The New York herald., 1878-03-03
TEMPLE AHAWATH CHESED.
THE SILVER BILL OF CONGRESS AND THE srI,.

THE SILVER BILL OF CONGRESS AND TIE Sill
WEB BILL OF sCRIpTURE-sERMoN BIZ REV.
DIR. HUEDsCH.
Rev. DR.. Huebsch delivered an unusually interest.
ing discourse in tho Jewish Temple Ahawstn Chesed,
Lexington avenue, yesterday He took his text from
Exodus Xxx, IL and 13-"Whon thou takest the
sum OF children OF Israel, Of those who 70 be
numbered Of them, then shall they give every
ransom Tor his soul Half shokol afser she
shekel OF tho sanctuary"
Tho Doctor said that II he going 10 speak to
them this morning the "half snekop' It was not
because the Silver bill had boon passed days b.
fore and become over tho veto Of the Persident
but because he found this az tue
sabbath OF the shekcis" In the old calendar. Tho
pulpit, however, might CLAIM the right 70
ure Tor tho champion OF the bill in support Of
his views had quoted the Bible. He, for instance,
alluded TO the transaction bstweeen the patriarch
Abraham and tho chiettain OF tho Hittitcs Ephron
how the former paid the laor 400 shekss Of silver
but tue learned Congressman forgot to add that
"Abruham weighed out to Ephron tho silver" Ho
gave MIN iull, ana not fictitious value. aud he
gave him .'shekels OF slvor current with tho mer-
chant" which means current not only with tho NOR.
chant OF Canaan but also with HIM OF Egypt aud tho
fur India.
Scriptural quotation1ln the mouth OF the NOM
ber of the Legislature. lie made Ecclesiastes the
We read Ho lovcth silver shall not DO satisfied
with silver" which, according TO theologco-n nnancal
legislative commentary moans IN addition to silver,
CreenDacks. IL Is greatly 10 be regretted that tho
learned member Of Congress did not road tho second
half Of the verso ho quoted-"For he that lovetA IL
(slvsr) III abundance shall not have any profit"
A HONESTY.
II Is tempting to enlarge on this SUBJECT, but -
not our proper province, conhne ourselves to
general remark that the characteristic OF tho
scriptural system OF tinances is--honesty. Honest
measure, honest weight and honest pay lncEt IN al
your 0Oligations The Scripture makes money
not as detriment to name and iamo aud character,
but as as our ar, text % gays 1s. Ransom Tor sns
In Israel. Whom the holy tabernacle In the
desert was finished, and nothing moro was
missing but tho sockets on which the sanctuary was
10 stand aud the hooks which were TO hold tho pill
lars, then the prophet was commanded 10 takc tho
twenty years old aud above had TO give the troaso
unto the Lord. The rich were not allowed to give
more aud the poor not to give loss than tho half Of
shoKci 603, 500 halt shekels were gathered IN this
way, and IRON this amount the sockcs Tor tho
tuary and the hooks or tho pillars wero made. Tho
sanctuary did stand In need OF his contribut0u,
for road when Moses issued the first call for
TO erect tho holy dwelling tho people answered 30
liberaly that there was s'enough anu much. IL
is evident therefore, shat the measure regarding the
levying OF the hall shekol was moro embomat'cs
Intended TO .. serve as tho rich source OF
10 show that cvcry one Is bound 10
uphold according TO his means tho LORDS sanctuary
Al the tmo conveyed tho truth that rich and
poor arc equal IN the eye OF their Makor; the one
serves HIN Ny using properly tho riches with which
GODS mercy has blessed him tho other serves Him
pot less by bearing with dignity and honesty the
poverty which an ailwiso Providence has laid upon
hiin
The half shekeI, moreover, procaims tho important
fact that tho individual Is always fractional part
reaching Its compliment AS an integrity only IN its
close connection with society. so tho nall shekel
was to brood union, harmony aud Urothorly lov0
among tho members Of the nation; humility Ia the
rich and dignity In the poor, and common endeavor
10 hold the spiritual gis ot God moro dear than all
the treasures OF this world, and SO II became
dcscrvedly tho socket, tho bearing iundament VI
the sanctuary. With such principles our nation grew
up, and II was the spirit oil these principles which
enabled our people, alter the loss OF power and
home, scattered over the world, separated by vide
space TO remain unit, TO outlvo all the sulcrIngs
aud to share vigorously IN tho lie OF tho ninceenh
century, as did thousands or years before Unde-
nabc experience teaches US that making tho spirit Of
tho half sheke the rcening principle IL tending up
hold q uation and curing the evils ot Tho time botor
than any silver bill can do.
rHg uALF sIIEKEL OF CHARITY.
The Doctor Lnen, spcasnB oil The sacred half shckel
of cnarIty made strong appeal ior the sufcrcrs in
tho East for tho many hundrcds aud thousa nds who
were made utterly miserable by the late Kuss,un-
Turkish war Hc appealed especially Tor Tho ia W sh
sufIerers "tor,u said, ''Russia IA The
conouoror and sho never friendly 10 inc
lsraeiitcs undor her own sceptre, now mucn loss
80 TO those conquered country What shaII DO.
como OF those VINO without shelter anu supportY
II the love ot their brethren uoes not lend lncm
helping hand thcy must needs perish IN tnelr misery
Far be II, however, from US 10 allow such An ~.
tremity AZ Ioug as tho jew has sncgo IN his p,,s-
session half Of II Is ready Tor the poor and ns.dv
brotheE