Norwich bulletin., 1914-11-27
THE ENDURING THINGS
 TO BE THANKFUL FOR.
Impressive Sermon by Rev. Dr. Howe
 At Thanksgiving Service.

At Thanksgiving Service.
 At Park church Rev. Dr. S. H. Howe's Thanksgiving sermon at the service at II o'clock Thursday morning ser mon was taken from Hebrews 12: TIPS, Things which cannot be taken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved.'
 This epistle was written to the He brew Christians of the first century and confronts the fall of Jerusalem. It was the hour of national disaster and ruin, the sudden cessation of things that had stood for ages and had the look of stability about them. The na- tlonal religion, the national common wealth, were inseparably bound up in popular thought with the city and the temple. and even Hebrew Christians could not detach the new faith from its ancient shrine. It looked to them like a staggering blow at all reality and to chaos. They could not believe that the great dawn would yet brighten in- to the perfect day.
 Now to be dispersed for, ever among alien and prosecuting peoples. No wonder their hearts failed and their faith was staggered.
 This story is a long and dreary one. History presents a moving pageant of wreched nationalities, of collapsed civiliza zations-Assyria, Chaldea, Egypt, Greece, Rome are spectral figures in this vast world procession moving to the center Of the stage over prostrate peoples and themselves collapsing for lack of righteousness. Great Euro pean powers succeeded to eminent do- main. only to sing back to national impotense and ruin.
 But until recently we have been feliciating ourselves on having learn ed the lessons Of history and on having new and improved civilization. When. To. we have suddenly discover ed the savage element. We lnaear the cry of the beasts of prey and the Vultures. A spirit is abroad WhicI- Surpases older savage ghosts. Every thing seems in the process of being shaken out of its firm setting, till we wonder where the chaos and the ruin will cease.
 What Are The Enduring Things?
 It is a time of disintegration to things hoary with age and rich in great traditions of service and use fulness. till we ask ourselves what are the enduring stabilitieS which we may be thankful for.
 First you may set down the ordin- ances of nature. The earth may be plowed with cannon balls and great trenches filled with slain. But no hand has plotted out the dawn or stayed the chariot of the sun.
 Our hearts fail us, but nature is not panic-stricken, does not mUtiny In the midst of all this uproar of say age rage, she keeps her majestic poise and pace, her sweet serenity and rythmical movement.
 Moral Laws Interchangeable.
 The moral laws. the ethical stand "-@" "rA the second among the un- changeable stabilities. Men break t,ss"e laws but the laws themselves never bend or break. God, duty and immortality are always with us. Wrong IS wrong, and right is right-the same in every land and age. Laws are the habits of God" and as eternal. War conditions do not triffe with the san cities Of law and we are glad the cosmic order is always with us.
 Spiritual Laws Perpetual.
 Spiritual laws are perpetual, too, Faith in Christ does not change Man may be uprooting civilization, aTt. and culture, but the Christian faith is still good to live by and safe to die by-in spite of siege guns and mines.
 The Church Abides.
 And next. the church abides. It has persisted through all human revolu- tions. At the fall of Jerusalem it only unfolded its wings and sought the uttermost parts of the earth for its possession. The blood of martyrs was :ts seed. It baffles all attempts as supSuCur1on as well as persecution, as the Emperor Julian found out. The ren who sought the young chiIdis life are dead.
 The Bible UnshakabIe,
 The Bible is another of those un-
 "~s. Tn these days if is blazing with a new light and power
 ...' or it that wise men tried to pursuade us were obsolete have sud- denly blazed up in jets of flame, It is great book for the dark valley of war. A sheet anchor for just such storms.
 We are grateful for that. It was written in times of storm and stress and can help us to ride out the storm.
 For Personal Blessings.
 Then, too, we can be thankful for personal blessings for the comforts and conveniences of life, for friend ship that abide, for peace within life. for prosperity of industry, for bread enough and to spare for the fa1nishinz .-G e. r.