The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-26
| DAY OF GLAD THANKSGIVING.
Continued from Eighth Page.)

ClOudeQ ana unDOuIutQ ny tue- eNNlUuS
reign of darkness.
The only ones who can enter into this
light are the saints of light. Owls and
bats flee from the light. Men love dark
ness rather than light, Every stone on
the highway which we may upturn
teaches us by the crawling insects beneath
that have lived in darkness until they
love darkness better than light, that that
which is not of the light cannot enter
into its happiness. None but saints shall
enter here, because none but those who
are possessed of a character which is
holy, righteous and pure can enter into
the presence of God. We shall not fail
TO enter because they are unforgiven, but
they shall fail because they have not that
faith working through light. The inheri-
lance, then, is for the saints of light and
for no one else.
In speaking of the occasion for thanks
giving, Mr.. Chapman said: I'VE should
give thanks for everything that is pleas
ant 1 am sure that every one present
will agree with me as to this point, in
theory at least When in sorrow and af-
Fiction we talk about the wonderful bene-
fits of piety and the consultations, but the
holy scriptures we often overlook There
are many things that are pleasant in this
life for which we ought to give thanks
These things come down from God. James
says every blessing and every perfect boon
cometh down from the Father of Life
Surely as we look out upon the broad
earth we can see many things for which
we ought to give thanks, hut 1 think ex-
perience teaches that 1t is an easy thing
for us to be forgetful of benefits when
they are showered upon u.s. We grumble
when the day is bad, but how seldom do
we think of thanking God when the day
is fair. We complain when the drought
Is extended, yet how few of us, when the
rain falls, think to return thanks to God.
q no hat ola oa1I
one returned to give thanks tt God We
may find pleasure in many things. Solo
mon says merry heart is a continual
blessing. Also that a merry heart is good
medicine. IT, then, we can cultivate the
habit of being thankful for all that we
like, We will be possessed of a merry
heart. We may not always have what
we want, but surely we can like what we
have. 1 know that my home is rot fur
nished like many palaces in this coun-
try. 1 have not all the comforts and
conveniences there that one might desire,
and yet the love of a devoted and help
full wife, and the merry prattle of three
bright-eyed little children make it to me
the dearest place in all the world. There
Is no home in all the world that you would
exchange for your own, humble though t
be. There is no child that could take the
place of your own. Surely, then for
these to give us so much pleasure there
of our hearts an incense of gratitude to
God.
I'VE should thank God also for every
thing that is painful. Now, this will not
be so easy for you to see, and perhaps
for you to agree with me on. Yet I feel
sure that this is Biblical idea, and If
we study this question we find that even
for those things that give US pain we
should be thankful for them.
In the first place. 1t is never quite so
bad with us as it might be- We have
seldom seen the time that it might not be
worse. There is always some one we
know whose condition is ever worse than
our own. We have only to look out upon
the broad ways of life to behold many
whose borrowings and whose trials are
severer than our own. I was talking with
lady last afternoon who had been sur
fering intensely and who had looked for
ward to the day of Thanksgiving as
day of pleasure in her home She was
still unable to be out, and she felt her
Thanksgiving day would be failure.
reminded her of some of her neighbors who
were in a far worse condition than
she was. Hers was a comfortable home,
cheerful loving husband. Others were suf-
fering with agones without the comforts
she possessed. She said: Surely l have
more than enough to be thankful for. 1t
could always be worse with us than it is"
The Persian poet Sadi said he never COM
planned about but one thing; that he de-
sired pair of shoes but did not have the
means, and when he went out upon the
streets and found a man whose feet had
been cut off, he was after that time glad
enough to go barefooted. Affections do us
good. They strengthen character here It
seems strange that think there is really
Very little conservation in the world with
out aftliction. Conservation is too often
sentiment and a novelty until we have
lGP0 brOT1pbt q ODD g
Ut becomes reality with US. The most
consecrated woman think / ever knew in
her early life possessed a fine voice which
was highly cultivated. She sang for her
own delight and for the amusement and
pleasure of others. She thought that she
was singing for God, but she reserved a
great deal of the praise for herself BY
and by she was laid low in affliction. Her
mind was unbalanced and for some time
she was a patient at our state asylum. God
restored her mind and strength, and while
before her Affections she-~sang like d
nightingale, now she sings like an angel.
There was no service too mental for her
20 render, if thereby she could comfort
some Borrowing patient. There was no task
too great for her to take, if the end of it
was to glorify God. Affections strengthen
our faith and brightens our hope and in
tensifies our joy in the service of the Mas
ter. Again Affections enhance our glories
and 1t was never intended that ours should
be f1owery beds of ease. He was made per-
feet through suffering, and we likewise
shall endure Affections if we would be like
Him. Our Affections, we are told, work
out for US far more exceeding and eter-
nal way to glory. There are some things
On Gods word which we could not believe,
We're they not told by omniscience To
them that love God all things work to-
gether for good
There are few statements mores stag
gering to many people than this, and yet
believe, if we are ever permitted, the
nights of glory and look back upon the
sorrows and sins and struggles of this life,
our glory will be infinitely enhanced by
the suffering we have endured. 1t is said
that the 140 and 1000, whose garments are
washed in the blood of the Lamb, went up
through great tribulation. They sang the
song of Moses, the servant Of God, and of