Jackson County sentinel. (Gainesboro, Tenn.) 1914-current, 1922-11-30

Ne source. with q consequent enrich-
mSnt Of new strength and new courage.
Gratitude, as the old pagan said, n
essential TO religion. There u no rsai-
gion where there Is no gratitude. And
the power OF religion IL In exact pre-
portion to the sense Of thankfulness
II inspires. That does not mean that
God is a great almsgiver who dispenses
charity for the reward Of appreciation.
He gives because he Is God, and giving
is the expression of his unaltering
goodness. He gives freely regardless
Of thanks. He cannot be bribed to
larger favors by gratitude. The effect
of gratitude is upon ourselves, In the
exercise of our souls and in the APP
proach TO deity through that exercise,
which is the essential essence Of rsli-
gion.
And that effect may be collective az
well as individual. We are today q
nation engaged in thanksgiving. We
are, In totality, hundred million souls
expressing gratitude to Him for His
blessings TO us as Il people. II that II
a mere formality it is nOthing-it IL
worse than nothing. We may be quite
sure that God does not delight In
rhetoric that is but sounding brass and
tinkling cymbals. We may be equally
sure that we as a nation are not ad-
vanced or upifted by sermons or pray
ers or speeches that, however beauti-
fully attired, are but words. But II
that thankfulness is real, If II Is felt
within. If we are conscious of 1t, If its
expression comes from the heart, then
is the soul of the nation raised UP
thereby, and given a larger vision, an
increase Of power, nearer approach
to the glory of divinity, by the exercise
of the spirit within us, reaching out to
clasp hands with its creator and the
source of all Its strength.
And manifestly there is abundant
reason for that gratitude and its ex-
preston. We need not, we cannot,
"count our blessings one by one" as
the song entreats us TO do. They are
too many for counting, too Overwhelm-
ing for measurement We who but
short century ago were relatively In
significant now stand at the forefront
of the nations Of the earth, admittedly
supreme In its leadership. We are self
contained, self-controlled, prosperous
above all other peoples. We find our
selves, in this year of His grace, direct
ing, in very large measure, the des-
tinies of mankind. In the great catas-
trophe of nations we have suffered less
the annals of history no people have
advanced 50 fast nor attained 80 great
ly. Did we do this? Are we what we
are, and possess what we have because
Of our superior wisdom and activity
Can we slap our chests and proclaim
ourselves pre-emlnent through our own
might? A mere cursOry glance over
our record proves the contrary, proves,
indeed, a guidance and support with
out which we would still be insignifi-
cant. Nor is It hard, in the light Of
this day TO understand the why Of this
guidance, TO see that we are instru-
ments in His hand for the achievement
of a divine purpose, not for ourselves,
but for humanity, Of which we are
part and in whose future blessings we
shall largely share Yes, there are rea
sons, great reasons, for Americas
thankfulness today, thankfulness for
our past, for our present and for our
future; and IL we feel this, and to the
extent that we are conscious Of ii, and
recognize it, we shall be fitting our
selves and equipping ourselves for the
larger tasks that are still beyond the
dawn.