The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-26
THANKSGIVING SERVICES.
Rev John Baltzly's Sermon at the First En-
gnnh Lutheran Church.

XVII, II: ANA Jesus answering Halu, were Unero
not ten cleansed? but where are the nine2" He
said: We are told 10y missionaries that two of
the native tribes of Brazl-the Abipoues and
the Marnies-dO nos possess any word in the
LEAST, corresponding to our ''thanks" They are
inveterate askers, but they never show the
slightestsense of obligation when they have got
what they sought. tits worth noting that these
languages, so poor in words suggesting noble
ideas; in several of which word for Glove" is not
found-are rich in all words that proclaim their
users shame. They offer choice of words for
almost every degrading act.
1t is only TO be expected that people whose
language contains such fine distinctions in sin
and vice should have no word with which to say
81 thank you" The Greeks were "a people OF fine
instinct, and their greatest dramatist finely
says: ut becomes a man to cherish memory
where he had delight; it is kindness that gives
birth to kindness. That man from whose thought
the recollection of "a benefit melts could never
have been of generous birth" George Eliot
thinks that"there is heroism even i'll the circles
of hell for feiOw-sinners who cling to each other
in the fiery whirlwInd and never recriminate;"
that is, VINO even there keep under the seamy
side OF self and cherish in grateful memory the
joys OF former life Cicero says: "a grateful
mind is not only the greatest of virtues. but
the parent OF all virtues" We shall
iind ii to be the opinion of all civil
lied people that the earth produces nothing
meaner than ungrateful npn Shakespeare
says: II hate ingratitude more in q man than
lying, vainness. babbling, drunkenness, or any
"BlOw blow, thou winter wind,
Thou art not so unknd,
AS mans ingratitude."
There is a good reason why gratitude is so highly
estimated. as even the parent of all the other
virtues: IL Is because IN its highest forn-grate-
full 1--we to a loving God-it is the ground and
motive of moral actions.
''rhis have done for thee,
What doest thou for mel"
was the inscription beneath a picture of Christ
deeD immersion COunr
ZinzeDdorf, the Moravau. The same thought
lies DIS the motive behind all Christian conduct.
We love because He loved. Thankiulness is no
other than this loving reflection of love-love
that is the fruit OF love Herein is the secret of
the baseness of unthankfuness He who neither
has gratitude, nor cares for 1t in Others, lacks
love. Jesus wept over Jerusalem when 1T
spurned His love. True love asks for love, is
sensitive to thanklessness and can be wounded.
GLOW like a serpents tooth it is to have a thank
Very often gratitude is little more than "a
lively sense of future favOrs." There is some
truth also in the statement that it sis the virtue
most deified and most deserted; the ornament of
rhetoric and Ihe libel of practical life" The
most of us are liable, at the least to the fault of
accepting gift and more or less forgetting the
giveP
AS Jesus WAS passing through Samaria and
Galllee, he entered n village, and there met MIN
ten lepers, which stood afar off and cried, saying
Master, have mercy on us. He said unto them,
Go and show yourselves unto the priests.
And it came to pass that as they went they were
cIeansed. And one OF them, when he saw that
Il
prasing God, and he fell upon his face at 1esus's
feet, giving him thanks. And Jesus said, ''Were
there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine2
There are not found that returned to give glory
to God save this stranger2
Now the best of us have ever occasion anew to
think of these ten lepers whom Jesus clean sed.
This "where the nine?" recurs in many forms.
Mohammed says: "Itis God who made you the
night to rest in, and the day for seeing. Verify
God is 5ounteOuS to man, but most men are not
thankful" The reason is that it requires effort
to keep ones self level with the best that one
knows, and we are averse to moral effort.
sc attitude is fruit Of great culture" This is
one of the reasons for meeting once year in a
service OF thanksgiving; not alone to thank God
for the blessings of the year that is past, but
also to SO quicken in us the sense of Thankful
ness that in the year 10 come we may return
thanks day by day.
sanctiies even the sensuous appropriations of
divine gifts. Every creature of God is good,
and nothing is TO be rejected, If it be received
with thanksgiving" Jesus taught us to say
grace at meals. That seems to be little thing,
but it has a high moral significance. IL lifts IA
natural enjoyment from the sphere of the merely
sensuOus into that OF the moral. Epictetus saw
this. He said: "In banquets lemembef that you
entertain two guests, body and soul" 1t was a
chief duty of the Levites "to stand every morn
ing" and likewise at even, "tO thank and praise
Cod" We might call the Psalms a series of
Thanksgiving poems. Paul is second David
for thanksgiving. The song of praise
does not drag throughout the sacred book.
The melody is taken up in Genesis, and in the
Revelation John pictures all living creatures
giving glory, honor and Trunks to Him who
Aveth forever.
God is Just as good now rs He was in the DAYS
when these thanksgivings were poured out; and
praise is as comedy now IL was then. But
material prosperity blinds the spiritual eye.
Before this age of SCIENCE and invention people
thought more of heaven than they do now.
Dante's poem illustrates this Art shows the
contrast between the old and the new eras. In
the pictures of the saints We upturned faces
full of aspiration. There is no concern for what
lies at our feet in those faces. We think they
went to an extreme. God made the earth to be
imnrOVPd q ia
typical modern man-looking out ana around
upon all things. But we are going hey ond
more and more down. Most men in the stree ts
look down. Ruskin complains that we will not
even patronize that great free gallery, the sky.
We are prying into the rocks, digging out coal,
iron and precious metals, improving soil and
navigation. like the goat which kneels that it
may Craze with less trouble, we do go down on
knees sometimes; but 1t Is'oftenerfor material
than for spiritual gifts; Oftener to ask for more
than to return thanks. The warning that
Lord thy God" He gives good advice
the good land which He hath given thee" We.
as nation. have special reason to give thanks |
to God, for we have so little to thank any one
else for, whether Congress- or State Leg slature,
or city officials either of the political parties,
the politicians. Yet our's is still a common |
veal. We 40 not vet transport a surplus popu.
latiOn to other lands. But our prosperity is not
in great degree due to Legislation; we thrive in
spite OF it. This country is some
Wnat ike great mapping balloon;
it has never yet been stretched.
Our Legislators have played IN il; and it is be-
cause it is rOomy that their tricks have so |
little affected it, We may be charged with u |
lack OF gratitude towards politicians. am not
aware that they give us frequent occasion for it,
Scarcely a measure is now considered IN Con- |
gress on its merits Nearly every one that the |
people are interested IN is considered with a |
tOits bearing party prospects. Take |
the silver question Parties listened to the silver
kings and noisy clamor, and ordered the coin |
ing OF from 81, 900 900 to "A DOC, 900 each month
Scarcely anybody wanted silver doar--ex- |
cepu in theory. YOu don't even receive one un- |
less you have to, and you get rid o. 1t soon /
as you can. And so there are piled up III the |
treasury vaults ut Washington nearly ST 0.000,- |
900 of this silver which Is worth only eighty |
five cents to the dollar, and which nobody |
wants as current money; aud the nuisance goes |
IuAt har niln