The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-11-26

whole creation rests upon Calvary. and
is furnished a lease of life and COM
parative happiness. So that the cheer
fnl song Of the bird, the smile Of the
flower. and the ten Thousand voices OF
the heavens, partake of the nature or
thanksgiving And surely the mnor
tai soul Of man. after Heaven has
stopped to give it life. should fill ;hat
life with Thanksgiving.
Secondly, thanksgiving is due 10 God
for His Providence. This includes ey-
erything that transpires except sin. Sin
is the transgression of law Law is a
rule of conduct Conduct results from
our relation to persons and things. and
the use we make of the material, so
cial and spiritual things which are about
us Sin is therefore the misuse or evil
use we make of Gods powers and prop
critics. and everything in the universe
belongs to Him. So that all sin is the
misuse of an otherwise good thing.
Throwing ont. then, the element OF
sin from the subject, the Apostle ex-
horts as follows:
Pray without ceasing. In everything
give thanks; for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus concerning YOU"
In cur shortsightedness we may re-
gard many things which. transpire as
calamities, when in fact they may be
blessings in disguise. And God reserves
to Himself the privilege Of even con-
trolling sin for the benefit Of those who
love and trust Him; and for these 'alI
things shall work together for good.
If we ask the question, then, what
have we to be thankful for, the Chris
tian's answer would be, everything. But
let us particularize Il little.
We ought to be thankful for the pro-
gress which Altruism is making in the
world-that which Christ taught as the
essence Of the gospel, doing good to
others. II directly or indirectly rears
every asylum. hospital, home for the
poor and orphanage. What a grand
thing it is to live in this glorious age
OF the world, when general education,
the child of Christianity equips >meh
and women with qualities and forces
that enable them to aid in lifting the
world to God The real principles and
forces of Christianity never made great
er progress in the world than they are
making today Here and theFe a city
may be Tor seem TO be, for it is fire.
quently with Elijah's eyes we see it)
wholly given mp to idoatry; and here
and there Il church may become worldly
and decay But these all constitute
merely small squad compared to the
grand army OF the living God. which
IS marching on to conquest and triumph.
The waste places are made glad by
them, and the ever-rsing Sun of Right
eousness gives the kiss of peace along
the hill-tops of the islands of the deep
Where the skies forever smile,
And the oppressed forever weep"
We ought to be thankful for our So
cial life. almost infinitely better than
ever prevailed in the palmiest days of
Grecian and Roman thought and cul-
ture We are in the possession of
values which are mpurchasable with
money. Home. wife. husband, love.
These are not confined to palace or hut,
and as spiritual forces are not destroyed
by fire or flood. And then our reason /
ing faculties and the means of deyel- I
oping and strengthening them should
cause MS to be thankful The easy
reach in obtaining hooks, magazines and
papers: the facilities for study for
travel, and for recreatiom the advance
III medical science, in art and III ali
that tends to bring our minds to an
appreciation of the beauty Of Gods
thoughts, are subjects OF Thanksgiving.
Our thanks are due TO God for our
daily food and for the abundance Of our
food crops. Our land has responded to
the hand of labor, and poured its wealth
into the lap. not only of our own popu.
lation, but into that of distant lands.
And lastly Cfor | fear l am making
this paper too long for your usel we i