Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1911-12-06
THANKSGIVING SERMON
At METHODIST CHURCH
Rev. N. D. Mitchell Delivered An
Eloquent Discourse
GRATITUDE FOR WHAT WE ARE
Contributions of Ancient civilizations
to Our Good

Text: The Lord reigueth; let
the earth rejoice Psalm 97:1.
This text is simple PROPOSE
ton; self-evident axiom, aad there.
fore requires no proof.
However varied the thought and
the convictions Of the people of the
earth may be, one toward another.
concerning the many things which
from time to time have separated
them, there is a common centre At
which they are moulten together
and cast into one shape, and from
thence into one unending life.
This text is that ground and that
common centre. 1t declares the
conviction of all the ages, viz: That
back OF creation and life, as their
originating and sustaining cause
and power. is the Being and the
character Of a God.
The conception is not alike clear
to all, but it's essential quality is
there, even in the lowest orders of
intelligence.
The fool hath said in his heart,
there is no God To the Jew and
the Christian this Being is Jehov-
alb, the self-existent, the infinite and
the eternal God and Father. possess
ed OF unlimited power and unerring
wisdom-the Governor and Director
OF all men and. all things forever
more.
The specific meaning OF the text
needs emphasis today, viz: That
by word, spirit and providence God
directs, controls and ovel comes in
human affairs. He reveals Himself
through His laws that His people
may fathom the grounds OF, and the
reasons for, obedience to Him. He.
as their Director, shows them the
difference between good and evil,
their duty to God, to their neigh
bors and to themselves.
Furthermore, since man is in q
state OF conscious sin, God reveals
himself as gracious Redeemer, en-
tightening mans understanding
and helping his infrmaties; but be-
ing unable to thus eradicate sin, He
became in the person of His only
Son the lncarnate word OF life,
whose earthly career has become to
all believing souls a romance and
tragedy OF passion. death, resur-
rection and eternal life. 1t is par
ticularly in these respects that He
reigns in the moral world and it is
for these specific reasons that the
earth should rejoice.
To the casual observer whose
heart remains unregenerate. and
who judges others by his own state
OF heart and mind, it may often ap-
pear that God does not reign in the
moral order of society. Such per-
sons are incompetent Jurors. God
sees not as men see, and God works
not as men work.
Advance movements in society
are much like the periodical tides
OF the ocean. Each fiux and refiux
OF the waves upon the shore are SO
slight that the natural eye with diff
ficulty discerns whether the tide is
COMING IN or GOING OUT. In other
words, the incoming tide is so
slight that one must long stand upon
the beach and mark the register of
the waves in order to discern the
general movement of the sea.
This fact aptly illustrates the
idea which I desire that we shall
grasp and appreciate today with re-
gard to the worlds betterment
under Divine Providence, and
which TO us should be our chief
cause of devout gratitude to AL
mighty God.
1T is not that God has given rain
and sunshine to our fields and filed
GU: granaries with plenty: neither
is it that we have national peace
and commercial supremacy. that we
should be grateful-tbese are Incl
dental. We should be grateful for
hat WE ARE in individual charac-
ter and in national life, made suoh
So O..