The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1901-12-13

which thy loving providence has been
reiterating in our elrs long that we
are wearied OF it please desist?
Another objects. -'But God knows
everything and He knows that | am
thankful. Then why go through the
repetitious formality of these services
just to acquaint Him with what He
already knows. | am thankful, God
knows. Well, then, say 50. Loosen
your dumb tongue, and let the re-
deemed of the Lord say ST.. In that
glowing picture Isaiah paints for us of
the transcendant future glories that
were awaiting Gods people he says
among other items 1.-THE tongue Of the
dumb shall Sing" 1t may soon be-
come necessary for Jesus to return
just to repeat one of his cUmmOneSt
miracles, the casting out of the dumb
spirits. Doubtless you know full we'll
your child is thankful to you for your
parental care and yet you like bin to
express his appreciation, SO you teach
him to say ''Thank you" for favOrS re-
ceived. 1t is an ill-mannered beggar,
indeed, who will not thank you at
Let us be at least polite to the AL
mighty. Don t sing Charles Wesley S
fervent hymn "Oh, for a Thousand
tongues to sing my Great Redeemer's
praise" until you praise him with the
one tongue you already have.
l understand the text to be an ex-
hOrtatiOn to make
GRATITUDE THE FIXED, SETTLED HAB-
IT OF TIE HEART
SO that it is no longcra fragmcntary
thing and our thanksgiving is no
longer spaSmodic.
The pastor of this church in his hui
mOrOuS way once referred in my hear
ing to a man who said grace over the
whole pork barrel in order to avoid the
necessity Of saying it over each sepa-
rate piece as it came on to the table.
meal by meal. 1t will not meet the
demands of the apostolic injunction Of
the text to thank God formally once a
year in some such wholesale way and
then forget his goodness and mercy
the rest of the year. Ills goodness
failoth never and hence his praise
must never cease.
Dear old St Felix, the good monk of
Cantalicc, gives us a better example.
On all occasions, it is said, whether
stopping a fight on the street or solic-
iting aims for his monastery, he would
eXclaim, "DcO gratias" thanks be to
God,-until the church called him
"J}rother Dec Gratias," and the lit
tie children passing him on the street
would hail him as "Father Dec
GratiaS. "
1t is not My purpose to detain you
unduly with detailed account of our
blessings. That would De an impossi-
bic task and shall not attempt the
impossible. "Many, @ Lord my God,
are thy wonderful works which thou
hast done, and thy thoughts which
are to us ward: they cannot be reckon
eel up in order unto thee: if | would
declare and speak Of them, they are
more than can be numbered But
neither you nor could feel quite sat
listed with this service if our minds
were not directed, in a general way, at
least, to some Of the great blessings
that are ours.
|. prefer to begin with the church
of Jesus Christ and declare that in
spite of all hackncycd criticisms and
malicious assaults we may still
SINCERELY AND HEARTILY BE THANK
Full FOR THE CHURCH.
1t is the divincly ordained channel
through which the truth Of God and
the grace Of God is brought to man
kind. | marvel, not that there may
have been here and there some ground
for criticism, but rather that, in d
world that offered her no friendly
sympathetic aid, but fiery torture>
and hateful opposition the church has
remained SO pure. 1t is not half st
surprising that now and then some
carping critic may find a tlec< Of dust
Il WiSp of Stubblc, on the dress of tho
Lambs bride, as that the bride Ia.