New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-17
THEDUTY OF THANKFULNESS
lIR. BEECHER ON MANS REASONS foR
GRATITUDE.

PRAYERS GENERALLY TOO FULL OF SOLICITATION
WITHOUT GRATEFUL EYPREssioN-THE UsEs OF
ADVERSELY.
In storm and fair weather alike the fnday
night meetings Of Plymouth Church are wei s''enooo
,ways and tho meeting Of last evening was no excep
zion 70 the rule The ROOM however was not nled az 80
carly an hour as usual account of the RAIN 1ne
people around the PLATFORM sitting on i's 'e!
steps leaving the seats only for those VINO cho
hate Last night flowers although not IN prorusion'
were very beautiful There were two bouquets OF roSes'
one white and the other red each surrounded By a
fringe of green
few minutes before the appointed time Mr. Beecher
entered and throwing hat and umbrella down behind
his chair in careless manner took his seat After adj
mrng the flowers and enjoying their fragrance he gave
cut Hymn 639 Prayers were afterward offered py Mr.
Morton aud Mr.. Davenport, both of whom besought
strength from above for their pastor that he might be
spared many years. and that he might be the
instrument In Gods hands OF bringing many souls into
the Kingdom Of Christ The God hymn was then sung
when Mr.. Beecher spoke as follows;
IL IL one Of the great elements OF power In the NOW
Testament that It written by that were bearing
the whole stress Of those suferngs which the human
heart feels most acutey aud that they were writing TO
men liable TO every form OF disaster ana SUFFERING pow
erty shame and fear. Now It has become almost trl-
Ism that written by refugees, impoverished men'
suffering TO such degree that they do not exagserae
when they say they die daiy-that the book
written by such men 70 other men suffering
IN degree such trouble, is tho most
hopeful the most courageous. the most comforting 'ne
most inspiring book. Now, We can see OF lennyson' III
the Isle of Wight in his beautiful home, in sea almost
A. Temperate the Italian elmo, surrounded by every
thing that beautiful in vegetation in house furnished
with all xurous things with numbers OF papers books,
and magazines and see him throw of those vouptuous
poems-vouptuous not In bad sense but in the sense OF
pleasure-giving -and say Well, that is what we
should expect we should suppose that man out OF
,l6 fort
true But that the Great Book OF consolation
10 universal humanity, which meets mans wants ana
weaknesses in every place and every forIn-lha inns
should written out OF the prison and the DUN
seon out OF exile by that were exiled by the mu
tude and by their fellowcountryInen, and by 1sise
fends-tls surprising That they should have been
the source OF the greatest the most inspiring literature
an the world that surprising. Now, good deep BOIL
better for some things better for roses but II you nave
ever been expert in gardening you will know that mig
ponette loses its scents in rch SOIL but becomes very
fragrant when grown in poor soil And so IL is WIN h
man beartA Some OF them grow weeds do and as
worthless weeds do in prosperity never are fragrant
until they pressed every SIDE until their roots are
Impoverished
SOFT Is with this Book Now there falls ont all the way
through il what might be called little maxims oil happ
ness unobserved expressions that keep in them the
whole secret Of human happiness and courage we read
them, and no think what is In them than
the boy thinks what lie under the ice when he is kang
IT, Hear what Pam says Ol N'ii'-"NN
in prayer and watch in the same with thanks
civing~ Live In a constant sense OF The pres
ence and the comfortable, companonablo care OF your
Gear Lord and look the bright side OF everything
That is about fair rendering Strengthen your courage
your hope Seize every advantage that s around ABOUT
ysu realize every hour and every moment that you arc
The beloved Lord and can speak with
Cod about everything Watch that is be alert with every
faculty open and be in that state OF communication IN
your SOUL that give thanks to the LORD tnat
s about you and then I'm regard to everything that
Ia round about you, study thankfulness, see some
thing in everything that pleases you GO tnat
xou have 70 thank God for it. Now, / defy
ANYBODY TO take these directions and after that be any
thing but courageous hopeful, happy ana brave man.
OF course disease excepted which pervados tho whole
human mind and not TO be taken in the account IN
followinR out these directions This thanbfulness OF
which am now speaking, am afraid that wo nave
much it almost altogether once year. about the ZOtn
OIL 25th Of November that hay IN stock, as II Were
and that we consider that constant haro
our course as a Christian community.
Wen, there have been some-taSe the St. Francis Hymn
.s an instance II is hymn which he wrote In Italy at
time when that language was not Thought elmer worthy
or capable oft He wrote hymn In when lie thahAeo
God for everything be could think offor the grass for
rain for the birds for the grOund-everythng he thought
Of and looked, of course Ike religious exercise But
sppose the minds influence the habit OF the mind
was such that he God in all objects, and they re-
minded him Of God. You will zee sparrow hopping all
hyer the ground, and it wont touch anything un |
Hess 1t is q worm II 1t can POSSIBLY help IT. And
80 in nestbuildng and in brood time, the robin
So with the bee touch animal but he goes
10 the flowers and there the honey in the honey
be finds something in every flower and in every cell.
There no flower but has honey If you only have pro
boscs with which IN get into the cell And so 1t Is with
tome minds They take in the food and leave the
other things which do not belong to them Well we are
not to dsdain other gifts Of God We have TO be edu
Gated everything that not animal to bring men to
nnd the suitable and the good
This is not imagination. as you VIII find by look
ing az other passages Paul, writing to the Philippians
toward close Of his life says BE careful for moth
Ing that IT, in the Of raspng not in the
sense of responsibility but IN the sense OF injurious care
BE careful for nothing but in everything by prayer
and suppiicaton with Thanksgiving let your wrongs he
made known 10 God" Did it to you that |
PRAYER was the most selfish thing that many Christians
perform 1t IL. should like to know what you would !
think II you were a banker aud very well off, and |
very generOus, and yOur sisters son sets up in |
business you and s in want Of capital and he should
have it." And he takes tie money and spends it, AMI
PONIES round the next day and won't you let ne
have $500 ~ and gets it, lie takes and spends IT,
and comes back in few days and says: WONT YOU let
Ine have $500Oi" and you let him have it. fortnight
pn, and In fortnight more he comes back and says:
Won't yOu let me have S2O,OO0P by and by |
he business has increased greatly, and he
you let me have $4,000 more" he takes II and
20 his busines aud he comes back and says almost beg
gng) &" OH uncle, won't You let me have 100000 |
asking and asking, and never thannnS i0r the things
you have got You are going to God all the time and
j. no comfort In God, there is no sense
of noble thought, no -, endeavor no Inspiration
ing faith, do not he borne down by grief, do not be
anxious for any thing but IN every thng WIN prayer ana