Thanksgiving sermon, delivered in the First Presbyterian Church, New Orleans, on Thursday, Nov. 29, 1860 / Page: 1 of 16
This pamphlet is part of the collection entitled: Sam Lanham Collection - Civil War Era Pamphlets and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Schreiner University.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
THANKSGIVING SERMON,
DELIVERED IN THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, NEW ORLEANS,
ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1860, BY
Rev. B. M. PALMER, D. D.
PSALM xcIV, 20.-Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief
by a law ?
OsADIAi 7.-All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border ; the men that
were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that ate thy bread have
laid a wound under thee ; there is none understanding in him.
The voice of the Chief Magistrate has summoned us to-day to the house of prayer.
This call, in its annual repetition, may be too often only a solemn state-form; never-
theless it covers a mighty and a double truth.
It recognizes the existence of a personal God whose will shapes the destiny of na-
tions, and that sentiment of religion in man which points to Him as the needle to the
pole. Even with those who grope in the twilight of natural religion, natural con-
science gives a voice to the dispensations of Providence. If in autumn "extensive
harvests hang their heavy head," the joyous reaper, " crowned with the sickle and
the wheaten sheaf," lifts his heart to the "Father of Lights from whom cometh down
every good and perfect gift." Or, if pestilence and famine waste the earth, even
pagan altars smoke with bleeding victims, and costly hecatombs appease the divine
anger which flames out in such dire misfortunes. It is the instinct of man's religious
nature, which, among Christians and heathen alike, seeks after God-the natural
homage which reason, blinded as it may be, pays to a universal and ruling Providence.
- All classes bow beneath its spell especially in seasons of gloom, when a nation bends
beneath the weight of a general calamity, and a common sorrow falls upon every
heart. The hesitating skeptic forgets to weigh his scruples, as the dark shadow passes
ever him and fills his soul with awe. The dainty philosopher, coolly discoursing of
V + the forces of nature and her uniform laws, abandons, for a time, his atheistical specu-
lations, abashed by the proofs of a supreme and personal will.
Thus the devout followers of Jesus Christ, and those who do not rise above the
level of mere theism, are drawn into momentary fellowship ; as under the pressure of
these inextinguishable convictions they pay a public and united homage to the God of
nature and of grace.
+r
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This pamphlet can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Pamphlet.
Palmer, B. M. (Benjamin Morgan), 1818-1902. Thanksgiving sermon, delivered in the First Presbyterian Church, New Orleans, on Thursday, Nov. 29, 1860 /, pamphlet, Date Unknown; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth498613/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1&rotate=270: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Schreiner University.