Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-23
Thanksgiving Thoughts Written for The Bee by
Newton VI. Mann. Pastor of Unity Church, Omaha

cry as we open ii flushed with these dear
delights. In that moment we have no
words, nor do We feel the need Of words to
tell the good God how bountiful he is to us
and how grateful We are. II seems that
he must understand all that without being
told. II We are silent, it Is not that we
are undevout or uuthankful. rather. per-
haps, that our gladncss and our gratitude
are too great for words. So with our sup
plications, they seldom find a voice. The
inevitable attitude OF many a really dcvout
soul in these days is we'll expressed in
Colcridgc's account of his own devotional
custom, or lack of custom. The very rCti-
cCncc which he confcsscs is of the essence
of worship:
Ere ON my bed my limbs | lay
1t hath not been my use to pray
with moving lips and h, udCd knees;
But silently, 10y slow degrees,
My spirit | to Love compose.
I'm humble trust mine cyclids close
with rcvCrcutial resignation;
No wish conceived, no thought cNprcss,d d.
only a sense of supplicatun;
\ sense DER all my soul impressed
That | am weak, yet not uuhlcst,
since i'm me, round me, everywhere.
Eternal strength and Wisdom are.
The same sentiment is met with at the
close of one of Lamartinc's sweetest
hymns. where, after recalling some of the
more striking situations inviting to a com
llNllNu u III hlhh NNhl ! NV 'Nl "
all things, he says:
Seldom upon lips of mine.
Father. rests that name of thine
Deep within my inmost breast,
In the secret place of mind,
Like an awful presence shrincd,
Doth the dread idea rest,
Emerson quotes a great religious'lcadcr
as saying: There are two things which |
abhor-thc learned in his infdclitics and
the fool in his dcvotions.' and adds, speak
ing fer himself and for us: Dur times are
inpatient of both and specially of the last"
The grateful and glad enjoyment Of life
and it's blessings is the natural way Of
returning thanks. Making a good use Of
the bountics Of Providence and finding
pleasure in them; taking things as
they come and striving to better and
brighten them; Interpreting natures
bounty of human experience into mani
festations of benenccnce-this is the
natural expression of thankfulncss, of
which we may even imagine we see some
trace in the lower orders or Iitc, in birds
and beasts and insects. Much of this lower
life is transitory, %ephcmeral, but while it
lasts it is like a burst of joy, as though ten
thousand eager voices were trying TO say,
Il am glad to be alive!" 1t is this phase of
nature which has seemed to dcvout and sym
pathetic souls "A kind of worship, the rap
turous spirit of living things voicing its
gratitude into all ears and before all eyes.
| am not saying but that man may do
more than this; he certainly will have,
what other creatures probably have not, n
distinct consciousness of gratitude in his
Joy; but gladness he must have or he can
not be grateful. And this gladness, this
Joy in the gifts of God, is just the one
mode OF thanksgiving that is universal, run
ming through all sects and beyond all sects,
1t is the paean of praise ascending from
every happy living thing. A good laugh has
more of thankfulness in IT than many a
solemn prayer.
The universal worship is formlcss; 1t is
the unspoken sentiment of the rapt and oX-
pectant soul, the feeling of awe and adOra-
ton. of dependence and gratitude from
which no one escapes who is not blind to
the deepest meaning of the world. He who
best perceives and feels the truth Of things
is ever the most devout. for, to begin with,
he will be most thankful, and, as the noble
Roman said, "a thankful heart is not only
the greatest virtue, it is the parent of all
the other virtues"
Thou who hast given SO much to me,
Give one thing more, "A grateful heart,
Not thankful when ii pleaseth me.
AS If Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy
praise.
NEWTON NJ MANN