Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-11-27
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
Prayer Meeting Topic For The Week
Beginning Dec. I, 1902.
BY REV. s. II. DOYLE.


BY REV. s. II. DOYLE.
Topic.-The beauty and utility Of graft
tude.-Ps. Ill., lilo. "a Thanksgiving con-
secrAtion meeting-)
The word gratitude is derived from
the Latin word gratitude, which means
grateful, agreeable. In our standard
American dictionaries it is defined in
various phases, but undoubtedly one
Of the finest of these definitions is
that gratitude is warm and friend
" feeling toward benefactor." And
when we realize that the benefactor Is
GOO and that His benefactions cannot
be mum bered for multitude and cannot
be comprehended because of their vari-
ETY. and extent it is easy to see that
there is NO limit to warmth and friend
" feeling which we should exercise
toward men. No one can comprehend
the depth of gratitude that we owe to
God. Milton could only define 1t as
1.-THE depth immense of an endless graf
itude"-a Gepeh immense and eternal.
endless gratitude. Who can compre-
bend it. ard who can meet all its re-
ouiremenssa Who can render unto
God ali that should be rendered Of
gratitude and love unto Him for ali
His benefits:
What have we that we have not re-
ceived from God? We live, and life is
q gift from Tim. HE hath made us
and not we ourselves; we are the sheep
of His pas -ure' Have we health.
home, h..,5p;Lessi Al these are from
God. Have ~ weal.a! 1t comes from
Him. TIE earth is the Lords and
the fitness thereof" THE gold IS
mine, tie silver Is mine, saith the
Lord" Every temporal blessing and
hope comes from God. But these even
are small in comparison to our spirit
nal blessings. What endless gratitude
Is due to God for redemption and sal
walton through the death of His Son
Jesus Christ. How much we owe Elm
when we consider the privileges all
Joys of the Christian life and for tie
hope-yea, assurance-of eternal life,
In heaven. Well may we say with the
psalmist, Il will praise the Lord with
my whole heart" Let us place the
emphasis upon the pronoun .'I'' and to
limit Of eur capabilities be grateful to
our God for all His benefits.
Gratitude Is beautiful What more
beautiful than grateful. thankful!
heart, expressing its feeling in de-
voted, consecrated life for God. The
beauty Of gratitude Is strikingly seen
In contrasting it with it's opposite, in
gratitude. What 10 baser than in
gratitude! The world scorns the man
who accepts kind deeds from others
and then turns away with unthankfui-
ness and lneratitude. Yet how many
such there are, and especially toward
God. Men take Gods gifts, yet forget
the Giver. 1t should not be so. Graft
tnde. sincere and honest, should rise
to God as a sweet incense from al our
hearts and live for all His goodness.
There lie also utility in gratitude. Ap-
prectated gifts and blessings inspire
others. Gratitude should inspire us to
do more for others. As we think of some
kind act of another for us or all Co.'s
blessings to US we should show our
gratefulness by doing what we can
for those to whom we can be bene-
factor and q blessing.
BIBLE READINGS.
lisa. / Ii; Ps. xviii, 1-S; !, IA, Is;
xcv, Ill; c, Is; Mark v, 1921: Acts
xii. 4447; II Cor. IL, s-11: Acts i'll.
1-10; Phil. Nv, 1-6.