Year: 1875

not the other. that We observe this day.
IL shows us that while we continus TO
observe IN ipstitution founded by our
forsfathsrs, that We pre doing moro
than observe it. IL has become fixed
institution, and that with its perman-
ency and increasing observance, the
has strengthened also, and to-dsy our
religious life is strong enough to con.
secrate this day to divine service. and
by 80 doing declare our faith in the
God our fathers loved and honored. IL
is to my mind. no unimportant fact
that in this day Of theorizing, lthe faith
Of the masses, both among the learned
and the unlearned, is strong enough in
its hold upon the old doctrine Of per-
sonal God TO make ono day in the year
a day in which the nation as such shall
voluntarily refuse to serve Baal, but
shall offer up q sacrifice OF praise TO
the Lord God OF heaven and earth. For
the observance OF this one day in this
way declares thatit is not formal act,
but that is the outbursting in nation
an a nation, of the religious life that is
cultivated week by week, day by day in
the sanctuarics, and the Sabbath schools
and the home circles OF this land. In
stead OF il being the fact that in6delity
in any of its forms Is gaining . hold
upon the soul.life OF our people this
day declares that our millions Of church
spires do not point to heaven in vain.
That our faith in God is too potent, too
real to ever give place to skcpticism.
The observance Of this day declares
that the work of the minister, the teach
or, the Sabbath school laborer is not in
vain. That Gods word still accom-
plishes that whereunto IL is sent. Is
seems TO me that the observance OF this
day ought to afford encouragement to
every christian, no matter how humble,
TO labor on, for it says to him, in sub
stance, "go forth to your toll, heed not
the vaunting boasts Of inhdeliiy. your
work is paying. your labor is not in
vain in the Lord. Az long as the nation
trusts in God with such living faith rs
is svinccd in this days services. so long
shall the name OF the Lord God be
precious in our ears. Goforth to your
labor and your sacrifice, even though il
be in humblest places. for it is your
life and your labor that is keeping alive
upon the altar OF million hearts the
faith that moves q nation 10 say, BLESS
the Lord, and forget not all his bene-
fits" We are the instruments He 10
using to drive back the chilling infu-
ences of skepticism, and keep glowing
the fires of holy trust in living per.
sonal God. And this very fact is one OF
the first things we should thank God
for to-day.


III. But a second important signif-
canoe that attaches to the observance
of this day is not alone in the declara-
tion OF our faith in God as n personal
God, but also our faith in the provi-
dental care OF his creatures. Beyond
the fact of n Jehovah, lies the more
important fact that he is our Jehovah,
our Lord. A God who is interested in
our welfare, who careth for us, who
doeth all things well. When year after
wear we meet together with growing
faith and intensified devotion, to rend-
er thanks to Almighty God for the rec
ord OF the past year, we declare In lam
guage not to be mistaken, that we have
not yet, and never will, drift into the
darkness that gathers about the doct-
rins of necessity, nor the delusive
glimmering of laws irrevocible which
determines our future, but that We, ~
q people, out Of our fortunes. as they
vary, from tho midst OF our prosperity
or disaster can look up with implicit
faith and say, "He doeth all things
we'll" When prosperity and plenty
with hearts niied With gratitude, II
is of the Lord. He remembereth us.
When famine or pestilence, fire and
financial embarrassment come into our
national life, we still meet ON our ma
tional day of Thanksgiving and declare
THAT our trust is in the Lord, aud
we ask Of those who mock our faith.
"In whom else can we trust. IL the
foundation be destroyed what can the
righteous do" In this connection ii is
a historical fact worthy Of especial no.
tice that Thanksgiving day was desig-
mated by the executives OF the State
governments during all the years OF our
national growth until the darkest days
Of ourcivil war, and then when hope
was sinking, when defeat semed to rest
upon our banners, when We had
learned that our help was not in man,
nor in princes, nor in armies, then was
il that the nation moved by apro-
found realization that in God only was
our help to be found, arose as by one
spirit and went into our places OF pray
| er for consecration OF ourselves and
earnest appeal to our God, and from
those dark DAYS came the nations will
ingness to set one day apart each year
in which to say to the world, our faith
rises above every difficulty to trust in
God. And we can leave no stronger tes-
timoniai OF our faith in Jehovah than
by willingly, voluntarily, making OF
this day each year indeed day for
the recognition Of God as our God.
We can in this, help moro forcibly
than by verbal controversy, TO over
throw the power Of modern skepticism,
for this day faithfully observed declares
our faith, in our stated creed, IL believe
in God, the Father Almighty. believe
in Jesus Christ, tho Son and in the Holy
Spirit, for this is what IL day means.
For no fact is more readily understood
than that We meet not to-day in cring-
ing fear as before a tyrant. We meet
not in dispair to discuss the inexorable
decree OF an implacable God, nor to
unfold the principles that control an
unwise God, but we meet because we
have learned by experience rs we'll As
creed that God is love. We come then
rejoicing, for though We can not under
stand all the meaning Of the way in
which God has led us, yet we know
that il is for the best for us all. We
come not spasmodically. nor perfunct-
orily but we come because our hearts
love to come our thanks 60 TO our
God as the birds song goes to heaven,
because il cannot help to sing. Our
devotion goes out TO God as the love oi
the child goes out TO the parent, from
heart that cannot restrain, but must
express the pent up fec lings OF affection.
This, TO my mind, is another meaning oi
this day, aud because il has this mean.
ing, because this is its significance,
thank God, and move forward into the
future stronger than have been in the
past. While would say Bless the
Lord o my soul, would try and for
get not all his benefits.


Ill. Let Us then consider for few
moments some OF the benefits for which
We have especial reason to render
thanks 10 Almighty God to-day. The
lands Of Bible history are dotted here
and there continually with little monu.
ments, sometimes . single stone placed
in conspicuous way, sometimes hear
Of stones gathered together. The m


tives in these lands, as they travel a
road over which they expect 10 return,


pick mp stones, mark them, and ther
deposit them with a prayer for Divine


blessing. where they will be remember
| II .o Ak -.