The Tupelo journal., 1904-11-25

draw to itself the mo- Invisible pdFti-
cles by the mere power Of attraction!
The unthankful heart, like my finger
in the sand, discovers no mercies; but
let the thankful heart sweep through
the day, as the magnet finds the iron.
SO it will find in every hour some
heavenly blessings; only. the iron in
Gods sand is all pure gold"
HAVE wondered whether those nine
i lepers who were healed, and whom
Scripture dismisses as ungrateful, never
did take time to realize what Jesus had
done for them, and to be thankful. Sure
ly they did not on the day that the bless
ing came to them. All, how prone we
are to receive the gifts of our Heavenly
Father day by day and never take time
to turn back and say: Thank YOU"
But perhaps some day that ungrateful
nine met Jesus again and acknowledged
His goodness to them. Surely, a de-
layed message of thanksgiving is better
than none at all. Perhaps the busy rush
OF life, the manifold things which have
crowded in to fill mind and heart,
have made you forget to turn back to
meet your God in thankful praise, but
now comes the call Of the annual
Thanksgiving day, bidding you pause to
consider and to render unto God recog.
milton and praise for all His benefits to-
wards you. Now comes the opportunity
of doing that which you have failed to do
wholly or in part during the year. Shall
the angel of the legend as he comes to
earth on that day meet disappointment
and failure, and go back to God with a
basket as empty of thanksgiving as on
other days? Will he pause before the
door Of your heart, and, instead OF
hearing the prayer of thanksgiving and
the song of praise, hear the chatter and
commotion that concerns only the things
of self? Will he receive from you just
the merest bit of a hasty word OF thanks.
giving, and then see you rush off to the
joys and activities of the day, with not
another thought of God or of being
thankful to Him? Will he go to the
meeting house, where the president and
the governors have urged the people to
assemble to give thanks to God, and find
the doors closed, or, if open for union
services, will he find the pews half
filled, while the hurrying multitudes, the
nine out Of the ten, pass the o on
their way to the football match, or the
social function, or the days sport OF n
nature or another?. Say. will he? Will
he go back laden with your offering Of
praise and thanksgiving. or will the day
come and 60 without one thought, n
word Of thanksgiving? Will it's mo-
ments flee away without n single
precious one being filed with God and
what God has done for you? God for
bid!
JESUS is asking to-day: Where are
the nine?" Recipients Of Gods favor.
they are rushing off to their own de-
vices, forgetful and Indifferent. They
lost the blessing that always comes to
the grateful heart. They failed to hear
Jesus words Of cheer: "Arise, go thy
way: thy faith hath made thee
whole" Jesus misses the nine, but He
does not forget to give added blessing
to the one cut of the ten who turns
back to Him. l want you to note the
deep spiritual meaning implied in
Jesus words. The pathway of thanks
giving led hat healed leper back to
Jesus for a new experience, for a
greater blessing than mere physical
cleansing. And thus gratitude, real
and sincere, will open up the way to
new experiences, it will begin a new
relationship with God. There was a
link binding the returned leper to
Jesus which was entirely absent in The
cases of the other nine, and he heard
Jesus say: arise, go thy way: thy
faith hath made thee whole" Down
at Jesus feet In the dust of repentance
and submission is the real starting
point for every soul. Down at Jesus
feet is the place where we may hear
the encouraging: Arise" Jesus alone
can set the needy soul upon its feet.
The consciousness of dependence upon
God, of His goodness and mercy. brings
the heart low before Him, but it is al
ways that He may lift it up to q higher
and better plane of living than ever
before. And when on his feet, he re-
ceives his commission: go thy way"
But what a different way than ever De-
fore. Back to home and friends as Of
yore! Yes. Back into the old scenes
of activity as before the scourge had
fastened itself upon him! Yes. And
yet 1t was a different way, for he was
a different man. He had met Jesus.
Jesus had become a vital factor and
motive in his life, and whittier he
went the influence of the Divine life
went too, SO that it was a different
way.
A ND as he went he heard the reas-
IA surfing words: THY faith hath
made thee whole" And did he have
more than the other nine? All were
cleansed. All had perfect physical
manhood restored, but only to one did
Jesus say: "Thy faith hath made thee
whole" Whole! Whole in body and
soul, just as God has made nan and
intended him to be. All, is a man
whole, though he be a perfect Apollo
in physical vigor and strength and
beauty, il the eternal soul within Is
diseased and dwarfed anG dying? All,
no, Ere many years after this incident
of healing those ten ne were lying
cold and dead within the tomb. The
bodies which Jesus restored to health
that day were laid aside and the souls
49, I~1