St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-01-03
ing part of the chapter where we find


not only the multitudes turning from
the Living Bread, but many tf His
| disciples went back and vailed no
more with Him" When they found
Jesus had not established miraculous
commissary department and was not
| going to continue to feed item, their
gratitude vanished in thin air and they
scattered "every enc to his own way
That multitude pictures for US in
miniature the world to-day. Its
gratitude towards God is dependent
upon the loayes and fishes of mate
rial prosperity. It counts it's bless
ings in dollars and cents, and houses
and lands, a full larder and a we'll
equipped wardrobe. But do you sup
pose God. hears. with pleasure it's
expressions of gratitude at posses
sing these lesser gifts of material
things while His greatest gift of a
Saviour is being disdainfully
spurned? True Thanksgiving in
wolves recognition of gifts, and there
can be no adequate recognition OF
gifts which leaves out the Christ.
God cannot accept thanksgiving
which has it's inspiration in material
things alone.
The Christian has the advantage
of the people of the world at every
turn in life, for whereas the thanks
giving of the world must necessarily
depend upon the material things of
life, the Christian is able to give
thanks always, for all things" In
counting gifts and blessings one is
SO apt to enumerate only those
things which are pleasant and to him
desirable, whereas the trial, the af-
Fiction, the misfortune may be the
greatest possible blessing, as will
be clearly seen in after years. "Al
things work together for good to
them that love Cod The misfor-
tune and trials of Joseph wrought
the salvation of hts own family and
of the nation Of Egypt. The cruel
edict of Pharaoh against the He
brew boy babies became the step
ping stone of Moses to the 40 years
of training in the kings palace. The
prosecutions of the disciples at Je-
rusaiem spread the glad Gospel mes
sage throughout the world. The
prison walls of John Bunyan became
the sacred temple within which the
inspired book of Pilgrims Progress
Thanksgiving is not confined to one
day in the year, but every day be-
comes a day of Thanksgiving, az
thanks are given ALWAYS, for all
things
Recognition of Reciprocal Obliga-
tons. - We have seen that true
Thanksgiving involves recognition of
dependence and recognition of gifts
and blessings. We have seen some
thing of what dependence upon God
means and what the recognition of
His gifts implies. We now come to
the third element in true thanksgiv-
ing, namely: Recognition of recip-
rocal obligations The one who pro-
fesses thankfulness for gifts re-
ceived, and who feels that the mere
expression of the lips is fulfllment
of all claims, is not really thankful
at all. The truly thankful heart is
filled with an earnest purpose and
desire to give expression to it's graf
tude in some substantial way. David
sings: Enter into His gates with
Thanksgiving, and into His courts
with praise: Give thanks unto Him.
and bless His name" And here I
believe he has implied practical ex-
preston of the thainkfulness which
is swelling within his heart. What
"Being thankful, enter into the gates
and courts of God; give thanks unto
Him by blessing His name" What are
"the gates and courts of God" and
what is it to ''bless His name?"
Do / hear some one say the
churches and meeting houses, the
cathedrals and temples of worship
throughout the world are the courts
of God, and to "sit and sing the soul
into everlasting bliss" is blessing
His name! That is the worlds idea,
and I am sorry to say it is the con-
ception of many so-called Christians,
but l want to tell you, in the light
of Gods eternal truth, that the soul
cannot prescribe limits to the courts
of God, nor can it "bless His name"
in the meeting house, if it has not
been blessing his name in the
home, in, the business, in the hours
of pleasure and recreation. The
earth is the Lords and the fullness
thereof; the world and they that
dwell therein" Gods court extends
to every nook and corner where hui
man feet can tread; it spreads out
into the vast universe and includes
the realm of the saints and the an
gels of Heaven. Entering into the
gates and courts of God means
recognition of reciprocal obligation
to Him which makes an honest,
righteous business man, a devout and
patriotic citizen, faithful, affection
ate father, pure-hearted associate;
it means that wife and children, big
and little, great and small, every
body, are to give God the first place
in their lives because they are tread
ing His courts. 1t does mean some
thing to enter the gates and courts
of God! It does mean something to
"bless His name!" True thanksgiv-
ing must include recognition of re-
ciprocal obligations every day and
every moment of the life.
Gods Claim Upon Us.-But what
claim has God upon us for rendering
unto Him Thanksgiving and praise?
What claim has the faithful parent
upon the child for, grateful acknowl-
edgment of the years of love and
care? What claim have you upon
that friend because of gifts, and
faunrs and service bestowed? Can