Concerning the Observation of Days of Publick Thanksgiving

The Westminster divines give instruction for observing days of publick thanksgiving in their Directory for the Publick Worship of God. They of course, could not have anticipated the annual American holiday, Thanksgiving. However, they saw such special celebrations as needful, especially in the case of a specific "deliverance obtained, or mercy received". They prescribed morning and evening worship services on such days, along with a special collection for the poor.

I'll quote now one paragraph that reminds us even 360 years later of the true purpose of such a day - and note that they tended to struggle with some of the same things with which we struggle on this holiday (the context is the completion of the morning worship service):

"But the minister (before their dismission) is solemnly to admonish them to beware of all excess and riot, tending to gluttony or drunkenness, and much more of these sins themselves, in their eating and refreshing; and to take care that their mirth and rejoicing be not carnal, but spiritual, which may make God's praise to be glorious, and themselves humble and sober; and that both their feeding and rejoicing may render them the more cheerful and enlarged, further to celebrate his praises in the midst of the congregation, when they return unto it in the remaining part of that day."