The Newtown bee., 1904-11-25
SOCIAL TOPICS.
THANKsGIvING.- o. o. WRIGHT.

The giving of thanks is not simply duty laid upon us; but it is high and holy privilege, which grows out of our relations to God and to our fellow men. In the nature of things we need the inspiration and the culture of di- vine worship. We cannot become the true spiritual children of our Father in heaven except as we worship Him and glorify His holy name in all things. We need to be conscious of the divine love. We cannot fulfill the laws of our own created being except as we keep His commandments. We fall below the level of our own moral con- victions and aspirations if we fail to live in faith, hope and love. We are not true and faithful to God, nor to our neighbors, nor even to our own souls except as we live up to the spirit and purpose of our religion which calls us to love God supremely, always, and in all things; and our neighbor as our selves. We are almost sure to fail of being just, fair and generous to others if we do not appreciate the abounding good ness of God toward all men; and the goodness of the children of men toward each other. We can measure the good there is in the world only as we realize the divine goodness which is our com mon heritage. If we are good to others it is because our Father is good to us; and we are thankful. We need, therefore, to be looking for the good there is everywhere all about us, lest we fail to see it and become ungrateful and complaining. We should learn to be ever counting our
 mercies, and magnifying our benefits, that we may Gin everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
 If we dwell on the dark side of life
 we shall find it very dark and discour- aging; but if we look upon the bright side we shall be convinced that there
 is much that is fair and good; and that even in the midst of the darkness
 there is the light of increasing hope of
 better things to come. And the more
 thankful we are for what we have, the
 more grateful we shall become as we perceive and learn to appreciate the
 divine goodness
 Moreover, our highest and purest
 happiness comes to us in the exercise
 of our own religious, or spiritual na-
 ture. We can do no more, nor better,
 than to worship God. There is noth-
 ing more becoming in us than to be
 thankful, in spirit and in truth. It is
 the grace of the divine love that gives
 us all that we have that is good; and
 it is the grace of the divine nature in
 us which enables us to receive and ap
 preciate every good and every perfect
 gift of the Father of heaven.
 So we meet and fulfill the mutual
 relations of parent and children, of
 giver and receiver, and enjoy the
 satisfaction of loving and being loved,
 which is the completion of the spirit
 ual and eternal life. The spirit of real thankfulpess is the source of the deep
 est, purest joys of the heart. It is
 this spirit which is so often expressed
 by the Psalmist: 70 praise the Lord,
 for it is a good thing to sing praises
 unto our God; Yea, joyful and pleas ant thing it is to be thankful"
 To receive good, and to know that it
 is the gift of God: and realizing that it is the gift of heaven, to be thankful
 for it; and to express our thanks in
 suitable words of prayer and praise, and acts of devotion, is the sum and
 completion of our Christian worship. To have done good to others in the name and for the sake of Him who