Milford chronicle., 1901-05-31

WASHINGTON. May 26.-In this dis
course, from a symbol of the Bible, DIR.
Talmage urges the adoption Of an unusu-
al mode of estimating character and
shows how different is the divine way
from the human way; text, Proverbs xvi,
?, 'The Lord weigheth the spirits"
The subject Of weights and measures
Is discussed among all nations, is the sub
Iect of legislation and has much to do
with the worlds prosperity. A system
Of weights and measures was invented
by Phidon, ruler Of Argos, about 800
years before Christ. An ounce, a pound,
a ton. were different in different lands.
Henry III decided that an ounce should
be the weight of GAO dried grains of
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 60 f. de-
cides for all Great Britain what a pound
must be. Scientific representatives from
all lands met in 1869 in Paris and estab-
lished international standards of weights
and measures.
You all know something Of avoirdupois
weight, of apothecaries' weight, Of troy
weight. You are familiar with the diff
ferent kinds of weighing machines,
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 invented to weigh sub
stances huge like mountains, and others
delicate enough to weigh ininitesimals.
But in all the universe there has only
been one balance that could weigh
thoughts, emotions, affections, hatreds,
ambitions. That balance was fashioned
by an Almighty God and is hung up for
perpetual service. 1.-THE Lord weigheth
the spirits"
This divine weigher puts into the bal
ance the spirit Of charity and decides
how much of it really exists. 1t may go
for nothing at all. 1t may be that it says
to the unfortunate, Take this and do not
bother me any more" 1t may be an oc-
casional impulse. 1t may depend upon
the condition Of the liver or the style Of
breakfast partaken of a little while be-
fore. 1t may be called forth by the love-
illness Of the solicitor. 1t may be exer-
cised in spirit Of rivalry, which practical
ly says, "Aly neighbor has given so much;
therefore I must give as much" 1t is
accidental or occasional or spasmodic
When such a spirit Of charity is put into
the balance and weighed. God and men
and angels look on and say there is Moth
ing Of 1t, Il does not weigh so much as
dram, Which is only the One-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 he will
get no heavenly recognition.
But into the divine scales another
mans charity is placed. 1t starts from
love Of God and man. It is born in heav-
en-. 1t is a lifelong characteristic. 1t
may have a million dollars or a penny
to bestow, but the manner in which that
giver bestows it shows that it is a di-
vinely implanted principle The one pen
ny given may, considering the limited cir
cumstances. attract as much angelic and
given in charity was so large it staggered
the cashier of the bank to cash it. It is
not the amount given, but the spirit with
which it is given. "The Lord weigheth
the spirits"
Noble Resolve.
Perhaps no one but God heard that
good mans resolutions, but it amounted
about to this; From this present mo-
ment to my last moment on earth, God
helping me, ] will do all | can to make
this world a purer world, better world,
a happier world" But the resolution
shines out in his face. sweetens his con-
versation. enlarges his nature, controls
his life and shows itself as plainly in the
contribution of 81 as though he had the
means to contribute 100000. When
that charity is put into the royal balance
the heavens watch the weighing and in
visible choirs chant from the clouds. and
| catch one bar of the music, "Now
abideth faith. hope, charity-these three
but the greatest of these is charity"
So also in 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 il
the morning tells him something agreea
| BILE or diSagreeable. Some day the sale.
in his store do not amount to so much q.
he expected. and he goes home witt
/ enough complaints to fill the house a.
soon as he enters it. Another day tn,
sales are 20 or 40 per cent larger thar
usual, and as he is putting the key int,
the door lock his family hear him wills
ting n tune most jubilant. He has faitl
that everything in his own affairs an,
in the affairs of church and state ar
tending toward better conditions unit
something depressing happens in his owl
personal experiences or under his owl
observation.
There are Christian people who ha
faith that China would be redeemed an
for 80 years have been contributing tC
ward that object, but they changed thei
minds and now despair of the Flower
Kingdom s.Dce the Boxers began thei
massacres. There are those who wer
busy in New YOrk missions and expecte
the salvation of our American cities unit
recent developments showed that the d.
lice were in completely with crime. an
now these Christian workers are despair
full, as though all were lost. OF wha
worth is such a mans faith? Whe
weighed. will they have what the chen
lists call atomic weight-the weight of a
atom? No. Such faith is no faith at all
But there is another man who by n
pentance and prayer has put himself inf
alliance with the Almighty God. Mad
all right by the Saviour's grace. this ma
goes to work to make the world RICH
He says to himself: God launched tn
i world, and he never launched failur
The garden of Eden was a useless mora
compared with what the whole world vi
be when it blossoms and leaves al
|. flashes and resounds with its comi1
= glory. God viii save it anyhow, with Il
or without me, but l want to do II
}, share. / have some equipment-not
much as some others, but what l have
will use. have power to frown, and
will frown upon iniquity. I have pow
to smile, and l will smile encourage GENE
upon all the struggling. have voca
ulary not so Opulent as the vocabulary
g. some others, but l have a storehouse
- good words, and l mean to scatter the