The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-27
MANY SERVICES
Of THANKSGIVING
SERMONS BREATHE SPIRIT OF
GRATITUDE FOR AN AMERICA
AT PEACE.
GOOD CROWDS ATTEND
PREACHERS POINT OUT NEED FOR
RIGHTEOUSNESS IN NATIONAL
LIFE TO AVOID DISASTERS
OF OTHER NATIONS. =.

While not all the ministers who
preached Thanksgiving sermons yes
terday referred directly to the theme
all of the sermons breathed the spirit
OF thankfulness that our country is
at peace, straining its resources not
to shed blood. but to help the help
less: not to carry destruction and
desolation, but to upliS and heal the
nations.
That the prince Of Peace" Is the
real ruler Of the American national
life, and that the people OF these
United States are reaching out for
more and better service in the cause
Of righteousness. were the underly-
ing reasons for our national thanks
giving. was the crux OF the sermons.
DIR. Rice's Powerful Appeal.
One of the most forcefui pulpit ut
terances of the day was from Rev.
DR.. Theron Fl. Rice, of the Union
Theological Seminary. who preached
the sermon at the Union Presbyterian
services at the First Presbyterian
Church. DR. Rice took as his text
jeremiah TX, 1894 Let not the wise
man glory in his wisdom; neither let
the mighty man glory In his might;
Jet not the rich man glory in his
riches. But let him that glorieth
glory in this that he knoweth me,
that I am the Lord who executeth
loving Kindness. justice and righteous
ness In the earth for in these things
! delight sayeth the Lord
Or. ~Rlce reminded his hearers of
the extremely serious situation con-
fronting the world today. and that
the words of the text were spoken
at a time when the world was confront
ed by similar condition Of affairs,
when the Egyptian, Assyrian and
Babyloniau empires were struggling
for world mastery,
The people of those times were
witnesses Of the overwhelming and
destruction Of all those things which
men most priced.
In the text. the Prophet jeremiah,
said the speaker, had endeayored To
lift his fellow men from slorytng in
! the things which perish to contem
plstion of that which can never per-
ish~God himself All are tempted to-
day to feel that the things men count
on as most precious, human wisdom.
| human power and the vast force we
call wealth. are crumblng under the
awful onslaught of the worldwide war.
! Men are startled at the way things are
developing in the great conflict, nut
/ said the speaker. wee need to mt up
! our hearts TO the Eternal God who
executeth loving kindness, justice and
/ righteousness In the earth
/ we are not only at liberty. said
! the speaker, TO contemplate Gods
{ character. but II is our province tc
/ frv to he like Him. lie has revealed
+ himself to us IN order to draw us tc
himself and make us like Himself
At 81. Pulls Episcopal.
Rev. w. Russell Bowie preached al
St. Paurs Episcopal Church, taking
as his text Exodus xxxih' verses
IA is and l 8. Or. Bowie SAID tna'
{ the people should be thankful first fol
sac obvious merc!es. the blessings o.
, good crops. the evidences of materia
! prosperity. Secondly the fact that the
i nation was at peace was great cause
! for thankfulness, but that the crown
/ ing cause for thankfulness were the
fundamental virtues Of the nation
Said the speaker:
Wherein SHALL we know that The
/ people have found grace m thine eyes
Oh. Lord Not in our wealth ana oui
contentment, nor even IN the bleSs
ings of peace, but in those great ideal:
which reveal the presence Of tht
living God. In purity of soul. IT
Justice. in the will for service. in ma
face Of these through the past years
in that deep viii watch bids us seeF
for these in the years to come. we
: find thy blessing, Q, Most High. For
bid that we shall prosper save In tht
light Of these Forbid that anythin'
j less should fill US with thanksgiving
T. Forbid that We should grow rich ant
2 great and lose the greatness of ou1
; soul. Make our power in the eartl
only the expression Of thy power. Fo
only as thy presence goeth with us
!, is there glory In the goal to whicn tn,
; people go"
! At FIRST Baptist Church.
S Rev w. c. James, in preaching tn
sermon at the union services at tn
First Baptist Church, drew his lessor
, from a king of Israel, WAC was goo'
} man. hut did not attend 'aithfully OF
? the services OF Gods S'--"and tn
; people d'd yet corruptly.' Lack o
righteousness was emphasized as tn
, cause of the decay of the nations II
the past-~and such lack must be
; guarded against by our people. Onl,
! living c.ose to God and faithfully at
tending upon Tie services Of his nous
would keep the nation in the path o
righte BUSINESS.
I, At Centenary.
= Rev W a Cooper pastor of Cen
9 trail Methodist Church. preached TIL
; sermon at Centenary, tho services be
r ing the union Thanksgiving meeting
t of Richmond Methodists. Sing INT
= the Lord With Thanksgiving, tn,
t seventh verse of the i47 psalm wa
his text The speaker distinguish {
{ between national and individual
thanksgiving. Cod hao been i'm
minent in the 'llstory of our countr.
as He was III the history Of tht
Hebrew commonwealth, AS he wa
with Moses so He had been will
Washington. The speaker traced tn
aand of God in our national career
Out of civil strife had come create
unity end harmony. Our country ha
shown its big plane Of action in 1t
treatment of "Nira, Cuba, and weake
nations generally.
We ought "a thank God for OF
privilege of civ! and religious liberty
D FOR the victory won for the cause q
, righteousness OH September 22;. fo
material prosperity; ard for the morf
y and religious advancement of ou
{ people.
= The speaker appealed for me pre-
lection Of the home; for the spread {
! temperance, and for the building {
v all our individual and national struC