The Ordway new era., 1918-11-29
A THANKSGIVING MEDITATION
BY Rev. Charles +. Hartmann, Pas
tor The First Evangelical
Church.
He Hath Not Dealt So With
Any Nation Psalms 147:2O.

ANY Nation. Psalms 147:20.
This Psalm is a beautiful ascription
of praise to Almighty God for nation
al benedictions. The Psaimist recog-
nizes this great fact, that national
blessings come from the Almighty,
and are given in recognition of ma
tional fidelity to His government,
obedience to His laws, and for spec
ial purpose. to be used not for selfish
qualification, but for our own happi-
ness and that of others.
There were many times in the his
tory of Gods Chosen People when
they forsook Him, turned aside to
idols and the selfish qualifications of
their own unlawful desires. At such
times God would send severe punish
ment upon them and the instrument
usually employed by Him to infiict
this deserved punishment was some
neighboring nation. But when Israel
would repent for it's apostacy and
the people would confess and forsake
their sins and cry to God for pardon
and forgiveness He would make them
again the favored recipients of His
grace and pour out rich blessings
upon them.
Surely that which is paramount in
the heart of every loyal and patriotic
American today is deep sense OF
gratitude for the successful termina-
tion of the greatest war of all his
tory. We are justly proud of the
wonderful achievements of our great
and noble armies, but let us not for
get that back of our men and guns
and money was the God of nations.
And shall we not remind ourselves
at this time of a notable act of the
Congress OF the United States on
April l, of the present year, which
was rightly referred to as one of
the most practical things 1t had yet
done to win the war? This was a
request to the President of the Unit
ed States that he recommend "a day
of public humiliation. prayer and
fasting, to be observed by the people
of the United States with religious
solemnity and the Offering of fervent
supplication to Almighty God for the
safety and welfare of our cause, His
blessings on our arms, and speedy
restoration of an honorable and last
ing peace to the nations of the earth"
Pursuant to this request it was there
fore recommended by the President
that the thirtieth day of May be so
observed. All the petitions that were
offered in deep earnestness on that
memorable day by Christian people
al over tne OHlteu StdteS are hHOWu
to God alone. But 1t is well known
to us all that within a few weeks after
this the tide of battle turned in ia
vor of America and the allies. God
gave success to their arms, and on
Nov. IL, there followed the complete
cessation of hostilities and there was
brought about condition that will.
we trust, lead to an honorable and
lasting peace thruout the world.
AS on the thirtieth of May, we
humbly and earnestly implored AL
mighty God to aid us in accomplish
ing this much desired result, SO let
us now. with devout and grateful
hearts, acknowledge His goodness in
giving heed to our requests and
granting unto us the speedy realiza-
tion of our desires. Let us not COM
NIT the great sin of the Israelites of
old in forgetting God.
Is not the modern situation
counterpart, on larger scale, of Gods
dealings with His Chosen People long
ago? Every right thinking man will
readily admit that modern nations
have largely forgotten God and re-
belled against His commandments.
Look. for moment, at Germany.
Luther and the Reformation gave the
Bible to Germany. and thru 1t she
became a powerful people and
mighty nation. But for the last fifty
years she has been tearing the Bible
to pieces with her destructive higher
criticism. and superseding It with her
false philosophy. The result is that
she has reared up a generation of
atheists, agnostics. and so-called phil
osophers. who scoffed at the Bible.
at the supernatural, the virgin birth,
at the deity OF Christ. at the Atone
ment and resurrection of Christ;