The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-11
ARP FEELS THANKFUL
BRL DISCOURSES ON THE OBSERVANCE
OF THE DAY.
Why He is so Very Grateful Sits Around the
Board With IS of His family.-Table
Laden With Good Things to Eat.

ooard win 10 OF HIS Family 'aDle
Laden With Good Things to Eat.
If | was a preacher and believed like
General Breckenridge that this was God,
war and that God gave us the victory,
would preach sermon today on Thanks
giving, and would read David's song that
he sang after his great victory over the
Phillistines, for it was the first thanks
giving of that kind on record, and seems
to fit our case. Thou hast given me the
nccks of mine enemies. l did beat them
as small as the dust of the earth Thou
hast kept me to be the head of the heath
en-, and a people that | knew not shall
serve me. Strangers shall submit them
selves unto me and shall be obedient unto
me. Thou hast lifted me up high above
them that rose against me. Therefore,
will give thanks unto Thee, Oh Lord.
The observance OF Thanksgiving day
was II very ancient custom among the
Jews. Moses ordained that all the tribes
should gather three times Il year and
bring offerings and give thanks to God
for his goodness. The word thanks means
grateful thought, an expression of graft
tude and the scriptures from Genesis to
Revelation give it the highest Importance
as an acceptable sacrifice. David $
Psalms are pregnant with gratitude ana
he urges it upon all people in the most
impressive language. In the days of the
apostles the giving of thanks was a daily
offering, not only in the temple service,
hut at home and at their meals. Even
the Saviour would not distribute the
loaves and fishes until He had given
thanks; nor did He pass the cgp at the
last supper until he had given thanks to
the Father. Our custom of saying grace
at the table is as old as history. 1t
should be said seriously, devoutly and
from the heart as well as the tongue.
Why not? What good things have we got
that was not given us by our heavenly
Fahtre?What are we, anyhow? We don't
know where we came from, nor whittier
we are going, nor what shall be our fu-
ture state. We cannot add year or {.
day to our existence. We cannot foresee
or prevent the accidents Of life. We cam
not make single article of food or cloth
ing. We don't know the process by which
the grain terminates and grows or the
sheep takes on wool or how the silworm
weaves his cocoon. In fact we are mt.
terly helpless and dependent on our
Creator and should give thanks every day
and every hour, for ingratitude is the ba-
sest of all sins. Milton says: "a glut-
ton ne'er loks to heaven during his feast.
but with base ingratitude Grams himself
and blasphemes his feeder" Shakespeare
says that ''ingratitude is a marble
hearted fiend" and BLOW. blow. thou
winter wind. Thou are not so cutting OF
unkind as mans ingratitude." What a
fool is the man who is proud of his mon
ey or the woman who is vain Of her
beauty, for neither was the author of it
and neither gave any thanks to God for
it. Humility to God is the fittest gar
ment for us all, and gratitude its best
ornament Humble yourselves under
His mighty hand,' says st. Paul. A
quaint old poet, who died go years ago,
said of the Saviour: He was the best
of men-a soft, meek, patient spirit-the
first true gentleman that ever breathed."
But this is sermon enough for a lay
man to preach. Turkey time is near at
hand and all the ct ceteras that surround
the feast-we are to dine out to-day with
fifteen of my family. / am thankful that
and the ct ceteras, and all are fairly
good-looking, except me, and all are low
ing and kind. / am thankful that we
live in this goodly land and that no af-
Fiction or calamity has befallen us. /
am thankful for the abundant crops, in
Guiding the Accent cotton, for it was Him
who sent the sunshine and the rain thnt
made it. Twas not Him who fixed the
price. I'm thankful for the sweets that
Toasted us and the children, and the flow
ers that gladden. our eyes, and the birds
that sing to us. And now how beautifm
are the fading leaves that mingle THEN
bright colors with the green pines upon
the distant hills. AS the poet says
THE world is very lovely; oh, my
God,
L thank Thee that l live"
But amidst all our comforts and luxu
ries and pleasing emotions, the essence of
will be lost unless we re-
member the poor and the distressed, not
only in our prayers, but in our deeds.
Our preacher has invited us all TO bring
an offering to the church--an offering for
the orphans at Clinton, where we have
two that our Sabbath school maintains.
That is practical thanksgiving for Solo
mon saith, HE that giveth to the poor
lcndeth to the Lord" and an old Scotch
added, "Now if you like the Sc.
curity, down with the dust"
I'm thankful that this unhappy war
is over, if it is over, and grieve for all
those who have suffered from it, whether
they he friends or foes.
But the turkey bell calls and | nm
wanted to preside and say gra,a. wish
that everybody had a turkey and ct
ceteras.
BILL ARP.