The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-05-31
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY The NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject; Estimating Character - The
Divine wav Differs Prom the Human
Way-The American Nation Put Into
the Royal Balance.
Icopyrigh, isll


the Royal Balance.
Icopyrish, iso.l
WASHINGTON, ID. C.-In this discourse
from a symbol of the Bible DR.. Talmage
urges the adoption OF an unusual mode OF
estimating character and shows how diff.
ferent Is the divine way from the human
way; text, Proverbs XVI, ,, The Lord
welgheth the spirits"
The subject OF weights and measures is
discussed among all nations. il the subject
OF legislation, and has much 70 do with
the worlds prosperity. A system of
weights and measures was invented by
Phidop, ruler OF Argos, about 500 years be-
fore Christ. An ounce, a pound, ton,
We're different IN different lands. Henry
III. decided that an ounce should be the
weight OF go 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 1880
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 atmos.
phere OF sixty-two degrees F decides for
all Great Britain what a pound must be.
Scientific representatives from all lands
met in 1869 in Paris and established inter
national standards of weights and meas
ures.
You all know something of avoirdupois
weight, OF apothecaries' weight, of troy
weight. You are familiar with the differ
ent kinds of weighing machines, whether
Roman balance, which is our steelyard.
or the more usual instrument consisting
of beam supported in the middle, having
two basins of equal weight suspended 10
the extremities Scales have Ieen invented
70 weigh substances huge, like mountains,
and others delicate enough 10 weigh inf.
nitesimals. But in all the universe there
has only been one balance that could
weigh thoughts, emotions, affections, ha-
treds, ambitions. That balance was fash.
ioned by an Almighty God. and is hung up
for perpetual service The Lord weigh.
eth the spirits"
The df>ne weigher puts into the bal.
ance the spirit OF charity and. decides how
much of IL really exists. IL may GO for
nothing at all. 1t may be that it says TO
the unfortunate, Take this and do not
bother me any more" II may be an occa-
sional impulse. 1t may depend upon the
condition of the liver or the style of
breakfast partaken of a little while before
II may be called forth by the loveliness of
the solicitor. 1t may be exercised in spirit
OF rivalry, which practically says, MY
neighbor has given so much; therefore /
must give as much" 1t is accidental or
occasional or spasmodic, When such a
spirit OF Is put INTO the UdidUCt
and weighed, God and men and angels
look on and say there is nothing of it,
IL does not weigh so much as a 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 thousands 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. IL starts from
love of God and man. II is born in heav-
en-. 1t is lifelong characteristic. IL may
have a million dollars or a penury 10 be
stow, but the manner in which that giver
bestows it shows that IL is a divinely i'm
planted principle.
The one penny given may, considering
the limited circumstances attract as much
angelic and heavenly attention as though
the check given in charity was so large IT
staggered the cashier of the bank 10 cash
1t, 1t Is not the amount given, but the
spirit with which 1t is given. The Lord
wegheth the spirits"
Perhaps no one but God heard that good
mans resolutions, but il amounted about
TO this: From this present moment to my
last moment on earth, God helping me, /
will do all | can to make the world a
purer world, better world, happier
world" But the resolution shines out in
his face, sweetens his conversation, en-
larges his nature, controls his life and
shows itself as plainly in the contribution
of 81 as though he had the means 10 con.
tribute 100000.
So also in the celestial scales is placed
the spirit OF faith In most cases faith de-
pends 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 disagreeable. Some day the sales in his
store do not amount 10 so much as he ex-
pected, and he goes home with enough
complaints to fill the house as soon as he
enters il. Another day the sales are TWEEN
ty or forty per cent. larger than usual and
as he ia putting the key into the door lock
his family hear him whistling a tune most
Jubilant He has faith that everything in
his own affairs and in the affairs of church
and state are tending toward better condi-
tions until something depressing happens
in his own personal experiences or under
his own observation.
But there is another man who by re-
pentance and prayer has put himself into
alliance with the Almighty God. Made all
right by the Saviour's grace, this man goes
10 work TO make the world straight He says
to himself: God lauched this world, and
He never launched failure. The Garden
of Eden was a useless morass compared
it blossoms and leaves and flashes and re.
sounds with its coming glory. God will
save It anyhow, with me or without me,
but | want TO do my share. / have some
equipment, not as much as some others,
but what | have ! will use. | have power
TO frown, and / will frown upon iniquity.
| have power 70 smile, and / will smile
encouragement upon all the struggling /
have vocabulary not 50 opuent as the
vocabulary OF some others, but i have a
storehouse OF good words, and | mean 90
scatter them IN helpfuness. | will ascribe
right motives 90 others when II u possible.
II | can say anything good about others,
will say It. If can say nothing but evil
Of them, ! will keep my lips shut as tight
as the lips Of the Sphinx, which for 300
years has looked off upon the sands Of the
desert and uttered not one word about the
desolatiOn. The scheme Of reconstructing
:hls world - too great for me 10 manage,
but ] am no. expected 90 boss this job.
have faith 70 believe that the plan ~ well
laid out and will be well executed. Give
me a brick and A trowe. and I will begin
now 20 help build the wall. ] am not n
soloist, but / can sing Rock OF Ages 20 a
sick pauper | cannot write a great book,
but ! can pick cinder out OF a child's eye
or a splinter from under his thumb nail.
/ now enlist IN this army that is going 90
take the world for God, and defy all the
evil powers, human and satanic, 10 discour.
age me. Count me into the service can.
not play upon a musical instrument, but /
can polish n cornet or string a harp or ap.
p.aud the orchestra"
All through that mans experience there
runs a faith that viii keep him cheerful
and busy and triumphant / ike the
watchword OF Cromwelis "Ironsides," the
men who feared nothing and dared every
thing going into the battle with the shout
The Lord OF hosts is with us The God
OF Jacob s our refuge. Seiah" No bal
ance that human brain ever planned or