John Hancock Wishes You a Happy Thanksgiving and Includes God

John Hancock Wishes You a Happy Thanksgiving and Includes God John Hancock as Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts under the Constitution issued the following proclamation on Oct. 5, 1791, declaring a Day of Thanksgiving for Nov. 17, 1791 “It being our indispensable duty as a people, in a public and religious manner, to acknowledge the preserving and governing providence of Almighty God, and more especially to celebrate the Divine Goodness in the various blessings conferred upon us in the course of the year past. “I have therefore thought fit, with the advice and consent of the Council, to appoint, and do hereby appoint Thursday the Twenty-Fifth Day of November next, to be religiously observed as a Day of Thanksgiving throughout this Commonwealth; hereby calling upon Ministers and people of all denominations, in their several assemblies, to unite with grateful hearts in celebrating the Praises of Almighty God, of His great goodness and bounty vouchsafed [given] to a sinful and unworthy people; particularly for the great and signal interpositions of His Providence in behalf of the United States in the course of the late contest, and that after being rescued from the dangers and calamities of war; peace has been restored to us, and that our public affairs are in so promising and happy a situation; for granting to us a plentiful harvest in the great abundance of the fruits of the earth; for the general health enjoyed throughout this State during the course of the year, and preventing epidemical and mortal distempers from spreading among us; reviving our trade, navigation and fishery and protecting the same from the insults of Pirates and other disasters; for directing and succeeding our public Councils, and above all for continuing to us the light of the blessed Gospel, and securing to us our religious and civil liberties and privileges. “And to join with their praises their earnest and humble supplications to Almighty God, for the pardon of our past ingratitude and other transgressions; and that He would grant that all instances of the Divine goodness may have an effectual influence for working a general reformation in all orders of persons among us; that so we may be that happy people, whose God is the Lord, and that all nations may bow to the scepter of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and that the whole Earth may be filled with His Glory.” — John Hancock -“Yes, but…he never mentioned Jesus Christ.” Yes he did specifically mention Jesus Christ -“Yes, but… it was not done while Massachusetts was under the Federal Constitution.” (Constitution passed in 1787 and ratified by the states in 1789; this was 1791) Yes it was after the Constitution was passed. -“Yes, but… Hancock and all the other Founders were deists.” If Deists believed “that all nations may bow to the scepter of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and that the whole Earth may be filled with His Glory.” Is that what most deists believe? I would think that phrase would qualify for a Christian worldview rather than a deist one. Have a happy Thanksgiving even though there are many voices clamoring for you to have an unhappy thanksgiving. What is an unhappy thanksgiving like? Everyone eats sour grapes, is generally cranky and unthankful but of course they are the smartest in the country and the universe. On top of that, they will let you know it. “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together Against the LORD and against his Anointed One The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the LORD scoffs at them. “(Psalm 2:1-2,4)