Do you Thank God?


GOD has given you life and health and all

things; do you think of him and try to

please him? A friend makes you a present

which is useful and beautiful, and whenever

you see this present it reminds you of the friend

who gave it to you.

You have hands to work with; you can see and

learn and understand. See how inconvenient it is

for the blind to walk about; how unhappy it is for

those who are deaf, when their friends converse,

to see the satisfaction others are having who 

hear all that is said, while they are shut out from

 the world by this infirmity. And when you see

 how pleasant it is to have all these gifts, do you

 thank God for them?

As you look abroad upon God's works, when you

look upon the beauties of spring, the glories of

summer, the fullness of autumn, and upon the

snows of winter; when you hear the songs of the

birds, the bleating of the flocks, the lowing of 

the herds, and when you hear the mild breezes

 as they rustle among the leafy trees, or the 

winds as they stir the mighty waves, or bend the

 lofty forests, do you thank God for ears to hear

 and eyes to see?

As you listen to those who tell you of heaven,

and its glories, or as you hear the beautiful 

songs of those who sing of coming deliverance,

 does this lead you to think of Him who gave you

 the gift of hearing? or as you look with pleasure

 upon your friends and teachers, as you look 

upon the Instructor and hold it before you, and 

read its useful and interesting pages, do you

 think of Him who gave you hands and eyes and

 ears?

Look upon the idiot; can he think and reason as

you can, and appreciate what he hears, and sift

 the wise saying from the foolish one? And as 

you meditate deliberately, and consider and 

ponder, do you think of Him who gave you this 

faculty? Would you be ashamed of the friendship

 of Queen Victoria? Yet some children are 

ashamed of Jesus who is King of kings.

We have very many reasons for gratitude to God;

all nature around invites us to think of him who

covered the earth with his glory. When we 

consider ourselves and all the gifts and powers

 he has given us, we have much to call us to 

praise his name. Still greater is the motive to 

praise him, that there is soon a time coming 

when God's people will enter upon a life which

 has no pain, or sorrow, or sin, or want. Is it too

 high for children to look forward to that glorious

 land? I think not.





JOSEPH CLARKE.