Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1901-06-15
JUDGING CHARACTER
y. TAss Dfscosrse Ne Shows the Dsf-
ference An the Divine asd the
aumsz wsy-Th~ weigh
fna os Nssfons-

ton of an unusual mode of estimating
character and shows how different il
the Divine way from the human way;
text, Proverbs. 10. ?; The Lord
weigheth the spirits"
The subject Of weights and meas
ures is discussed among all nations.
is the subject of legislation and has
much 10 do with the worlds prosper
ity. A system of weights and meas
ures was invented by PhidOn, ruler OF
Argos. about 500 years before Christ.
An ounce. a pound. a ton. were differ
ent in different lands. Henry Ill. de-
cided 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 III. 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 car. The piece OF plat
mum kept at the office Of the eXche-
Quer in England in an atmosphere OF
60 degrees +. decides for all Great
Britain what a pound must be. Sci
entifc representatives from all lands
met in 1869 in Paris and established
international standards of weights
and measures.
You all know sonnet hing OF avoirdu-
| 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 steelysrd. or the more
usual instrument consisting OF a
! beam supported IN the middle. having
two basins Of equal weight suspended
20 the eNtremities. Scales have been
| invented 10 weigh substances huge like
mountains. and others delicate enough
10 weigh infnitesimals. But in all the
universe there has only been one bal
ance that could weigh thoughts. emo
| tions. affections. hatreds. ambitions.
| That balance was fashioned by an Al
mighty God and is hung Up for perpet-
nal service. THE Lord weigheth the
spirits"
This divine weigher puts into the
balance the spirit Of charity and de-
cides how mach Of 81 really exists.
| IL may 60 for nothing at all. II may
be that il says To the unfortunate:
Take this. aud do not bother me any
more" II may be an occasional inn
pulse. IL may depend upon the con
dition Of tho liver or the style OF
breakfast psrtalxen Of a nttle while
before. u may be called forth by the
loveliness Of the solicitor. IL may be
exercised IN spirit Of rivalry, which
practically says: My neighbor has
given SO much. therefore I must give
as much" II Is accidental or occa-
sional OF spasmodic. When such s.
spirit Of charity il put into the bal
anee and weighed. God and men and
angels look on aud say there IS moth
ing Of a.. II does not weight so much
as a dram. which is only the one-eighth
part Of an ounce. or scruple. which
IS only the twenty-fourth part ~ an
ounce. 4 man NAV give his hundred
and thousands Of dollars with such
feelings aud amid such circumstance,
and he will get no heavenly recogni.
ton.
But into the divine scales another
mans charity is placed. IL start
from love Of God and man. IL Is born
in Heaven. IL Is q lifelong character
istic- IL may have a million dollar.
or penny 70 bestow. but the man
ner IN which that aiver bestows II
shows that IL is divinely impla nj 70
principle. The one penny given may
considering the limited circum
stances. attract as much angelic and
heavenly attention as though IN,
check given In charity was 50 Larry,
81 staggered the cashier of the banl
to cash IL. II is not the amount
given. but the spirit with which IL /,
given The Lord weigheth the spLr
it's"
Perhaps no one but God heard tho
good mans resolutions. but 4
amounted about 10 this: From thii
present moment TO my last nomen
on earth, God helping me. I will a,
ali ! can 90 make this world a pure
world. better world. happie
world" But the resolution shine
out in his face, ssveetens his CONVEX
sation, enlarges his nature. control
his life and shows itself as plainly II
the contribution OF 81 as though Ia
had the means 70 contribute $500. oOC
When that charity is put into tn
royal balance. the heavens watch tn
weighing and invisible chci~s chan
from the clouds, and | catch one ba
Of the music: Now abideth faitl
hope, charity-these three; but IN
greatest OF these Is charity"
/, There are Christian people who ha
, faith that China would DE rsdeeme
and for 30 years have been contrib
uting toward that object. but the
changed their minds and now despai
OF the Flowery Kingdom since tn
/, Boxers began their msssaeres. Their
are those who were busy In Me-
York missions and expected the ga
vatiou OF our American cities mt
= recent Developments showed ths