St. Tammany farmer., 1905-12-16

ing i'm her saf tpm1Ge. tpouele,
and was this to
be her encouragement and help?
"Give thanks always for all things -
How could she? Yes, she was thank
ful-more than she could tell-for her
Saviour. She was thankful that He
had led her out of the darkness and
superstition and sin which surround
ed her into the light and love of His
Gospel. Her heart was brave to go
forward. What though it had cost her
persecution at home, the loss Of
friends, the sacrifice of all that a
young and beautiful girl just enter
ing upon womanhood would hold dear,
she would not turn back; she would
not give up her faith in Jesus. But
to, be thankful for all that had be-
fallen her, to be thankful that the
doors of hec home which should have
sheltered and protected her were shut
against her-for that very night her
mother as she bowed before the shrine
Of the goddess Diana set up in their
home had called down the wrath of
the goddess upon her because she
would not renounce her new faith and
bow before the image as she had been
taught to do and then her mother had
told her that if she went again to
the meeting of the hated disciples of
Jesus she need never return, that she
would be an outcast from that time
forth. Could she be thankful for this?
Could she be thankful that Pythodorus,
her lover, man of much nobility
of character, whom she still loved
with all the ardor and devotion of an
enduring affection, had after argument,
and pleading, and even, weeping,
pushed her from him and left her in
anger saying that she should see his
face no more?
The reading has ended, and with the
rest she bowed while the simple,
earnest, direct prayer was offered and
the benediction was pronounced over
their heads. Then as the disciples
gathered in groups and talked with
one another concerning Gods word
sent them by the Apostle Paul. Matilda
crept timidly to the side Of Tychicus,
and with quivering voice asked:
Teacher, what meaneth the Apostle
when he urges us to give thanks al
ways for all things unto God?'"
'What is it, my sister? What
troubleth thee?" he said; as he looked
into her perplexed face. A deep, anx-
ious, questioning light burned in the
beautiful eyes, and the fair brow
was clouded with the mists of
doubt which filled the heart within.
"How can one be thankful for all
things?" and as the tears welled In
her eyes she lifted the fold of her
loose-ftting robe to wipe them away,
and then bowling her head upon her
arm she broke down completely
Tychicus waited patiently until her
grief had subsided, and then said:
my sister, what profit is it If we
are thankful for only those things
which favor US and which we well
come? Ere we came to know Jesus we
thought that the gods were the be-
showers of all that was good or Ill,
and when evil overlook us and mis-
fortune came we besought the favor
of the gods that their wrath might
be turned from us, but now that we
have come to know Jesus and through
Him the true God, His Father and our
Father as we are in Him, we have
learned that all things are in His con-
troll, and naught of good or i'll be-
falleth us save that which He wills.
Yea, I know we cannot understand,
but is It not enough to know that He
understands"
"But teacher, can we be thankful
that evil prevails and seems trium-
phant? Can / give thanks that moth
er and father believe not in my God;
that from henceforth the doors Of my
home are shut against me; that-that
Pythodorus has turned from my side
and still clings to Diana and her
beautiful temple?" and at the mention
of her lovers name, spoken softly, a
blush suffused her face.
.'Nay, my sister, thy thought is in
error. We are not to give thanks for
the evil itself, for the unbelief Of moth
er and father, and friends. but rather
that in spite OF the evil, and the un-
belief, God rules and overrules that
His purposes may be wrought out, and
honor and glory brought to His blessed
name through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Seest thou not the truth which Paul
would have your. heart possess? Be
thankful always for all things with
q thankfulness which reaches beyond
the condition or the thing that sur
rounds you and brings you into Gods
presence, where the sweet conscious
ness that He knows and understands,
and doeth all things well may give
birth to the real and abiding thanks,
giving that knows no end.
"God then Is the wellspring Of our
thanksgiving and not humans condition
and circumstances" exclaimed the girl.
looking up, while her face was trans
formed with the new light which had
broken forth within.
.tYea,s replied Tychicus, with fervor,
..it is the God behind the all things
Of life which the eye-of faith should
see. and where we realize His presence
and await the outworking Of His will
10 can but rejoice and give thanks"