The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-02-23

Christ into our commonest blessings.
When the autumn comes and the mar
vests are In and the governors make proc.
iamati0ns. We assemble In churches and
ought to be a thanksgiving day. We do
not recognize the common mercies Of life.
We have to see blind man led by his
dog before we begin to bethink ourselves
of what a grand thing 1t IL to have ura-
dimmed eyesignt. we have to see some
wounded man hobbling on his crutch or
with his empty coat sleeve pinped up
before We learn to think what grand
thing God did for us when He gave US
healthy use Of our limbs. We are so
stupid that nothing but the misfortunes
Of others can rouse us up to our bless
ings. As the OK grazes in the pasture
up t. It's eye In clover. yet never think-
ing who makes the clover, and as the
bird picks up the worm from the furrow.
not knowing that 1t Is God who makes
everything from the animalcule in the
sod to- the seraph on the throne, so we
go on eating, drinking and entoSins. but
never thanking. or seldom thanking, or.
II thanking at all. with only half
heart.
4 compared our indifference to the brute.
but perhaps wronged the brute. ! do
stincts. 1t may have an instinct by which
II recognizes the divine hand that feeds
1t. / do not know but that God -
through 1t, holding communication with
what we call Irrational creation" the
COW that stands under the willow by the
watercourse chewing its cud looks very
thankful, and who can tell how much a
bird means by its song? The aroma OF
the flowers smells like incense. and the
mist arising from the river looks like the
smoke OF a morning sacrifice. Oh. that
We were as responsive. Yet who thanks
God for the water that gushes up in the
well, and that foams In the cascade,
and that laughs over the rocks and that
t,<af furu trx ot n
hands In the sea? Who thanks God for
the air, the fountain of life. the bridge
Of sunbeams. the path of sound, the great
fan On q hot summers day. WHO thanks
ism. this sweep OF the vision. this chime
Of harmony struck into the ear. this soft
tread Of n myriad OF delights. over the
nervens tissue. this rolling Of the Grim
son tide through artery and vein. TINS
drumming Of the heart on our march to
Immortality? We take all these things
as q matter Of course.
Gods Common Blessings.
But suppose God should withdraw these
common blessings. Your body would be-
come an inquisltlon Of torture. the cloud
would refuse rain, every green thing
would crunsple UP. and the earth would
crack open under your feet. The air
would ctase Us healthful circulation.
pesulence would swoUp. and. every house
would become a place OF skulls. Streams
would first swim sith verInin and then
dry up. and thirst and hunger and ang-
ufsh and despair would lift their scep-
ters. Oh. compare such a life as tn I
with the life you live with your families,
of our lips and with every action Of our
life we began to acknowledge these ev-
ery-day mercies? Whether ye eat or
drink or whatsoever .ye do do all to the
glory of God" Do ] address man or
a woman who has not rendered to God
one single offering Of thanks?
] was preaching one THANKSGIVING Day
and announced my text-'Oh. give thanks
mercy endureth forever" / do not know
whether there was any blessing on the
sermon or not. but the text went straight
to a young mans heart. He said To him
self as ! read the text: "Oh. give thanks
unto the Lord. for He Is good Why.
1 have never rendered him any thanks!
Oh, what an migrate / have been." Can
1t be. my brother. that you have been
fed by the good hand of God all these
days. that you have had clothing and
shelter and all the benef1cent surround
ings, and yet have never offered your
heart to God? Oh. let sense Of the d.
vine goodness shown you In everyday
blessings melt your heart, and if you
have never before uttered one earnest
note Of Thanksgiving, let this be the day
which shall hear your song What I say
to one say to all. Take this practical
religion I have recommended into your
everyday life. Make every day Sab
bath and every meal a sacrament and
every room you enter a holy of HOLES.
We all have work to do: let us be will
ling to do it. We all have sorrows to
bear: let US cheerfully bear them. Wo
all have battles to fight. let us courage
ously fight them. II you want to die
right, YOU must live right. Negligence
and Incidence will win the hiss of ever
lasting soprn. while faithfulness will
gather its garlands and wave It's scepter
and sit upon it's throne long after this
earth has put on ashes and eternal ages
have begun their march You go home
today and attend to your little sphere
of duties I will go home and attend to
my little sphere of duties. Every one