The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-01

and the old time custom stlll has It's
true meaning, as ls evident from the
words Of our honored President Nc
Kinley: Il advise that on this day re-
llgiOus exerciscs shall be conducted in
the churches 81 meeting places Of All
denominations IN order that in the So
cial features OF the day It's real signlh-
canoe may not .be lost sight Of"
An old time custom, yes; old before
even the pilgrim fathers crossed the
sea, for Il extends back to the days
when Israel offered the first fruits OF
the docks and harvests ,unto the Lord
for His loving kindness and tender
nlercies, and well, indeed, canlwe say,
Blessed Is our nation, whose God n
the Lord" to whom. as a nation. year
by year. on a day set apart by national
consent, we offer unto God thanksgiv-
ing for all things.
To even briefly review all that AL
mighty God has done for US In the last
year, In this nineteenth century, Is not
necessary, but let US draw our lesson
from what underlies In conformity to
the words Of the Apostle Paul, IRE
tolce always; pray without ceasiug; IN
everything give thanks, for this Is the
Will Of God in Christ Jesus to you
ward"
The day represents fundamental
principle, that Of gratitude. To fully
express our gratitude to God, let US exc
anime our hearts, and see II they are
cold and unmoved or quivering with
sense Of the rich blessings which God
has bestowed upon US. It is true there
may be some here to-day. whose hearts
are quivering in the soreness which af-
Fiction and sorrow have made; but to
all, the day, the hour, speaks of the
value Of grateful Thanksgiving, for It
deepens the character and gives great
ness and glory to manhood and woman
hood, and draws US into the very pres
enc4 Of Him in whose name Is our
help and strength and comfort and JOY.
Gratitude awakens the sense OF re-
sponslbilIty, for no one who receives
the blessings Of God. can fail to ask
bring upon me Many are the blessings
which have come to you my young
friends, but II may be that you have
not yet awakened to the fact. Is It not
much to you to live In these days Of the
worlds lIstory2 That you have part
iIh making the golden age Of which we
hear so much? All, no time has the
responsibility resting upon youth been
greater than In the present. With all
the privileges of attaining the very
highest conception Of manhood and wO-
manhood, with great opportunities be-
fore you in all lines OF life's business,
you must be ready when the call comes
for you to take your place, and what
will be more helpful to you than the
character deepening power Of the gos-
pei Of Christ, Of praying without ceas-
ing. in everything giving thanks, for
this Is the win Of God in Christ Jesus to
Think over your short life, stir up
your pure minds, and see II you have
not much for which to be grateful to
God. There is life itself. with all its
bright prospects. You have health,
strength. vigor, intellect, and the OPP
portunity to use them In service, both
for God and man. and n faithful SER
vice OF God must necessarily produce n
faithful service to man, and this SER
vice will make you grateful to God for
His providence and love, In permitting
you to serve your fellow men in the
spirit Of love.
oh, how grateful we all should be in
this respect when we remember the
gratitude expressed by our Blessed
Lord, in that seventeenth chapter of
Johns gospel. wherein he thanks God
for the privilege of serving mankind.
and we cannot help but feel that the
gratitude Of our Lord helped Him to
enter more completely into all the lives
he touched, and is touching by His
Holy Spirit, He reached out and em-
braced all humanity, and His heart be-
came so big that 1t takes all men into
the great strong arms of sympathetic
love. Should we not be earnest In SER
vice and gratitude to God, living as we
do In Christ?
To you who are in the prime Of life,
how many blessings have come to you,
,.tN 5, tn mn nj nf that
OF fatherhood and motherhood, with all
its responsibilities, in taking little souls
from God and being asked to guide, IN
spire and train those souls in the nur-
ture and admonltion of the Lord.
Did you shrink from the responsible.
Ity, or have you taken 1t up with UNI
ceasIng prayer, that God would enable
you to watch, and guide. and teach the
treasures of your hOme2 and ms the
blossoms bloom in the beauty Of boil
ness, do not your hearts rejoice, bring
ing forth thanksgiving unto God for
the treasure and responsibility placed
upon you which has drawn you nearer
to each other in the sacred love Of hus-
band and wife.
To you. beloved Of God. who have
walked further along the highway OF
life, and which you tell me has been all
too short, have you not much for which
to be grateful? The responsibilities
which have sIlvered the hair, aye even
the sorrows which have bowed the
head, but which have been sanctlfed
into you through the grace OF our Lord
Jesus Christ, These things have deep
ened your character and given mean
ing to life which we younger people
must learn, even us you have learned.
You mothers in Israel forget not the
faint cry Of your first born that woke
your languor nor the last sigh OF the
dear one as he fell asleep in your arms.
You may not recall all the Intervening
events, but they lie hid in your heart.
You aged slreS forget not the day
when you led the love and light OF your
life to the altar. DO you remember NIL
Intervening eVents7 The joys and scr.
rows, and anxleties which you shared
together. and which have so deepened
your character, that In the peacetwshess
Of the evening time Of life you CRATE.
fully render thanks unto God for all
the crosses which were but
"Blesslngs in mercy given.
Guide posts between our earth and henv-
en-"
What blessing It is to you. dear old
Christian friend, to recall the past,
now that you are freed from HES ac-
tive struggle. You are out OF the whlrl
and hustle of the swift moving events.
You are no longer veXed with life an
kettles and doubts. but stendfnstly
looking to the hills beyond, travelling
calmly on toward the sunset OF life,
the memory Of anniversary days comes
upon you with solemn meaning. even
those Of severe conflict. In which your
hopes were cast down, and your faith
tried; and, like the sailor coming home
Frn,,, IA tnntr vnynup whom he sights the