The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1902-12-10

posed TO all foolish, thoughtiess,
and blind, depreciation of our own
condition. Somehow, we mortals
have such a poor idea of the fitness
of things We possess so many
capabilities of emotion and feeling
and we so often just let them run
on and manifest themselves with no
fitness to the occasion, with no
connection between feeling and
fact; and we often weep when we
ought to laugh, we bow down our
heads and nope when it would be
more appropriate to dance, and
vice-versa. This day on which
they were gathered together to be
hold the work which they had
done. aye, TO celebrate its compile
tion, was no time for conjuring up
discouraging features. They nad
wrought a wonderful work and
God wanted them to see it,-want-
ed them to recognize the power
which God had given them, and
lift up their heads and be glad. l
do not know that there was any
protest entered against true humil
ity; for that can exist along with
the greatest joy, but that is no
true humility which fails to see
the facts, which ignores the good
even in self, while it magnifies the
evil. But every age has witnessed
greater or less prevalence of the
popular and false philosophy Of
pessimism. 1t permeates every
stratum of society, reaches and
blights men of all conditions. 1t
sits enthroned behind the profess
or's desks, from which are doled
out ethics, history, political econ
omy, and theology, colored with its
sombre hue. Its doleful tenets are
expounded by the street philoso
pher, they are depicted by the
newspaper satirist, and worse than
all, they are felt by hundreds and
thousands of hopeless, discouraged
disappointed men who look at the
world through their darkened glass
who believe that evil and failure
is so prevalent that it would be un
worthy of them to notice the good
to see success and so they choose
the shady, cold, side of the street
in winter, the sunny scorching side
in summer, and so doggedly per-
sue their bitter hopeless way. But
for those who cling to this opin.
ion of their own condition ane
that of their fellow men and o.
their country,-there is 10 posi-
bility of thanksgiving and graft
tude. The proper relation of sucf
men to their God is severed.
For what shall we be thankful
if not for the fact that God hal
made us men in the highest sens,
of the term that it is possible fo
mans mind to grasp!--Men Great
ed in the image of their God
which, no matter how it may hav
been blighted and marred, still i
not destroyed?
For what shall we be thankful
if not for the conviction that W
are not creatures of circumstance
but sovereigns of circumstance
given the power to use circum
stances as the tools with which t,
work our ends with Godp
For what should we lift'up ou
hearts in praise, if not for the firm
faith that through the ages Cod
increasing purpose runs, and that i
involves the lives of men, and over
rules or uses the facts and rela
tions of lifep And if we posses
not this conviction, if we believ
not that these things are true,
know no possibility of thanksgiv
ing-see no place for gratitude, TO
there is nothing for which to b
thsnkful--and that proclamation
which calls the people of thes
United States together to-day is
cruel mockery Of onr woes.
1t time when God was prepar
ing to send his servant, Ezekiel, tt
Israel with messages of warning
and invitation, He drew asid
the curtain and let him see tn
liz ,ss of throne and the glor'
} thaS shone as fire around it, and
bow that was in appearance lik
} unto "bow that was in the clou,
in the day of RAIN" and when h
, saw it he fell upon his face, an
| the voice that spoke said unto him
"Son of man, stand upon thy fee
and / will speak to thee" S
/ would God speak to our nation an
to every individual, but there ar
times when he can not speak to
despairing heart--when He can nc
: communicate to hopeless, pessim
istic mind. Oh let us stand upo
our feet at this, our national feas