The record-union., 1897-11-21
A LAYMAN'S THANKSGIVING.
BY Memo"

measured, that though per1Sned ana
forgotten generations have sought to
know Thee as Thou art, yet both Thy
form and Thy dwelling place remain
! as ever unknown and undescribed. Thus
gratefully do we see that each genera
ton, clamoring for life and feeling af-
ter light, is prompted to reverential
seeking because Thou are still hidden
| among countless things that proclaim
Thy handiwork and hint at Thy mighty
power. And we thank Thee that the
secret of the Almighty is least known
by the froward who seek Thee flip
PANTY, not being impelled by their
souls hunger
But Thou who fillest endless space,
AND art by highest hosts adored.
Leave us some light, Thyself to trace
Lest we should lose Thee, Lord
Creator of all things, and Permitter
of evil, we thank Thee for the world
as it is, with its wrongs that need
righting and its pangs that cry out for
soothing. We thank Thee that things
are not as they ought to be, for therein
do we find Justification for our exist
ence and stimulus to effort. Created
to be doers of deeds, we thank Thee
that l1leIt Is IeGu Ol US6QS, anu lIdt
we are still called to be co-workers
| with all who in all ages have com
batted evil. and worked, blindly some
times, to give Truths light to the
| world
| But Thou who seest every sin,
And sheatheSt still tn avenging sword
| Let not the wicked always win,
| Lest good grow weary, Lord.
| Thou Tryer of men, from the depths
| Of hearts distressed, we thank Thee
for sorrows. Though smitten and dis
| appointed in hopes that seem purest,
! We yet can raise a quavering note of
| praise to Thee, who seest the precious
metal within where no human eye can
| trace it, and increaSeSt Affections that
no dross may remain. In suffering we
progress, and in feeling sorrow we
| learn sympathy We thank Thee that
we are deemed worthy of kinship with
| Thy greatest ones, molders of thought
and saviors of nations, who have ever
been led upward to usefulness through
| great tribulation
| But Thou who sendest pain and care
And dost each trusting sigh record,
| Give us not more than we can bear
| Lest our faith falter. Lord.
4
Thou Giver of will, Thou F'ashioner
of individuality, we thank Thee for
standards of morals, varying with ma
| tions, yet existent everywhere as a
| boundlesS gulf between ourselves and
| the brutes. We thank for the double
nature within US, warning increasingly
the lower against the higher. We
| thank Thee that our lower natures are
| strong and insistent, causing us ever
| to be Watchful warriors within the citi-
| dels cf our own hearts, and above all
| we thank Thee for every soul that
learns the secret of victory over self
and thus gains power to help the weak
er fight his weary battle.
| But Thou who seest right and wrong.
Like day and night, in clear discord,
HOLD not the twilight over long,
| Lest We mistake them, Lord.
| =
Thou Unima ginable One, whose
breath is the life of our nostrfIs. since
| we can dream of nothing higher we
call Thee, LOVE. For human love
and love Divine, we thank Thee Borne
by the soft movings of the wings Of
| affection we rise further and further
from the disccrd and selfishness of the
dark places of the earth into the calm
| of the heavens, where peace reigneth
and the view is broad like Thine. For
the heaven-on-earth that human love
can bring, and for the glorifed earth
| in heaven which our live-enlightened
| fancies picture, we thank three, Giver
| of sex.
But Thou, whose highest name is Love-
| Who givest it as our reward,
| Let it come ever from above,
| Lest ii degrade us, Lord.
|
Thou Judge of peoples, whose vast
hand is but lightly burdened with our
| teeming millions, we thank Thee for
| our nation, restless, impulsive, hope
full. For it's faith in itself as set apart
and destined for great testings in self
| government; for it's development re-
mote from threatening neighbors, SO
that backward steps can be blamed only
upon ourselves; for the national spirit
| firmly holding to the belief that be-
meath the tossing waves on the surface
of our federated life, there still moves
forward a mighty, unruffied current
sweeping toward ultimate national
glory and righteousness; for these
with loud voice we thank Thee.
l.
| A flood of liberty outpoured,
| Let US its limits understand
Lest license flourish. oLrd.
For our human nature that is never
content with things attained, but must
ever forward to new fields of action; for
our inquiring minds in an inquiring
age: for the progress of intelect-until
we weigh the stars and trace them in
their wondrous courses-until we wrench
secrets from nature, hidden through all
the ages; for the conquest of earth by
diminutive man. so that the rocks are
rent and rivers Srrned to suit our needs
as monarchs Of matter; for the material
records of our racial progress; for all
| these things we thank Thee, Thou
giver of dominion.
| But Thou givest to the race,
A wealth of garnered wisdom, stored,
Let US not win too high a place
Lest pride beset us. Lord.
| For the growing understanding Of
| heredity, that makes "a little child"
now lead us into new educational fields;
for the union of men and women on in
creasingly equal terms in the thought
of these later days directing us by gem
tier paths into more peaceful life than
when men uncurbed ravaged the world !;
for these we thank Thee. For our en-
| forced sojourning here, and the con-
/ viction that life's experiences must not
perish at death; for being little lower
than the angels in that we can grow
in grace and fight the good fight, we
| thank Thee Thou God of battles.
Lord of life and of death, of earth and
of heaven, of never ending ages and of