El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-11-27

- thanks always for all things in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. to
! God, even the Father" Rev. Perry J.
Rice. pastor of the First Christian
church, delivered the annual union
| Thanksgiving sermon Thursday morn
ing in the First Presbyterian church.
He said: The text is simply a
broad, general exhortatiOn to be
! thankful. As such it is not unique for
both the Old Testament and the New
/ abound in similar exortations.
] Thanksgiving is an attitude rather
/ than an act; il is a disposition Of the
| heart rather than a doing or say
| ing. If one is disposed to be thank
| ful he viii find ample occasion for
/ gratitude. If he is disposed to be
unthankful, unappreciative, nothing
] viii seem good A grumbler grum-
/ bles because he is a grumbler, not be-
! cause his circumstances are especially
unhappy. The apostle exhorts US to
! be always thankful for all things.
/ whether they are pleasant or IN
! pleasant sweet or bitter. Such an at
! titude toward LIES varied experiences
/ is not easily reached, but it has in 1t
the. key. to happiness and complete
Purpose of the Day.
THE purpose of this day, however,
I is to make concrete and real the
: things that should especially arouse
our sense of gratitude, and I there
/ categorical fashion some of the more
obvious things that have characterized
7 the year, as evideneing the goodness
J of God. Inasmuch as this is a natianal
holiday, it is fitting that mention
! should be made of the blessings which
/ the nation as such has enjoyed we
may especially rejoice in the fact that
the man who at present IS presiding IN
the White House is a Christian, not
alone in name but in speech and ac-
ton. 1t may safely be said that no
president of the United States has
ever exhibited more deep seated Chris
tian convictions in dealing with every
national problem than has the stall
Wart stately Presbyterian who now
occupies the chair. In the smaller as
well as the larger matters which oc-
cupy his attention, he has dared TO
overru1e custom and defy traditions in
the interest of a simple Christian ex-
According to the Courier-Journal.
of Louisville, here are some OF the
things which may be placed TO his
credit: He overthrow the inaugural
ball with its miserable disgrace. He
goes to church to worship and not to
be seen Of men. He has thrown away
the gold braid and the military trap
pings generally. He has cut out the
theater ostentations. He rests on sun
day. The White House is closed from
Saturday night to Monday morning.
He viii not join local fashionable
clubs All intoxicating liquors have
1t matters not what our political
faith may be, all good citizens re-
joice in such program on the part OF
the president OF this Christian nation !
Two Evidences of Gods Providence.
In his brief Thanksgiving procla- |
nation the president mentions two
features of our national life as par
ticularly eVidencing the providence OF I
God. The first is the peace We have |
enjoyed within our own borders ana
with the nations Of the world It Is
significant that this should stand in :
the foreground of the proclamation |
this year It reveals the calm conf /
dence the administration has in the /
ultimate issue of its course with Mex
''To US who live here on the .bor- |
der. all talk of peace seems little /
homogeneous. We are hearing so /
much, not alone of war and rumors OF 4
war, but the actual rattle of muskets /
and roar of cannon that il is difficult 4
to see how anyone can be confident !
Of peace. But we must not be 50 /
blinded by the near that we cannot see 1
the distant
IN a recent address. J. L McDon- /
aid, editor of the Toronto Globe, said; /
" The greatest wonder on this con-
dnent is not Niagara or the Grand /
canyon of Colorado. but the fact that I
two nations march side by side for 4
1000 miles and there IS not fort, or ]
soldier or a battleship in all this dis
lance
northern and Southern Border.
we are not unmindful Of the wide
difference in civilization and in tenn
permanent between the. people who live
on the other side of the northern Dor
der and those who live on the other
side of the southern border, when we
say that If the administration is per-
mitted to work out its policy OF a
near friend which it is at present so
steadfastly maintaining toward strick-
en- and bleeding Mexico, the time viii /
come when forts and armies and mill
Ha
on the south as is now the case on
the north
"a new note has been struck in in
ternational diplomacy There has been
intervention without arms and with a
desire to be a friend. It is so singu-
larly Christian and so practically
ldealistic that 1t is not surprising that
some, unaccustomed to such q view
point, have been unable to see its Wis
dom. At present there is rich prom !
ise that it viii win, and II It does It
will be the most definite advance in /
the direction of disarmament the
world has ever witnessed. In the as
surance Of the simple Righteousness Of
president speaks of the multiplying
evidences of genuine friendship, OF
mutual sympathy and understanding,
both within the nation and in our re-
lation with other nations.
.The second thing mentioned as evil
dereing the providence of God is the I
fact that in the midst of great pros
perity and the rapid movement OF af-
fairs, we have been able to take calm
counsel and deal with national prob
lens in spirit of candor, righteous
ness and comfy There is a delight
full touch in this utterance which we
mist not fail to observe. We are not
unmindful Of temporal blessings nor
unthankful for them. but the deeper
cause for thanksgiving is the ability
to be calm and just and considerable
in the midst of It all.
1T is like saying that a nations
blessings do not so much consist in its
material wealth, its mineral deposits,
its wide spreading forests, its abound
ing harvests or its facilities for hand
ling all of these things. as in the tenn
per and character of its people The
thought is further emphasized in the
reference which is made to the Drac-
teal completion of the Panama canal,
which he says. 'exemplifies the dis
tinguished skill and capacity Of the
nations public servants and points US
to the ney- age of new contracts, new
neighbOrhOOds, new bonds and new
achievements of cooperation and
peace For all these evidences Of
Gods guiding hand and gracious care
we may, as a nation, be profoundly
thankful today.
Blessing the Church Has Received.
1T is fitting also that we should re-
count the BLESSINGS which have han !