or Baptist creed, whether it
had a chancel or altar, or painted windows? Whether the pews had doors
to them and were cushioned or not? Whether the minister wore a gown and
bands, or plain suit of black, or was undistinguished in his dress? Will
it not suffice if I tell you, as the very belief of my soul, that it was
a christian house, that there were seats for all, that things were well
intended and decently ordered, and that with a hymn sung with such
purity of heart that its praises naturally joined in with the chiming of
the trees and the carols of the birds without and floated on without a
stop to Heaven, when a meek man rose up:

"Some two hundred years ago, our ancestors (he said,) finding themselves
more comfortable in the wilderness of the new world, than they could
have reasonably looked for, set apart a day of Thanksgiving to Almighty
God for his manifold mercies. That day, God be praised, has been
steadily observed throughout this happy land, by cheerful gatherings of
families, and other festive and devotional observances, down to the
present time. Our fathers covenanted, in the love of Christ, to cleave
together, as brethren, however hard the brunt of fortune might be. That
bond still continues. We may not live (he went on, in the very spirit
and letter of the first Thanksgiving discourse ever delivered amongst
us,) as retired hermits, each in our cell apart, nor inquire, like
David, how liveth such a man? How is he clad? How is he fed? He is my
brother, we are in league together, we must stand and fall by one
another. Is his labor harder than mine? Surely I will ease him. Hath he
no bed to lie on? I have two--I will lend him one. Hath he no apparel? I
have two suits--I will give him one of them. Eats he coarse food, bread
and water, and have I better? Surely we will part stakes. He is as good
a man as I, and we are bound each to other; so that his wants must be my
wants; his sorrows, my sorrows; his sickness my sickness; and his
welfare my welfare; for I am as he is; such a sweet sympathy were
excellent, comfortable, nay, heavenly, and is the only maker and
conserver of churches and commonwealths."

To such as looked upon old Sylvester there seemed a glow and halo about
his aged brow and whitened locks, for this was the very spirit of his
life.

As though he knew the very secrets of their souls, and touched their
very heart-strings with a gentle hand, the preacher glanced from one
member of the Peabody