Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-05-17
Calnase
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Taimage, ID. d.

rermon the preacher calls attention to
the universally prevalent sin of ingrat-
itude, as shown in our lack of appre-
citation of many blessings that come
into our daily lives. The text is Luke
xvii, 10, "And one of them. when he
saw that he was healed, turned back
and with loud voice glorified God"
Travellers tell us that In one of the
eastern states there is a high mountain
range and to go from one part of this
state To the other you must climb those
mountains. The upward pathway
bends and winds, now overarched by
trees, now under the shadow OF some
overhanging cliff, but still onward and
upward. The wearied traveller. pant
ing and putting, Is too exhausted to
look back and see the beautiful valley
he has left behind. He keeps saying
TO himself, "Oh, If were only at the
top, then the rest Of my journey would
be easy" Suddenly the trees ahead
OF him abruptly cease and instead Of
overlapping branches he sees the blue
sky trimming the top Of the mountain
With final squirt he reaches the top
There. much to his surprise, upon the
summit he finds n rude bench of stone
upon which have been carved these
words: Rest and be thankful Yes,
traveller, rest and be thankful that tho
hardest part of your toilsome journey
is over. But also rest and be thank
full because some good kind brother
has made you the stone bench upon
which You can rest your weary limbs
and aching back. If the time should
ever come when you can meet that
thoughtful brother who made that seat
and chiseled that invitation upon the
top OF yonder mountain, tell him how
much his work was appreciated. Tell
him that the bench of stone not only
gave you physical rest, but that his
words reminded you of a duty.
How much harder our lot would be
II there were not some people consid-
crate and kind TO weary travellers on
life's journey! Some people take the
Kindness gratefully, while others need
the admonition, BE thankful"
An American art student in Paris
tells of meeting his laundress at some
distance from home with her bread
basket upon her arm. She was going
to the bakery TO get her rolls and bread
III tue l1C uShth UeE. w nv 90
you go so far for your bread every
day? Does the baker where you go
make better bread than any other bak-
PR in Paris" NO." answered the wo-
man, The does not make better bread.
The reason l cross the Seine every day
10 buy my bread at monsieur's Is be-
cause few years ago my husband
was thrown out of work, and L was
very sick. We had no money in the
house, yet for weeks this baker trusted
US, and kept us supplied with bread
Had 1t not been for his goodness my
husband and children might have
starved. AS he cared for us when we
had nothing. must not forget his kind.
ness now that we have much" To be
thankful means TO be ''thoughtful."
That means so to train our grateful
memories that we will never forget the
Kindness OF those who have helped us
In the dark days or our past struggles.
have heard of hearts unlxind kind deeds
With GOODNESS still returning:
Alas. the gratitude OF men
Hath oftener left mo mourning.
The hero OF my text is "thankful"
man, Il 'thoughtfur' man, n man who
he would forget the priceless blessing
which Jesus had conferred upon him.
For years this man had been n social
outcast. He was II repulsive, loath-
some leper. His father and mother
had turned against him. His brothers
and sisters had fed from him as they
would from n mad dog. His wife and
children. II he had n wife and chill
dren, had deserted him. With sticks
and stones he had been driven forth
from the habitations OF man. One day.
with nine other lepers with whom he
was asSociating, he stood upon the hill
side and saw Jesus and the multi
tudes passing by. BY the strange law
OF the leper world, which gathers in
formation from every source, these ten
lepers learned that il was Jesus, the
miracle worker. So these ten lepers
voices for divine help. Again and
again they call, Jesus, Master, have
mercy on us?' Christ turns toward
them, as he always turns at the call
for help, and practically says: "Yes,
Will cure you OF your horrible infec-
tious disease. Go show yourselves unto
the priests "And it came to pass
that as they went they were cleansed."
~ Am Well! ! Am WE'LL"
No sooner did this leper of my text
feel the scales drop off his body and
the blood of health course through his
veins than at once he cried: Il am
we'll! am well, 1 must go back at
once and thank the Lord for what he
has done for me-" "And one OF them,
when he saw that he was healed, turn
ed back and with loud voice glorified
God and fell down OH his face at his
feet, giving him thanks, and ne was Il
Samaritan" We respect that man,
and we have a poor opinion OF those
other nine who went on without giving
thanks. But the incident has d lesson
for us. We have received many bless.
ipgs from God Are we like the cleans
ed Jewish lepers who went forward
ungratefully or like the Samaritan who
turned back and glorified GodY'
Like the cleansed leper OF my text,
let us thank God for our physical
health. Let us thank God that we
have food enough to eat. More than
this, let us thank God for a good d.
gestion with which to eat food. How
many OF us who have perfect health
forget TO thank God for n good pair of
lungs and for steady nerves and for a
regular heart, for good teeth, for good
eyes and a good pair of legs upon
which to walk! How many of us omit
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