The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-12-01
THOUGHTS ON
THANKSGIVING
Thanksgiving Day Sermon by
Rev. VIM. WyIIie at St.
Marks Church.

LeVitiCuS XIII 3S-39:
suppose that every natural born Am
erican citizen would unhesitatingly as.
sert that Thanksgiving Day is especially
and particularly an American institution;
inaugurated by the Puritan Fathers OF
New England, and more generally ad.
opted by the United States in 1868, when
President Lincoln issued t h e first
Thanksgiving proclamation
History contradictS the impression.
The Puritan Fathers did not, by any
means inaugurate, they merely adopt
ed feast day of the Jewish Tabernacle
Calendar; and single glance at the ex.
tenSive paragraph from the Book ol
LeviticuS will Substantiate the claim
here made.
We sometimes deride the Jew, where
as we ought to be ready always TO thank
God heartily and sincerely that he lives
and that at least he has left us so much
that is rich and rare 10 our Spiritual life.
On reference then TO this much neg.
lected book of Leviticas, you will fine
not only the institution of Thanksgiving
day, but the character or nature of the
kind of service that that day was to be.
If we would but read our Bible as we
should, we would be somewhat sur
prised TO find that Thanksgiving day real
ly had distinctive feature, and that q
spiritual one. The social function OF
character of the day being only and al
ways an incidental accessory. The real
inspiring thought that the day ought 10
engender is somewhat beclouded be
cause of the uses to which it has been
put. lis object is not by any means to
announce National security nor political
supremacy. Its object is greater in that
it lies deeper and nearer TO the individu
ais heart. All men everywhere irreS
pective of geographical definition, can
enter into the spirit of Thanksgiving
day, because it necessarily inculcateS the
expression of the heart; the individuals
acknowledgement of the precious gifts
necessary TO the SuStinence OF individual
life-rather than of National good OIL
National greatness.
1t is right and proper that day by day
we return thanks for our being, our rea
son, and all other endowmentS and fac
ulties of soul and body, for our friends
neighborS and family relations. But yol
can readily see that these good gifts are
necessarily individual blessings in the
sense that not every one can call then
their own. Thanksgiving day, while
the spirit and tone OF il is eXceedingl!
individual, is also universal in extent, il
that it is the body polite raising onC
harmonious voice 10 the Father of all
that the nourishment for physical life
at least, is possible for another yea
without material injury TO either the in
dividual or the race. 1t is no small thin
TO be assured that the harvest fields hav,
yielded food enough for man and beaS
for another year.
We are therefore called upon today Il
return thanks TO Almighty God, ou
Heavenly Father, not for the extraor
dinary things of life, but for the very OF
dinary; for our health, food and raj
ment, and all other comforts and con
veniences of life. These are yer.
ordinary things indeed, exceedingl,
commonplace, and yet no individual
soul can live in life and do his duty un
less they are aSSured-and we ar,
gathered together in this house of Coz
to give thanks unto him that we ar,
assured of these very necessary things.
On the very face of it one would nat
urally think that the expression of thank
for such universal gifts-giftS that affec
the happiness and comfort OF each anC
all would occasion an outburst of praise
But the fact remains in the face of al
contrary assumption, that We returl
thanks in very half hearted way; be
cause we have no definite idea or con
ception of what Thanksgiving reall,
means.
We habitualIy think that the fruits O
the earth are the spontaneous and natur
al results of our labor; we do not cor
slider that seed time and harvest are gift
of God, and our attitude towards tn
common necessities of life spring fror
The fact that we have divorced God fror
his own world, and we think of him a
spectator rather than proprietor. An
until such times as we can, or will cor
ceive of God as Father OF all our thank:
giving will be always and only Nation
al festival where as il should be an Hol
convocation.
The early disciples asked our Lord o
one occasion 10 teach them 10 pray
The disciples of the Lord in these day
might with equal reason and good sens
ask their Lord aud Master TO teach ther
to be thankful.