The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-12-01


Now. if thou didst receive it. why dost thou
glory. as if thou hadst not received it?' Cor.
iv:7.
Hosea Ballou once said: Gratitude
is the fairest blossom which springs
from the soul, and the heart of man
knoweth none more fragrant" "Oh,
that we could distill the dewy grace
of heaven upon the petals of this en-
bryotic bloom in every human life!
For among the blighting sins OF
the world, that of ingratitude stands
among those most prevalent. "What
hast thou that thou di list not receiver
Now, if thou didst receive, why dost
thou glory as if thou didst not receive
its" In the course OF life we are apt
to take to ourselves the credit of what
ever is pleasant. The boastful state
ment of King Nebuchadnezzar, lis not
this great Babylon that have built|
finds an expression through many
self-esteem whom God and man have
prospered to a degree of success.
Let evil befall us, and with what
careful scrutiny we cast about for
some victim on whom we may charge
the responsibility.
Hereafter, as we count our wealth
in purse and mind, let us not for
get that "other men labored, and we
are entered into their labors." And
as we contemplate the same, may the
hidden springs in our hearts gush
forth with an everlasting stream of
pure sparkling gratitude. I admire
a man who stands squarely on his feet
with force of character sufficient to
swing him beautifully in his own indi-
vidual orbit; a man who lives out, as
it were, his own complete life; but in
figure of speech let me exclaim: L
would ring in the ears of every soul
the eternal law, "None of us liveth to
himself" | would emblazon upon
every forehead mans dependence on
the Infinite Life, in whom we live, and
move and have our being.
We talk about self made people;
and there is a sense in which it may
approximate truthfulness; but in the
absolute no such person lives. Even
the hermits of the world are largely
indebted to the great human fam
lily from which they are trying SO
hard to be separated. Let each one
of us see himself in the light of the
following simplified solutions: Con-
slider what we now have and are; then
deduct from that what we inherited,
and what we have been allowed to
make by and through our touch with
the rest of humanity, and the result
may fairly represent what we can
take wholly to our credit.
/ think in the presence of such re-
suit there would be little room for
arrogance and strut; and it ought to
evoke a state of true lowliness; for
the very brains with which we think,
have been givenu us as result of the
life and thought of the ages before
US.
Be it remembered that those to
whom we owe gratitude, may be in
jured from a lack of recognition; but
we, ourselves, are the ones who re-
ceive the greatest injury by with
holding the same. On the otherhand,
we may give our attention and love
to a seemingly unchanged life; but
we are the nobler for having done
our duty, and thus it is that no pure
motive or good action is thrown away,
but in Gods great laboratory is saved
to lift and bless the world. We
stand today on the last thread of the
borderedg of that season about
which the poets sing in minor strains,
the season "of wailing winds and
naked woods" ready to plunge into
the still cold death of winter.
Have we any heart-gratitude that
is burning to express itself at this
hour? Have we any soul offering
that is worthy of immortal sons and
daughters? Let us now: in all can
dor, turn to ourselves and within our
selves to see. And why SO necessary
to look within ourselves?
l answer that no life exhales the
rich perfume of gratitude from the
possession of merely external bless
ings. Do not think | overlook the
value of external possessions. Be
very sure not to carry the impression
that l would encourage poverty as a
hot bed for virtue, gratitude and hap
piness. On the contrary, / am firm
believer in tapping the resources of
the world and devising plans and
means by which all may be richer in
temporal store. The world, or rather
humanity in the world, is too poor,
not too rich. encourage the philos-