Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-12-06

She was rich, great, powerful. ami
had been exalted to the worlds
councils. She was not only at pease
with the world, but that peace had
prevailed throughout her borders.
The fields. forests, and mines 81
gold and silver and other metals
have sent forth their treasures in
everincreasing streams OF wealth.
And good health has prevailed
everywhere. We owe all this 20
God, who. Notwithstanding our un-
worthiness has dealt bountifuliy
with us throughout the year He
has filed the land with prosperity,
the good things of this life have been
showered upon us in rich abundance.
Long ago the psalmists OF Israel
sang; MANY o Lord my God, are
thy wonderful works which Thou
hast done. and thy thoughts which
are to usward: they cannot be reck-
oned up in order unto thee; i !
should declare and speak Of them,
they are more than can be number
ed" We may say the same With
even greater reason.
He said that men are beginning 10
realize that these wonderful gifts
come through the providence Of God,
He is in all. and over all, and through
all. They see that He is the execu.
tive of this world, and He rules
righteousness. AS men have medi-
tatea upon Gods blessing to rs as
nation the public conscience has been
awakened. with this there mas
come an fnsistent demand for right
eougness ia public life as wei; as
private; all moral reforms have mate
marvellous progress, particularly
those relating to white slavery and
the liquor traffic; and humane and
philanthropic Institutions have great
" prospered. He said that these
things were needed in the life OF
this nation 1. The curbing If the
divorce evil and the recovery Of ths
lost home-life. 2. Greater reverence
for human life, manifesting eonii-
tions. 3. A greater reverence for
God, manifesting itself in the ,rac-
tice of Christian standards in I'll
walks OF life.
Mr. Meeks also spoke of the pro
gress which Christianity had made
in the world and showed how much
the church has to be thankful FOR
along distinctively religious lines,
In speaking of the spirit of Christian
unity and fraternity which charac-
terizes the churches of today, he
said. This unity of spirit does not
rest upon intellectual agreement,
for that is ephemeral and superficial,
but rather upon faith. Faith is not
the product of the mind, but the
heart, with the heart man below
/ eth unto righteousness" said the
Apostle Paul. Today we only ask
one question, us thine heart right
as my heart is with thine heart? "
| Il be, give me thine hand" And this
is the basis upon which the churches
are working today in full brotherly
cooperation. All other non-essen-
tails. are laid aside.
We cannot ignore the spirit o.
personal thanksgiving A national
thanksgiving is dependent upon the
spirit of gratitude engendered IN The
heart Of the individual It each one
would set down list of the things
for which to be grateful, we woul1
be amazed at the large number We
would be like the little girl, who
started TO count the stars and when
she reached two hundred and eighty
| two exclaimed, ooh, dear. | didn't
think there were so many" D!scon-
tontment over the things we haven't
destroys our ability to rejoice over
the blessings we have. The blessings
of God cannot be measured by rule
Or weight Real progress is not al
ways marked by the things VIC have,
but frequently by the things which
God takes away We attain the
highest often by a process of elinlina-
ton God deliberately gave Milton
blindness and when those eyes had
been deferred from seeing the bril-
| Rance which so lures us from the
truth, there burst upon his view the
elder glory of Paradise Lost and a
Paradise Regained. Let us be thank
full for the things which We have,
and also for the ships which pass in
the night freighted with cargoos Of
feyers, sorrows, and pain, which
stop not to leave their cargoes with
us. For | verify believe with che
old Cornishman, that If we knew all