The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-11-26
ADDITIONAL LOCAL,
St. Matthew'S Church.-.Rev. C. q.
CuFFie.

i
''In everything give thApkS"-I Thea. Wis.
l trust there are none here this morn
ing who do not recognize that they have
cause for thanksgiving to Almighty God
both in the present public welfare, and IT
their own household and personal life.
This nation Is tho only great people
upon the earth that Is not to-day undeI
tie shadow Of.wAr. Germany and France
are plunged in strife unusually severe
the end Of whichis not yet; Eng land, Rus
sia and Austria, 1t Is TO be feared, are moi
very far removed from similar condition
The smaller continental nations, involved
as they necessarily are with these, arc
threatened with the same general storm
but In the United States the sweet light Ol
peace Is shining unbroken by q cloud.
While "Hc makeih peace in the Dor
ders," He also filleth thee with the -four
of wheat. The poor we shall always have
among us-but poverty this year is moi
increased through any barrenness OF thu
good land which He hath given u.s.
Most households in this cODgrega'
tion are free from sickness, few have
have been bereaved, and many are yet un'
broken by death. Our hearts are moi
burdened by husbands or wife's suffering
or pierced by the cries Of children's pain
Those at q distance we know TO be well
Husband or vile Is with us, and the chill;
dren are laughing at our board. We arc
not, rs some arc, naked to the cold. We
have our daily bread.
Finally, Il trust that your own hearts,
YOU yourselves, Individually I mean, are
not without the best of blessings. Other
benefits are not to be despised. They
have tile ministraions oil mercy, inahemi
they bring to US comfort and enjoyment
that It is hardto live without yet in real
ity the gifts that are not seen are greater
than those which are seen, and Il there
has been given to you the communion
with the Father, if insight has sprung up
in YOU, II great affection has taken posses
sion Of YOU; and sweet influences have
come upon you; II your temper is sottened,
and your hope Is quickened, and your
fears are allaycd, and your sky is like q
summer day, then that is more, very much
more than all other gifts beside. 1t Is the
inward light that determines the color OF
outside things.
"Praise the Lord, o Jerusalem, praise
thy God, O, ,Zion."P { i. gis l..E ii
Gods prUvidehces are not easy Of inter.
pretation, however fond men are OF inter-
pretiug them-and ! would not like to as
sert dogmatically that such and such ele'
ments Of national prosperity are the re-
suit of our recent trouble, But ofthis am
livery certain, that patriotic feeling has
been created by It that did not before exist
and created not only among those who
live in one section, but among those who
live in another. The expression "our
country" has meaning for the present
generation, which it had not for the past
Connected as Its interests are with the
shedding Of blood, they are far more pre-
cious than before. 81
Wedo not now merely believe ~ our
country, but we know In what we have
believed. Our faith in the endurance oI
American Institutions has risen toa con.
yiction-our regard for them has deepen
ed into reverent respect, and the storm
that we have come through, In which
think any other nation in the world would
have foIndercd- with the fact that we
have sd come through 1t, has given our
people solid confidence in these 1nstitu'
lions, has taught them that their dissimi.
larty to those oil other nations does not
Indicate inferiority, but that whatever
others are doing this ship, at least, Is sail
ing with the wind and tide Of the Divine
will ldl Di -.arI gH.! grl 6.hi TF,..,s
Again, our household happiness, like
the national, has been mainly secured by
trial. There have been uphill work,
grief, and disappointment bit without
these the present enjoyment Of the home
would never have existed. OF course 1t Is
true, generally, that If we had not been
lust where we were yesterday, we,wonld
not be Just where weare and as we arc,
to-day. -,g,fyr., I, III 100!
that shows of the light, and the morning
sunrise has It's beauty because oi the
night II succeeds. ,.,. ..... ,
The blessing, however, that Is contained
in personal trial, Is even, palmer yet .ay;
-sPeople often say therelis alwa5s some.
hing 10 be tElankfl foF| Ifsone Ohild'is
taken the others are LEFT, II riches arr
teken, health is left II health Is
taken, wealth is left. a; II both are taken,
iriends remain. And even II all these 60
Divine Providence q not yet exhausted.
Blessings canbe made Of things that still
survive; Tor God never strips q man en-
tirely bare; and 1t Is true there Is always
something 10 bc thankful for. But that is
not, the point Of the text, I'm every
i6inC Five thanks" Thanks, not only iol
His giving blessings, not only Tor His
leaving blessings, but also for His taking
blessings. 1ttalfes away tho hln4, sweeps
the superlcialities from men, and makes
them feel as nothing else can, the re-
7%aive thanks in everything says the
Apostle-not merely as the bird that
sings in the sunshine; not merely for the
ripened fruit that's lying in our lap, but
equally for the dreary, rainy days, with
out which It could not ripen. Sometimes
when we see great grief our eyes almost
reproach God for thus breaking hearts
But l tell you tho time will come wher
the tins d, tho breaking heart will seen
6ur best and richest. The broken rock
sends forth streams amid the wilderness
the broken ground opens It's bosom for the
seed; the broken cloud gives the shower
tothe .soil;- the broken, alabaster yields
tie fragrance; and ina little while, when
"a have como TO the other side, and have
set down our foot on the other side o.
Eternity, and look back to tho waters
we've passed, seeing al the same time In the
clear glass Of endless glory. nearer to the
bottom Of Gods wisdom, why as We look
at that old broken heart -bFoken by the
poverty, broken by the long sickness
broken BY disappointed love, broken by
The bereavement Of husband, or wife
or child, We shall see that the communion
1 = - Nhn Vnnntnu