Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-12-01
THANKSGIVING SERM0NQUIT CLAIMS All0WED
Delivered by Rev. DR.. Eugene B..
Jackson at the Union Services Held
in This City Yesterday.

Five congregations joined in thu
union Thanksgiving services held il
the Methodist Episcopal Church
South, yesterday, the pastors OF eacf
taking part. They were: Rev. DR.
John Lee Allison, of the Secont
Presbyterian, Rev. L. NJ. Ferguson
of Trinity Methodist, Rev. E. T.
Kirkley, of the Methodist Protestant
and Rev. DR.. E. B. Jackson, of the
First Baptist Church who preached
the sermon. Excellent music was
rendered by the choir, in which the
entire congregation joined heartily
and Mrs. C. E. Outcalt sang as the
offertory solo "He Lifted Me-" with
splendid effect. The church was
practically filled with the large aud
ience in attendance.
Rev. Dr.. Jackson chose as his
text the twelfth verse of the twen-
tieth chapter of Exodus: "The land
which the Lord thy God glveth thee,
his theme being, "The hand of God in
our history" The discourse was list
ened to with close attention by all
present. The Gazette takes pleasure
in giving synopsis Of it herewith:
These are fateful days in which
we are living. 1t seems almost j
miracle that our country should not
be drawn into the terrible vortex
of world war. There is a profound
feeling of gratitude that this is so.
Some of US believe that this happy
condition is due to the ingenuity Of
man, some that it is sheer good luck
but | wonder if we should not give
God the praise? am going to ask
YOU to look at some facts this morn
ing that seem to me plainly to indi-
cate the hand of God, in our history,
as Nation May I not say first
that our country is the gift of God,
There is no scripture for it, but we
have tha logic OF history.
1t would appear that Columbus
was indeed hero of faith. Many had
his knowledge but none were wiling
TO act. He turned aside with his
dreams and his skill and felt the i'm
pulse of the hand of God, even when
the hand of man was unwilling to
reach out to his help. Certainly this
wonderful land was held till the world
was ready to make proper use OF 1t.
Another mariner from the North had
come before but his imagination had
not been stirred. Suppose it had been
opened to the world during the
Ozark Ages" then the darkness OF
superstition and ignorance would nave
settled upon America. But Luther
was to come first and keep the night
from us. Did not God send Whitfield
and Wesley across the sea to help
lift the cloud? Again, it was GIT
of God because it was a gift worth
while. There was none other just
like it remaining on earth. Africa,
with her darkness and superstition
had long been known and pascd o!'
Asia, with her systems OF morailties'
and PHILOSOPHERS, was nesting COM
PLEASANTLY in her heavy past; Europe
with state rivalries and her eccelesIas-
tical tyrannies, had placed the wrong
accent then as today. Only God could
point the way to better things-tne
r;nodom on earth must find ne"
realm of influence and that realm
was North AMERICA.
l want you to notice in the second
place that our country is git,
guarded by God. Certainly ne has
treated us as he has treated no other
nation. After. the days of Columbus,
the continent was divided among the
nations just like Africa is divided
today, and the wars Of Europe II
those days were fought here. But
God saved us from the wars of riv'
al States.
Spain with her crueltles was
banished, as she was afterwards from
Cuba. Then France with her Revolu
ton, was to loosen her grip upon vas
territory here-Napoleon dreamed Of
an Empire here which would absori
our loosely joined States.
(, The old Carlyle House in Alex
dria. was the scene of many con
ference in this contest of civilizations
One day, the sovereignty OF England
was established in North America
Did not God place our destinies in th'
hand of the most democratic state o
the, old world? But We were saved
from being. merely Colonial posses
~ Il, aIyFn