November 9

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.—Ephesians 5:20.

WHAT then? Are we to give thanks for every thing that befalls us? Yes; be it even disease, be it even penury. For if a certain wise man gave this advice in the Apocrypha, and said, "Whatsoever is brought upon thee take cheerfully, and be patient when thou art changed to a low estate;" much more ought this to be the case with Christians. Yes, even though thou know not the word give thanks. For this is thanksgiving. But if thou give thanks when thou art in comfort and in affluence, in success and in prosperity, there is nothing great, nothing wonderful in that. What is required is, for a man to give thanks when he is in afflictions, in anguish, in discouragements. Utter no word in preference to this, "Lord, I thank thee." And why do I speak of the afflictions of this world. It is our duty to give God thanks, even for hell itself, for the torments and punishments of the other. For surely it is a thing beneficent to those who attend to it, when the dread of hell is laid like a bridle on our hearts. Let us therefore give thanks, not only for blessings which we see, but also for those which we see not, and for those which we receive against our will. For many are the blessings he bestows upon us, without our desire, without our knowledge. And if ye believe me not, I will at once proceed to make the case clear to you. For consider, I pray, do not the impious and unbelieving Gentiles ascribe every thing to the sun and to their idols? But what then? Doth he not bestow blessings even upon them? Is it not the work of his providence, that they have both life, and health, and children and the like? Now if he bestows blessings on them that know him not, much more does he bestow them upon us. For what else is the peculiar work of God, if it be not this, to do good to all mankind, alike by chastisements and by enjoyments. Let us then give thanks only when we are in prosperity, for there is nothing great in this. And this the devil well knows, and therefore he said, Doth Job fear God for naught? Hast thou not made a hedge about what he hath, without and within? Take away all that he hath; no doubt, he will then curse thee to thy face! However, that cursed one gained no advantage; and God forbid he should gain any advantage of us either; but whenever we are either in penury, or in sickness, or in disasters, then let us increase our thanksgiving; thanksgiving, I mean, not in words nor in tongue, but in deeds and works, in mind and in heart. Let us give thanks unto him with all our souls. For he loves us more than they which begat us; and wide as is the difference between evil and goodness, so great is the difference between the love of God and that of our fathers. And these are not my words, but those of Christ himself, who loveth us. And hear what he himself saith: "What man is there of you, who, if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" And again hear what he saith elsewhere: "Can a woman forget to have compassion upon the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget; yet will I not forget thee, saith the Lord." For if he loveth us not, wherefore did he create us? Had he any necessity? Do we supply to him any ministry and service? Needeth he any thing that we can render? Hear what the psalmist says: I said unto the Lord, thou art my Lord, my goods are nothing to thee. Wherefore, let us give thanks for all things, let us give him glory for all things.

"Long as on earth by faith I live, Jehovah's praise I sing: Honor, and thanks, and blessing give To Christ, my God and King: And when my voice is lost in death, To better life restored, I'll sing with my immortal breath My glorious heavenly Lord."