The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-11-28
Az sr. MARK.s cnURcH.
Thanksgiving CoIors the Whole Human
Life.

THANKSGIVING COt0re the W00to human
Life.
At st. Marks church large congrega-
ton assembled yesterday morning. The
vested choir rendered the music. and the
canticles, hymns and anthem were full OF
Thanksgiving praise The Offering was
takenGor the aid OF the needy in Seattle,
through the agency of the Ladies' Relief
Society. The rector, Rev. d. c. Garrett.
took for his text. '.Offer unto God thanks
givingD-Psaim liza This verse, Mr.. Gar
rett said, expressed in the simplest way the
central thought for the day. Even in
DAvid's time thanksgiving was understood
In sense not unlike the remembrance we
keep today. It is the common conception
that Thanksgiving day originated with the
Puritans, and in the precise form of the
present observance this is perhaps true.
About this season 259 years ago Massasoit
and his ninety braves sat down toa festival
dinner with the Pilgrim fathers. The
Indians brought deer from the forests.
while the paleface supplied corn and CLAIMS
and fish. Ten years later, when starvation
faced the intrepid settlers and the last
loaf Of bread in the colony was in the
oven of Governor Bradford good ship
from Ireland bringing food supplies hove
in sight, and the appointed day OF fast was
changed to day of Thanksgiving. But far
back of the time of the Puritans we trace
the principle of . thanksgiving day. The
observance is coevai with history. In
almost every race Of man q day akin to
this has been kept at about this same
time Of the year. such q festival Is men.
toned by Homer, and the Feast of the
To or oni0 fho
this bears witness to an INFORM sense of
gratitude and to the unity OF the human
race. The appropriateness of the universal
thank offering for the fruits of the earth
IS attested by the dependence of man upon
the products of the soil. Some economist
has stated that If all the wealth in perma-
nent form on the face Of the earth was
capable Of being converted into the present
value OF food it would not be equal to the
annual produce OF the world for three
years. II is quite the custom on this day for
the minister 10 sum up both the blessings
and the calamities of the past year, but
there is . growing reluctance TO marking
of the apparent good things from the Dad
In life. Both in national and individual
affairs 1t Is not wise to catalogue events as
emanating either from God or the evil
agency OF man. What appears misfor-
tune today may prove in aftsf time to be a
Blessing.
Mr.. Garrett applied this line of thought
practically to all present. asking if it were
not true that many seemingly disastrous
events had turned out Tor the highest good
in the long run. That which men call evil
In the cases of war and business failure in
moments Of great sorrow and disappoint.
ment. is Ofttimes demonstrated by after re-
suits 10 be negative good.
Ii we remember that with God there is
mo variableness, neither shadow of turn
ing" that His providence is always the
same in its wondrous love and companion
ship, we shall certainly be justified in
offering unto Him the praise OF thanks
giving. And this gratitude must not be
confined TO one day out OF the
whole year. The real meaning
Of Thanksgiving day is to help us to be
grateful all the days. There is a close con-
nection between thank and think, and both
are derived from the same root. Thank
fulness is simply though.fulness. and all
ingratitude is the result of thoughIlessness.
This is true for man in bis relation TO God
and to his fellow MEN.
lhe trouoie with the selnsh, ungrateful
life is that the single self is too prominent
in the mind. In the home. in society and
the great world of trafiic the source of all
forgetfulness Of benefits is the spirit OF self
love. Think less OF self and more OF Others,
less OF your own wishes and more of GOD s
will. and the offering of thanksgiving will
color and transform the whole life. This
unceasing giving of thought and thanks
will make one high-minded, generous,
charitable, contented.