Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-05-31
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course, from SymDoi or the Bible. Or.
Talmage urges the adoption of an un-
usual mode OF estimating character
and shows how different is the divine
way from the human way; text, Prov
cribs xvi, .. ''The Lord weigheth the
spirits"
The subject OF weights and measures
Is discussed among ali nations. is the
subject OF legislation and has much to
do with the worlds prosperity. 4 sys-
tenn of weights and measures was In
vented by Phidon, ruler of Argos. about
500 years before Christ. An ounce, a
pound, a ton, We're different in differ
ent lands. Henry III decided that an
ounce should be the weight of GAO dried
grains or wheat from the middle OF
the ear. From the reign of William the
Conqueror to Henry VIII the English
pound was the weight of 1850 grains
of wheat. Queen Elizabeth decreed
that a pound should be 1000 grains Of
wheat taken from the middle OF the
ear. The piece of platinum kept at the
office of the exchequer in England in
an atmosphere of c. degrees F. decides
for all Great Britain what a pound
must be- Scientific representatives
from all lands met In 1860 In Paris and
established international standards OF
weights and measures.
You all know something of avolrdu-
pois weight, of apothecaries' weight. of
troy weight. You are familiar with
the different kinds Of Weighing ma
chimes. whether a Roman balance.
which Is our steelyard. or the more
usual instrument consisting OF a beam
supported in the middle, having two
basins Of equal weight suspended TO
the extremities. Scales have been in
vented TO weigh substances huge, like
mountains, and others delicate enough
TO weigh infnltesinals. But In all
the universe there has only been one
balance that could weigh thoughts.
emotions. affections, hatreds, ambI-
TONS That balance was fashioned by
an Almighty God and Is hung up for
perpetual service. THE Lord weigheth
the spirits"
This divine weigber puts into the bal
ance the spirit OF charity and decides
how much OF It really exists. 1t NAV
go Tor nothing at all. 1t may be that
IL says TO the unfortunate, Take this
ana do not bother me any more" II
May be an occasional impulse. 1t may
ds3sad spen the condition OF the liver
es tss ssyss OF Breakfast partaken OF a
No. vhAs before. II may be called
fsrth ~ to isreliaess q the solicitor.
- asE hs eBeacised In spirit OF rivalry
which practically says, MY neiahboy
hes given 20 much; therefore I must
give as much" il Is accidental or oc-
casienal or spasmodlc When such a
spirit OF charity is put into the balance
and weighed. God and men and angels
look on and say thsre is nothing OF II.
IL does not weigh so much as dram.
which Is only the eighth part OF an
ounce. or a scruple. which is only the
twenty-fourth part OF an ounce. A
man may give his hundreds and thou
sands OF dollars with such feelings
and amid such circumstances, and be
VIII set no heavenly recognition.
Divine Principle.
But Into the divine scales another
mans charity Is placed. 1t starts from
love OF God and man. Ii is born IN
heaven. 1t Is n lifelong Characteristic.
1t may have n million dollars or n pen
ny to bestow, but the manner In which
that giver bestows IL shows that IL IA
divinely implanted principle The
1 penny given may considering the
limited circumstances, attract as much
angelic and heavenly attention as
though the check given in charity was
so large 1t staggered the cashier of the
bank TO cash it. II is not the amount
given, but the spirit with which II is
given. The Lord weigheth the splr-
IT'S"
Perhaps no one but God heard that
good mans resolutions, but IL amounted
about TO this: From this present mo-
ment to nay last moment on earth, God
helping me. VIII do oil | can to make
this world n purer world, better
world. happier world" But the reso-
luton shines out In his face, sweetens
his conversation, enlarges his nature,
controls his life and shows Itself as
plainly In the contribution OF 81 as
though he had the means 10 contribute
100000. When that charity is put
into the royal balance, the heavens
e1C weighing anu luYlSlDle
choirs chant from the clouds, and i
catch one bar OF the musIc-"Now
abideth faith. hope, charity-these
three; but the greatest of these is char
jty."
So also Ia the celestial scales Is
placed the spirit OF faith. In most
cases faith depends on whether or not
the sun shines and the man had sound
sleep last night and whether the first
person he meets In the morning tells
him something agreeable or disagreea-
Die. Some day the sales I'm his store
do not amount TO so much as he ex-
pected. and he goes home with enough
complaints to fill the house as soon as
he enters 1t. Another day the sales
are 20 or 40 per cent larger than usual.
and as he is putting the key into the
door lock his family hear him whis-
Ting a tune most jubilant. He has
faith that everything In his own af-
FAIRS asa In the affairs OF church and
state are tending toward better condi-
tons until something depressing hap
pens In his own personal experiences
or under his own observation.
BSs there Is another man who by re-
pentance and prayer has put himself |
INTO alliance with the Almighty God. |
Hade all right by the Sayicur's grace. |
rails man goes to work to make the |
wora right He says to himself: "God |
launches thn world. and he never
huheheA failure. The garden of
Dfen was a useless morass compared
with what the whole world will he
whom 1t blossoms and leaves and flash.
es and resounds with its coming glory.
God VIII save II anyhow, with me or
without me. but want to do my share.
L have some equipment not as much
as some others. but what have I viii
use. l have power to frown, and win
frown upon iniquity. have power to
smile, and I will smile announcement
upon all the struggling. 1 have vo-
cabulary not so opulent as the vocab-
uiary OF some others, but 1 have n
storehouse Of good words, and / mean
TO scatter them In helpfulness. will