessings of the past year. / stop
sometimes and ask can we expect in the
years to come to enjoy the temporal
prosperity that we do at present. Il
never lived when the good things of
life were as universally enjoyed as now.
l never saw time when work for the
laborer was more abundant or he was
better paid. l do not remember time
when universally harvests were more
abundant. All over our land you see
men building fine homes and out of the
stores there is constantly going stream
OF furnishings. There is scarcely a
home in communities like our own but
what has added something during the
year to add to the family scomfort. As
people we have been free from pesti-
lence. The ravages of death have not
taken away any more than the usual
number. Surely as we look at our
mercies we have much for thankfulness.
1t seems this message would be iucom-
plete without just word upon kindness.
How we can show our gratitude by
doing for others what others have done
for us. Thanksgiving day is almost
over but the opportunity for kindness
comes every day. How many there are
who need your kindness. How MANY
you meet from day to day who are not
nearly so well off as you areg For the
most part these do not need your charity.
They do not want your charity. Charity
may only anger them and bridge further
the gulf that exists between you and
them. But they do want your love-
They need your sympathy. Give them
this and they will be the richer and
you none the poorer. The worker
of today is but the guide leading on to
better achievements in the future. To
day it is our duty to manifest our