Thankful

“ Lord God, may I ever continue to be thankful for the times thou hast helped me, when I have asked for thy compassion; may I recall the joy in which I received it, when it may be mine to have compassion and extend a helping hand to others. I pray that I may place my life where it will be stronger than adversity and controlled by sincerity and love. ”

“ When, on the contrary, a man gives to another a cup of water, the latter is grateful and thanks him. A man, without reflecting, will say, “This sun which gives light to the world, this supreme bounty which is apparent in it, must be adored and praised. Why should we not be grateful and thankful to the sun for its bounty, when we praise a man who performs a simple act of kindness?” ”

“ Such things must sour us, just as happiness must sweeten us, and make us kinder, and more gentle. And will anybody affirm that it behoves us to be more thankful for trials than for blessings? We were meant to be happy, and to accept all the happiness offered with thankfulness—indeed, we are none of us ever thankful enough, and yet we each get so much, so very much, more than we deserve. ”

“ There are only a few select, happy souls—and God's blessings be with them!—that have never felt the throb of temptation. To them we may say, 'We may not be what you are; but we honour you for what you are.' When filled with the feeling of thankfulness, we should learn to be thankful, not merely for what we have actually got, but also for what we have not yet attained which others have already achieved.
Remember that, in the dispensations of God, the sinner of today may be the saint of tomorrow. To the all-seeing eye of God the vision is different from what it is to our narrow view. ”

“ But with Thy hand deliver us from ill!
Cockburn.
He who sends temptation, giveth
Strength to meet and overcome the foe,
If but to Him we pray,
And in Him put our trust.
Egone.
[598]
THANKFULNESS. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.—Psalm xxx. 12.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.—Psalm c. 4.
In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.—I. Thessalonians, v. 18.
A thankful heart hath earned me favour twice,
But he that is ungrateful wants no vice. ”

“ Note, First, Holy joy is the very heart and life of thankful praise. Secondly, We do not make melody to the Lord, in singing his praises, if we do not do it with our hearts. My lips shall rejoice, but that is nothing; lip-labour, though ever so well laboured, if that be all, is but lost labour in serving God; the soul must be at work, and with all that is within us we must bless his holy name, else all about us is worth little. Thirdly, Redeemed souls ought to be joyful thankful souls. The work of redemption ought, above all God's works, to be celebrated by us in our praises. ”

“ As God is now calling me from this world, I desire to be thankful to him for all his goodness to me in it, which has been very extraordinary, for all my undertakings have been crowned with success I am still more thankful that I have now nothing to reproach myself with, and that I can die not only with resignation, but comfort. ”

“ I cannot therefore for a moment doubt, but that in a mind like yours, the blessed song of praise and gratitude must often have been elevated to the FATHER OF MERCIES, in humble and thankful adoration of the goodness which suggested, of the wisdom which devised, and of the power which constructed so many inlets for the reception of all that is delightful, interesting, and edifying in this lower world. ”

“ Thank God heartily for all the mercies you receive, whether with respect to your bodies or your souls; freely acknowledge you get more mercies than you are worthy of, more than you improve or guide well, more than you are profitably thankful for, and more mercies than many others get, who are better and more serviceable to God than you: Reckon it a great mercy that you are out of hell, and that you have the opportunity of the precious gospel of Christ: Notice and record all the mercies of God; and at times take a while on purpose to thank and praise God for them. ”

“ Thankfulness is a powerful spring of obedience, and makes men long to be fruitful and profitable, and glad of opportunities to be serviceable to God. Thus law and gospel, obedience and gratitude, concur. A thankful obedience and an obedient thankfulness are a christian's life. "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows to the Most High: and call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, I will show the salvation of God," Psal. ”

“ A thankful remembrance of past benefits cheers and strengthens the heart under difficulties and disposes the bounteous Donor to confer further benefits. There is nothing in which Christians are more deficient than in a devout and heartily expressed gratitude. Gratitude expands our sympathies for the race. ”

“ Most thankful to Almighty Providence for mercies received, and determined to press the case into public notice as a token of gratitude. ”

“ It was a grateful acknowledgment of the goodness of God to them in the mercies of these corn-harvests now finished, and therefore must be according as God had blessed them. Where God sows plentifully he expects to reap accordingly. (2.) They must rejoice before God, v. 11. Holy joy is the heart and soul of thankful praises, which are as the language and expression of holy joy. They must rejoice in their receivings from God, and in their returns of service and sacrifice to him; our duty must be our delight as well as our enjoyments. ”

“ Thankful, let ME take care of you, will you?”
Thankful rose to her feet. “Obed Bangs!” she exclaimed.
“I mean it. I've been meanin' it more and more ever since I first met you, but I ain't had the spunk to say it. Now I'm goin' to say it if I keel over on the last word. Thankful, why don't you marry me?”
Thankful was speechless. The captain plunged desperately on.
“Will you, Thankful?” he begged. “I know I'm an old codger, but I ain't in my second childhood, not yet. I—I'd try mighty hard to make you happy. I haven't got anybody of my own in the world. ”

“ Father, we thank thee for the power of gratitude which thou givest to thy children, for the joy which men take in favours received from the highest or the humblest of the earth, and the far exceeding delight which comes to our soul from the consciousness of receiving blessings from thyself, who givest to mankind so liberally and upbraidest not, nor askest ever for our gratitude, but still art kind even to unthankful and to wicked men. ”

“ Thankfulness is a grace easily improved and developed if cultivated. Likewise, it will very soon degenerate if neglected. In order to keep a deep sense of thankfulness in our hearts, we must be mindful of the gracious dealings of God. It is well to take time as often as circumstances will permit to meditate in some quiet place upon the goodness of God to you. We should have such thankful hearts that ofttimes tears of gratitude will flow at the remembrance af God's goodness. ”

