would include many a pagan and philosopher who had no knowledge of Christ. If I

ought to thank God for the unrequited labours of Dr. Young in his splendid concordance,

should I not also thank God for those who laboured in the English Dictionary, which I

also use, even though those who thus laboured may not have been doing the work "as

unto the Lord". If I thank God, as I should, for the Christian poetry of Cowper, should I

not thank God for the mighty genius of Shakespeare, so evidently given in the most

critical period in the history of our tongue?

If I thank God for the beauties of flower, field and forest, should I not thank Him for

the genius of Turner, Constable, David Cox and others, who have by their brush drawn

our attention to the delightsomeness of our countryside?  If I thank God for the

composers of our hymn tunes, shall I refuse thanksgiving after hearing Beethoven's

mighty Fifth Symphony? Are these the things on the earth that the apostle forfeits? We

believe they are not. They each and all may become an evil, even as the necessities of

life may be abused, but we would do well to remember the sane principle contained in the

words of inspiration, regarding meats in particular,

and to realize that in these things our own conscience, or the respect for the tender

conscience of another, and not the things themselves, is what most matters.

Before leaving this particular aspect of our subject, it may be well to anticipate one or

two objections, as the point of view advocated is not what is generally considered

"spiritual". We have mentioned, for example, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, and we

readily agree that there is no more spirituality in that magnificent composition than there

is in the food that we use for our physical needs, yet for these we unreservedly give

thanks, even though the butcher and the baker and all the other folk engaged in their

production and distribution were far from God in their thoughts.

Again, we may be reminded that the father of all who handle the harp and the organ

was of the line of Cain. The answer is that any argument that proves too much defeats

itself. Both the harp and the organ are mentioned with approval in the Scriptures;

moreover the line of Cain fathered not only musical instruments, but the keeping of cattle

and the work in brass and iron. This would involve Abraham and Israel and Bezaleel and

every reader of these lines too.

Regarding Phil. 4: 8, the word translated "think" is the same that is rendered "count"

in Phil. 3: 8, or "lay to one's charge" in II Tim. 4: 16, or "impute" in Rom. 4: 22. If

we can see any virtue, beauty, loveliness anywhere, we must not hesitate to "reckon" it,

even though we clearly distinguish between that which is spiritual and that which is not.

Turner, Constable, and David Cox may or may not have been believers; the man who

delivers my morning milk or daily bread may or may not be a believer. If I can give

thanks for that which is physical food, shall I withhold if from that which is mental food?

Both the landscape and the painter of it are involved in the curse and subject to vanity,

and there are some who as consistently shut their eyes to the transient beauty of field and