Evening star., 1917-11-24
A PSALM OF THANKSGIVING.
Psalm. 103.
Golden Text-Bless the oLrd, O
my soul. and forget not all His
beneats.-Psalm- 103.1.
By REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.

A universal song. suited for all ages.
appropriate to all persons and appli-
cable to all conditions, has been as
signed for this weeks study. To Its
immortal words the Master. who was a
man Of sorrows and acquainted with
grief, turned amid the tribulations Of
his life in tho flesh. for tho unknown
singers praises Of God were sung in a
strain Of gratitude that few men. If
any, have ever eQualed. Every Amer
lean who has commenced to feel the
personal cost Of the sacrifice that as q
people we must make to perpetuate
the heritage Of freedom and democ-
racy can turn to its expression of
praise. Thanksgiving and gratitude for
a message that will touch every chord
within his soul until 1t vibrates in
harmony with Gods will.
Ingratitude Is tho greatest sin that
exists among men. No man, who stops
to count his many blessings. has ever
vet failed to find cause to praise the
Lord for all His benefits. The psalm
list had experienced the bitterness Of
human life that results from sin, sick
ness and Satan. He understood the re-
alities of disease. decay and death. yet
he found so much in his trials of Gods
blessing that his song has been con-
Scriptures which is a little Bible in it
self" Innumerable blessings have
been bestowed upon all men, but none
ever expressed such an overflowing
gratitude as that which filled the heart
Of the psalmist with the desire to
personally praise the Lord for His ben
efits-
While he sings of past blessings he
refers to them always in the present
tense. He praises Jehovah because he
his diseases. The recovery Of spiritual
life for the soul and the restoration
OF the body's health frequently result
from the experience OF salvation which
removes the causes for worry and re-
stores the defective physical life. He
refers to how the Lord redeemeth man
from destruction. II, as some believe
David was the author of this psalm
then the son of Jesse would recall how
God had rescued him from the sword
OF Goliath and saved him from being
destroyed by the javelin OF Saul.
Recalling the past, the soul Of the
psaln1fst rises with the strongest ex-
preston of emotions when he thinks
Of how the Lord crowneth his life with
good things, satisdeth his human needs
and reneweth his strength SO that he
recognizes as the source OF his triumph
and protection the presence Of the
Lord Of Hosts executing righteousness
and judgment for the oppressed. In
this hour Of trial America ought to re-
joice that God is always against the
oppressors of men. 1t Is not only q
subject for personal praise. but as the
nation has only recently entered upon
its drst part of the European struggle
the national day OF thanksgiving is
also worthy Of a patriotic thanksgiv-
ing because 1t means ultimate victory
to the flag that has never known de-
feat. II we always seek to glorify God
The history of America. like that
OF Israel, 10 marked by the leadership
OF the Lord. In more than one epoch
making crisis has He made His pres
ence known to tho nation. In the con-
test between man and nature, when
tho Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock
God protected the early settlers by pre-
pairing q welcome for the white man
from the red man. In the contest be-
tween civilization and barbarian the
Lord restrained the bloodthirsty King
Philip until tho settlers had become
strong enough to defeat tho Indian
chief who determined upon their de-
struction.
In tho contest between man and
mammon He guided the white man firs,
to New England's rocky granite shores
rather than to California. where its
rich treasures Of gold would have
caused the man to decay as he has al