“ These reflections made me very sensible of the goodness of Providence to me, and very thankful for my present condition, with all its hardships and misfortunes: and this part also I cannot but recommend to the reflection of those who are apt in their misery to say, Is any affliction like mine? Let them consider, how much worse the cases of some people are, and what their case might have been, if Providence had thought fit. ”

“ Love and gratitude must have a test. {18} The words of thankfulness, the pressure of the hand, the look of the eyes and the aspirations of the heart which are forced from us in the first flush of happiness when the gifts are showered at our feet, are all good and just testimonies—but they are not enough. Gratitude and love must have the true test of merit, and that is endurance. There must be freedom to forget, that the false be distinguished from the true. ”

“ And to these virtues of delight
Return their thankfulness.
For Mercy Pity Peace and Love,
Is God our father dear;
And Mercy Pity Peace and Love,
Is Man his child and care.
For Mercy has a human heart
Pity, a human face ”

“ My heart is overflowing with thankfulness to the Most High for having tended me all my life unto this day, and there will for ever remain enshrined within my memory the grateful sense I entertain for the manifestations of kindness which I was permitted to receive on my entering, as well as on my completing, the hundredth year of my existence, from many valued friends. ”

“ We are thankful for good-will rather than for services, for the motive than the quantum of favour received—a kind word or look is never forgotten, while we cancel prouder and weightier obligations; ”

“ Give we thanks then in all things; whatever may have happened; for this is thankfulness. For to do so in prosperity indeed, is no great thing, for the nature of the circumstances of itself impels one thereto; but when being in extremities we give thanks, then it is admirable. For when, in circumstances under which others blaspheme, and exclaim discontentedly, we give thanks, see how great philosophy is here. ”

“ But the best way to be thankful is to use the goods the gods provide you. ”

“ All His life long He had yearned to be giving. Now, under any circumstances, He always had something to give, ten words and a gesture; and people seemed so thankful for it. He was glad. ”

“ Fourth, Would you cultivate a constant feeling of thankfulness towards the Giver of all good, plant an orchard. By having constantly before you one of the greatest blessings given to men, you must be hardened indeed if you are not influenced by a spirit of humility and thankfulness. ”

“ Gratitude, from the Latin gratitudo, from gratus, kind, is a sense of appreciation of favors received, as indicated by actions. It is the actual feeling, of which thankfulness, or the fulness of thanks, is the mere outward expression. It is therefore quite possible, and indeed often the case, for a person who at one time is full of thanks to show subsequently a want of gratitude. ”

“ Such thankfulness will bind us to glad obedience, and will give swiftness to the foot and eagerness to the will, to run in the way of God’s commandments. It is like genial sunshine, all flowers breathe perfume and fruits ripen under its influence. ”

“ Little children blame chairs for their falls and thank apple trees for their apples, but maturity outgrows the folly of accusing or blessing impersonal things. Thankfulness, in any worthy interpretation of the term, can never be felt except toward friendly persons who intended the blessing for which we are glad. ”

“ Let me pour out the thankfulness of my heart to the Giver of all good things, for the numerous blessings I enjoy, and intreat Him to bless my increase, that I may have wherewithal to relieve the wants of others, as he prevents and relieves mine. ”

“ The sentiment of gratitude which filled our minds towards the Supreme Being, who had saved us from destruction and supplied us with all things needful, demanded utterance, and on Sundays we might allow ourselves the indulgence of pouring out our hearts in thankfulness. ”

“ Be therefore thankful for the least gift, so shalt thou be meet to receive greater. ”

“ Gair came to Thankful Rest, for Miss Hepsy's message had been urgent. He was an old man, blunt-mannered, but truly tenderhearted, and a great favourite in the township. He had not been once at Thankful Rest since Deacon Strong's death, for neither the brother nor sister had ever had a day's illness in their lives. He made his examination of Lucy in a few minutes, and Miss Hepsy watched with a sinking heart how very grave his face was when he turned to her. ”

“ What motives of joy and thankfulness ought we not to find in the knowledge of God, his truth, mercy, and goodness as made known to us in the Scripture and in his Divine Son, our Saviour and friend, the God-Man; in the gift of the faith, the spiritual riches of the church and the sacraments, his mercies to us personally—blessings on our labors, the removal of dangers from our paths, his gracious forgiveness of our sins, time and again. Then, too, what we expect and through his mercy count on for the future—the joys of heaven, those delights which pass our understanding. ”

“ True thankfulness inclineth us to obey and please him, that obligeth us by his benefits. But carnal thankfulness puts God off with the hypocritical, complimental thanks of the lips, and spends the mercy in the pleasing of the flesh, and makes it but the fuel of lust and sin. 5. True thankfulness to God is necessarily transcendent, as his mercies are transcendent. ”

“ Doing it so generously, too, and withal so delicately, that the most sensitive went away with their pride unwounded, and the most hardened and irreligious were softened by it into thankfulness to One higher than their earthly benefactor, who was only the medium through whom the blessings came. ”

“ Ay, ye who never sing a song of praise to God, it would be no small benefit to you, if you were for mice made to want his bounties, then you might be led to thank God for all his abundant supplies. Even Christian men want a spur to their thankfulness. God gives us a great many mercies we never thank him for Day by day his mercies come, but day by day we forget them. ”

“ No! the first demand of religion on man is the duty of simple gratitude. The truly honorable and just-minded man, conscious of having received, and of daily receiving, the greatest benefits from his Maker and Heavenly Father,—yet conscious of his inability to make any adequate return for that goodness,—rejoices to make the little return that is in his power, that of gratitude and thankfulness. ”