Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 284, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 November 1912 — An Old-Time Thanksgiving Day [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

An Old-Time Thanksgiving Day

By REV. JAMES M. GRAY. D. D.

Dcu of the Moody Bible kuAula. QuetfO

TEXT—"And all the people went thetr way to eat. and to drink, and to seo<S portions, and to make great mirth, be* pause they had understood the worda that were declared unto them.”—Ne hernial* *:lt

Our forefather* before all elso were religious. Religion separated, them from the fatherland and all, that it means, tej face these “bleak; New England) shores.” The voyage of the May* flower was aai sacred as Israel's! crossing the Reds sea. The clearing of the forests, the building of the huts, the treaties! with tbe Indians,,

the civil compacts with one another, were all, in a way, acts of worship. Thanksgiving day in, its conception, and its inception, and its observance 300 years ago was only less holy than the Sabbath. ▲, ball game on Thanksgiving day! As soon turn away from Jehovah and bow down to Baal and Asbtarotb! Ye Olden Times. Read the sermons preached odj Thanksgiving day in “ye olden times,” and compare them witb the political harangues of today. Shades of Increase, and Cotton Mather! They believed in God then. They believed he gave seed time and harvest, and they had a godly fear of that judgment upon sin which might withhold the blessing once, just once—and then? It will not do to say that the former days were better than these. They were not in some things. They burned: tallow caudles then, and wore poke bonnets; now we have the Merry Widow hat and the arc light. They walked, on earth then, and sailed on the sea; now we navigate the air, and know the mysteries of the submarine. But the presence of God was potent to oar fathers, and now—well, we’re not so sure about it Let us go back to Bethel. Why should not Thanksgiving day be made a revival day? Not a day of gloom, not of the Puritan, bat his gladness, for he had gladness, a real gladness, the gladness that comes from an enlightened recognition of his bounty who is the author and giver of every good and perfect gift, the gladness that comes from a willing dedication of ourselves to his holy service. Post-Babylonian Judah affords a good type of the observance of Thanksgiving day. You will find the story in the eighth of Nehemiah. Laughter for Tears. The people were gathered in a great open air meeting, and Ezra read the Word of God to them, while their other religious teachers and civil governors explained Its sense. At first they were afraid, and were moved to tears, for conviction of sin had gripped them; but they were exhorted to laugh instead of weep, for it was a holy day unto the Lord their God. “Go your way,” said Nehemiah, "eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy unto our Lord; neither be ye sorry, for the Joy of tbe Lord i» your strength,” This teaches ns that there is such a thing as holy mirth, a joyous festivity unto the Lord. Indeed, this was the prevailing Idea of all the Mosaic feasts,’ which were social as well as religious occasions of the highest joy. It teaches us again that holy mirth is accompanied by benevolence and love. What constant provision Is made for the poor iu all the Old Testament legislation? Nehemiah was teaching nothing new whpn he said: "Send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared.” Godls idea of repentance, is, among other things, "to judge the fatherless, to, relieve the oppressed, and to plead for the widow." It teaches us in the third place that the mirth which breeds benevolence is inspired not by material prosperity, but by the knowledge of the word of the Lord. There was material prosperity in post-Edenlc times, but it led not to mirthfulness, and lovß, but to jealousy and murder. Cain was prosperous, but he killed his brother. There was material prosperity in tbe days before the flood, for men wer» eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, but God saw that “every imagination of tbe thoughts of man’s heart was only evil continually” * Genesis 6:5). Tbere was material prosperity after the flood, for men built cities and erected empires, but they forgot God until hi scattered them to the four corners of the earth.* Oh- what good news God has to pour Into our sad and heavy hearts out Of his precious word, If we will listen to it! Let us gather around that word\ on this Thanksgiving day! Let it tako the place which other things hare usnrped ol late. Closed eyes will bo. opened by 1L darkness will give place to light, and the garment of praisoj wfli be donned instead of the spirit of heaviness. People who live in glass houses should draw down the blind as well an not throw stones.—Mrs. Nevtnson. ♦ 'A: ••*3®