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Biography of a Slave - Being the Experiences of Rev. Charles Thompson by Charles Thompson
page 30 of 69 (43%)
received. Strange, was it not? when men and women rolling in wealth and
all the luxuries and happiness that wealth could purchase, did not even
deign to notice the source from whence all their blessings flowed. They
had life and liberty, and were unrestrained in the pursuit of happiness,
yet not once did they thank the great Giver of all their good. Then what
had we, poor wretches, to thank God for? For everything we enjoyed,--for
life, for the blessed plan of salvation, for our senses of seeing,
hearing, and feeling, for our hearts with which to love him, for our
humanity, for the great gifts of sunshine, rain, regulated seasons,
the moon, the stars, the earth, the trees, the brooks, the
rivers,--everything truly enjoyable we thanked God for. We thanked him
for health and strength to do his work. Then we had a great deal to
thank Almighty God for, although slaves. How many of you ever think to
thank God for sunshine or for reason? Let me illustrate. A gentleman
was passing along the highway, when he was met by a poor maniac, who
accosted him, saying, "What do you thank God for?" The gentleman being
surprised by the abrupt question did not reply immediately, when the
maniac continued, "Then thank God for your reason; mine is gone; I'm
mad--a maniac." This was something the gentleman had never thought of
before, and it opened to his mind an entirely new source of
thankfulness. We are apt to forget that we are not slaves, not blind,
deaf, or dumb, and not insane; yet should we lose any one of our five
senses we would then know how to be thankful for and appreciate that
sense should we regain it. Then thank God for everything, your very
existence included. Suppose the sun would stop in his course and not
shine on the earth but for one day. What consternation and grief there
would be throughout the world! Then suppose that after twenty-four hours
the sun should burst upon us in all his refulgence and glorious
magnificence. What a shout of joy would greet his appearance, and glad
hearts would pour out thanks upon thanks to the great Giver for the
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