Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1910-12-01
Sermon BY Rev. j. Frank
Jackson of St. Johns
Church
Psalm $3.50.

Psalm o9:SU.
al will praise the name Of God with
song, and will magnify Him with
Thanksgiving"
This day is set apart for the special
purpose of giving thanks to Almighty
God for his goodness to us during the
past year In a place where prayer is
wont to be made we are to recall His
tender mercies and His loving kind
nesses. It is good that we should do
so. The spirit of complaint lies very
near the surface of life. A little
change, a little loss, little pain. a
little difficulty, will call it into full
activity. And there are not wanting
people who apparently find pleasure
in complaining. On the other hand,
the spirit of thankfulness lies very
deep. 1t needs to be brought out and
nourished A vail is upon our mind
and heart when we consider what has
happened and what is happening to us.
We are dull to comprehend and slow
TO feel its meaning. If we went more
frequently into silent communion with
God; if we trained ourselves more as
siduously to weigh and consider the
things that make up the experience of
our common life, we should oftener
divest ourselves of the spirit of heavi-
ness and put on the garment of praise.
This Psalm is not, in places, pleas
ant reading. 1t is Psalm OF David.
He is in great affliction and trouble.
Il nd frfar h.
forsaken him. He is poor and needy.
He is cruelty reproached for his reli
gion. Ii a man were given to COM
planning surely that would be suffi
cient to stir up the spirit. But COM
plant with David is incidental. The
permanent attitude of his life toward
God was one of thankfuness. He
conquers the incidental and expresses
himself. I will praise the name of
God with n song and will magnify
Him with thanksgiving. He will be
clear and decided about it. The great
congregation shall be made aware Of
il. If any suspicion of complaint has
gone abroad, il shall be overwhelmed
by the fullness of his praise and thanks
giving. He was aware OF the change
in earthly things He would not com
plain. He would make them serve
Him for good Ask a child what the
color of the sky is. There is but one
answer. But across the deep blue
there come, at times. clouds. Yet the
clouds are the promise of rain for the
fields below. The depth of Gods nat
ure is goodness. Though that good
ness is at times blurred by clouds.
Vet the clouds are the promise of
showers of blessing for the souls Of
men.
Davids praise and thanksgiving
were not a strange growth, nor some
thing that would endure but for a
season. They were the real growth
of his life A tiny spring upon hill
side may be stopped by a handful of
sand and a rock. But only for few
minutes: it soon bursts forth again.
Sand and rocks are nothing against a
spring. The sands and rocks OF cir
cumstance were nothing against the
spring Of David's praise and thankful
ness. 1t was its nature to come forth
and come forth it did.
The explanation is not far to seek.
The secret comes out by the way l
mediate on all Thy works. | will
mediate upon Thee. These state
ments describe David's spiritual activ-
ity. Pondering upon God and all His
works; following out suggestions,
now this way and now that; catching
the faint lights of promise, and watch
ing them develop into substantial
good: stretching forth his hands unto
God: his soul thirsty for God as a
thirsty land. With such a man who
can wonder if even amid the wrecks
Of life there spring into existence the
song of praise and the spirit of thank
fulness. My people are destroyed for
lack Of knowledge said God through
the prophet of old. Just that kind of
knowledge that comes from medita-
ton and waiting upon God until His
secret is made known Man does not
live by bread alone, but by every word
that proceedeth out of the mouth of
God and should he be ignorant of
those words of God, he is in outer
darkness. man destroyed indeed.
There are some few choice souls in
this world who exaggerate even the
blessings that come to them. They
view all things through rose colored
medium. They have within them, al
ways available, never decreasing
fund Of happiness Wiser people
smile at them and pity their pardon
able delusons. Yet is it not better TO
look upon the evening sky and see the
sun setting in a sea of glory and the
chariots Of God circling around. than