The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1903-11-28


be intrusted by God with great riches
and minister them under this direction
to the blessing of his fellow men. But
whether man has much or little. God
is primarily the giver Of II. And how
much He is giving to man year by year!
Surely, God does crown the year with
goodness and His paths do drop fat
ness. 'Oh. that men would praise the
Lord for His goodness. and for His won
derful works to the children Of men,"
THE gifts Of God to men are OF two
! kinds-temporal and spiritual.
And II God is Bountiful God In His
provision for the temporal needs OF the
world, what must we say for what God
has bestowed upon man in the way OF
spiritual gifts? The latter far out
weigh the former In value and i'm
portance. 1t is low order OF life
which can feel gratitude to God only
when the stomach is full and the body
rests in ease and comfort Burns lines,
Some hae meat and Gamma eat.
And some would eat that want 1t;
But we haze meat. and We can eat.
Sac let the Lord be thankit
is about as far as a great many people
get in the realization OF the bounties OF
God and their gratitude to Him for His
gifts. Others are thankful for what
circumstances have made them, as was
Thales, one of the seven wise men OF
Greece, who used to express thanks for
three things: That he was born rea-
sonable creature, and not beast; q
! man, and not woman; Greek, and
/ not barbarian. But Gods richest
bounties are found In realm above
that which involves the material life
and the conditions and needs of the
body Man may well thank God that he
has been born a reasonable creature,
and not beast. but that he has been en-
dowed with an undying soul and that
Gods inexhaustible riches Of grace are
offered full and free to his soul are
worthy Of eternal thanksgiving. We
who are born in this country mag well
be glad that heather land was not our
home, but the refined and cultured soul
in the civilized land without Christ Is
as miserably lost as the most benighted
heather, and with 81 greater weight OF
responsibility resting upon 1t. A great
er thing to be thankful for Is for spirit
ual birth into the kingdom of Jesus
Christ by faith in Him, and that birth
in civilized land with all its enlighten-
ment and privileges has called you and
equipped you for service to the heather
world in its greatest need. which Is
Christ. The good and the perfect
gifts" which God has bestowed upon
the world are not chiefly temporal, but
are spiritual. The Bountiful God has
looked beyond the span of the natural
life and made provision for the eternal
welfare and needs of the soul. Christ
and salvation. the indwelling Spirit and
the fruits OF His presence Of love, Joy,
peace, long-suffering. gentleness. good
ness. faith, meekness. temperance"
these are the greater gifts which the
Bountiful God has bestowed upon man
kind. Surely man ought to render unto
God thanks because Gods supreme
thought through the ages has been the
salvation and sanctification Of mankind.
"WHAanr. then n.,s says the P Pisa n11
for all His benefits toward me?'
Thanksgiving. which shall find its ex-
preston in Thanksgiving. A thankful
heart is not dependent upon the 'abun-
dance of the possessions Of this world
Henry Dorsey Cough. wealthy Mary.
land planter of the slavery days, and 9
Cody man, tells this incident: While
riding one day to one of his planta.
! tons, he heard the voice of prayer ant
praise in cabin, and, listening, dis.
covered that a negro from neighbor.
ing estate was leading the devotions oil
his own slaves, and offering fervent
,, thanksgiving for the blessings of hi:
depressed lot. His heart was deeply
touched and with emotion he ex.
claimed: "Alas, o Lord! have my
thousands, and tens of thousands, ant
yet, ungrateful wretch that I am.
! gever thank Thee. as this poor slav'
does, who has scarcely clothes to pu
on, or food to satisfy his hunger!'
He never forgot the lesson. He real
: lied then as never before that tn,
I riches of the presence of Christ in tn,
) heart brought greater Joy and blessing
I than could all the material comfort
and possessions of the world. W.
> must remember all Of Gods benefits
} but above all the spiritual blessings
: And, the Thanksgiving Is true gaug
to tho depth and genuineness of tn
thanksgiving. Thanksgiving which 1
. no longer than the church service an
! no deeper than the stomach Is bran
which may be popular in the world. bu
: II is not acceptable to God. Thanks
giving should find expression in the al
titude Of the recipient towards tn
!, benefactor. and in the use which
!. made of the gift. II it IA true as SCRIP
: ture declares that every good an
!. perfect gift Is from above and comet
: down from the Father Of Lights" the
: the recipient should be in close SYN
: pathy and fellowship with God an
. loyal to His demands upon him. /
: the use OF the gifts and blessings. b
they what they may. the thought {
their source should sanctify their lis,
: In the bestowment of His gifts Go
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