Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-09-08

OIL" The farmer comes in from the
country lie has apples 10 sell. He
has an imperfect measure. lie pours
out the apples from this imperfect
measure. God recognizes it, He says
to the recording angel: Mark down
so many apples too few-an imperfect
measure. We may cheat ourselves
and we may cheat the world. but we
cannot cheat God, and in the great
day of judgment il will be found out
that what we learned in boyhood at
school is correct; that twenty hundred
weight make a ton, and one hundred
and twenty solid feet make a cord of
wood. No more, no less, and a relig.
ion which does not take hold of this
life rs well as the life 10 come is no
religion at all. But, my friends. that is
not the style of balances | am TO speak
of today, that is not the kind of
weights and measures. | am TO speak
of that kind Of balances which can
weigh principles, weigh churches,
weigh men, weigh nations and weigh
worlds. What" you say, us il pos.
sible that our world is to be weigh.
edf" Yes, Why, you would think
if God put on one side the balances
suspended from the throne the Alps.
and the Pyrenees, and the H~imalayas,
and Mount Washington, and all the
cities of the earth, they would crush
it, No. no. The time will come when
God will sit down on the white throne
to see the world weighed. and on one
side will be the worlds opportunities,
and IN the other side the worlds sins.
Down will 90 the sins and away will
go the opportunities. and God will
say 10 the messengers with the torch.
Burn that world! weighed and found
wanting
GODS BALANCES.
+ So God will weigh churches. He
takes a great church, That great
church, according ~ the worldly cSti-
mate, must he weighed la puts il
on side the balances, and the min.
lister and the choir and the building
that cost its hundreds OF thousands of
dollars. lie puts them on one side the
balances. On the other side of the
scale he puts what that church ought
To be, what its conservation ought to
be, what its sympathy for the poor
ought 10 be, what its devotion TO all
good ought To be. That is on one side.
That side comes down. and the
church, not being able TO stand the
test, rises in the balances. IL does not
make any difference about your mag.
niicent machinery. A church is built
for one thing-to save souls. If ii
saves a Few souls when it might save
a multitude of souls. God will spew il
out of his mouth. Weighed and found
wantingl So God estimates nations.
How many times he has put the Span
ish monarchy into the scales, and
found it insufficient and condemned
It'll The French empire was placed or
n sides the scales, and God weighed
the French empire, and Napoleon said:
Have | not enlarged the boulevardsl
Did | not kindie the glories of the
Champs Elysees. Have | not adorned
the Tuilcriesi Have | not built the
gilded Opera house!' Then God weigh.
ed the nation. and he put on one side
the scales the emperor, and the boule-
wards. and the Tuileries. and the
Champs Elysees, and the gilded Opera
house. and on the other side he puts
that mans denominations, hat mans
libertinism. that mans seliishness,
that mans goddess ambition. This last
came down, and all the brilliancy Of
the scene vanished. What is that
voice coming up from Sedanl Weigh.
ed and found wanting!
But | must become more individual
and more personal in my address.
Some people say they do not think
clergymen ought to be personal in
their religious address, but ought TO
deal with subjects in the abstract. |
do not think that way. What would
you think OF n hunter who should 20
TO the Adirondacks TO shoot deer in
the abstracti All! no. He loads the
gun, he puts the butt Of il against the
breast, he runs his eye along the bar.
rel, he takes sure aim, and then crash
go the antlerS on the rocks. And SO,
ii we want TO be hunters for the Lord,
we must take sure aim and fire. Not
in the abstract are we to treat things
in religious discussions. II a physi.
clan ONE into a sick room, does he
treat disease in the ABSTRACT No; he
feels the pulse, takes the diagnosis.
then he makes the prescription. And
If we want TO heal souls for this life
and the life TO cone, we do not want
TO treat them in the abstract. The fact
is, you and have a malady which,
if uncurcd by grace. will kill us for.
ever. Now, | want no abstraction.
Where is the balm Where is the ply.
sicianl
A JUDGMENT EVERY DAY.
People say there is a day Of iudg.
ment coming. My friends, every day
is a day of judgment, and you and !
today are being ~canvassed, inspected,
weighed. Here are the balances Of
the sanctuary. They are lifted, and
we must all be weighed. Who will
come and be weighed frsti Here is a
moralist who volunteers. He is one
Of the most upright men in the coun-
try. He comes. Well, my brother,
get in-get into the balances now, and
be weighed. But as he gets into the
balances, | say; what is that bundle
you have along with your" "Oh," he
says, that is my reputation for good
ness, and kindness, and charity, and
generosity, and kindness generally"
20 my brotherl We cannot weigh
that; we are going 10 weigh you
you. Now, stand in the scales-you.
the moralist. Paid your debts9"
"Yes," you say, paid all my debts"
"Have you acted in an upright way in
the community" YES, yes" Have