The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-02-17
Wednesday, Feb. II, 1904.
Lacking In Gratitude.

Lacking In Gratitude.
It is true OF the most Of us perhaps that we
are more earnest In our petitions than In our
Thanksgiving. We thank God for His good
ness, but when we come to pray Tor what we
feel that need we get more deeply In earnest
1t Ia then that we lift up our souls unto zoo.
Possibly this Is natural. A sense OF neea
makes US in earnest. And yet when we gel
what we prayed for We ought not to forget
Him who heard us in our time OF need Our
souls ought to 60 up In praise as well as IN
prayer.
Our needs are many. but they are fewer than
the blessings we enjoy. We have less 70 pray
for than we have to be thankful lor; ana our
hearts ought to be occupied less Will thoughts
OF what we need than with thoughts OF what
we are constantly receiving.
A blessing Is none the less gift Of God be.
cause 1t comes to US day after day. me lasl
gilt OF God than the first morning that 1t lay
round about the host of Israel. and 1t ought
to have been received, not With the same feel
ing OF glad surprise, but with the same spirit
Of devout gratitude. So ought it to be with
what we daily receive.
we are inclined to think that more unhap-
piness comes from this want OF gratitude than
from any other one cause. We need NOT go
much that our lives be more hlled with coos
goddess as that our hearts be more hlled
with His praise. Songs OF Thanksgiving to
God would be songs Of Joy In our own SOULS
Associate Reformed Presbyterian.
Our thankfnlness and our gratitude to the
Author Of our being, should not be exhibited
solely by vain repetitions in a peroration on
Sunday morning to the Almighty, nor should
our sense Of obligation be expressed only In
high sounding words.
Our gratitude should be evidenced In good
works among all men, as we'll as in the purity
of our lives. A pure heart Is always an &C.
ceptable offering at the Throne Of Grace, but
we have no evidence that vain repetitions
and fulsome praises OF our Lord are accepta-
BILE at any time.
We do not, by great string OF praises, ex-
pect to appease the wrath Of an offended God,
but II We are sincere In our repentance, and
truly desire to avoid his wrath We will mend
our lives instead Of increasing the volume of
words, extolling him for his forgiveness OF the
sins which we still pursue.
Ifa layman were allowed to talk back to the
pulpit, he would suggest the omission Of the
long exordium, or the never-ending perora-
ton which usually precedes the prayer.
The most important parts Of the service are
the prayers and the reading of the Scriptures.
If the Scripture reading Is omitted and the
exordium consists simply Of thankfulness Tor
blessings enumerated, and the petition is for
the giving Of all sorts Of things which may be
supposed 10 be on the bargain counter, OF
what interest Is the service to the hungering
heart or OF what benefit is 1t to the wayward
feet?
II the prayers in the church on Sunday
morning are only for the benefit and for the
self.laudation of the righteous, wherein is the
sinful heart drawn to the foot Of the Cross?
For what purpose was the church insti.
tuted! Is 1t q mutual admiration society IL
which Its members are to be filled with pre-
sumption and selfrighteousness? Is 1t
place where its members are to hold up the
skirts Of their garments while fulsome praises
are sounded TO the Lord that we are not a.
other mene
Or, is 1t q place, where evil doers are to bt
drawn into paths Of righteousness, and where
they may be led to hope that their lives ma!
be improved and their sins may be forgiven
While many Of Us believe in predestination
yet we pray to the Almighty for deliveranc.
from the hand of the Evil One We all know
that our prayers do not swerve the Almighty
from his fixed purpose, but men of whatever
faith believe in the power of prayer. While
We may know little Of the effects OF prayer Oh
the Almighty, yet we all know the effects OF
prayer on the petitioner. 1t sweetens and
purifies his heart, and this publication of the
heart reflects its influence on the lives and
the character OF the suppliant. 1t prepares
him to accept the fate that may await him, be
that as It may. The Lord is a hearer OF pray
or. The soldiers Of contending armies pray 10
the same God, With same faith, and each one
has an equal hope that the Lord will hear him
and answer his prayer.
A layman would suggest that in our public
worship the wayward, as we'll as the right
eous, be remembered. Why should the way
ward attend service. and listen for halt an
hour TO a rambling prayer that didn't once
stumble on petition in behalf of the class TO
which he belongs?
In orr vain repetitions, is 1t not true thai
the Lords prayer has been tabooed, or de-
creed as obsolete. or ruled out Of date? That
prayer Is for the humble and lowly, but the
selt.righteous and those who are better than
their neighbors, need not use that pray or, and
We believe they never do. This layman has
forgotten the time when he has heard that
prayer. And he certainly has heard none
that were better.