Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-06-01


| WASHINGTON, May 26.-In this dis.
course, From a symbol Of the Bible. Dr.
| 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, 2, "The Lord weigheth the
spirits"
The subject Of weights and measures
Il discussed among all nations, Is the
subject of Legislation and has much to
with the worlds prosperity. A sys.
yein of weights and measures was In
vented'by Phidon, ruler os Argos, about
800 years before Christ An ounce, a
pound, ton, were different In differ.
ent lands. Henry III decided that an
ounce should be the weight Of 640 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 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 62 degrees F. decides
for all Great Britain what a pound
ha
from all lands met In 1869 in Paris and
established international standards OF
weights and measures.
You all know something of avoirdu-
pois weight, of apothecaries' weight, of
troy weight. You are familiar with
the different kinds of weighing ma
chimes, 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 to
the extremities. Scales have been in
vented to weigh substances huge, like
mountains. and others delicate enough
to weigh infnitesmals. But in all
the universe there has only been one
balance that could weigh thoughts,
emotions, affections. hatreds, ambi-
tions. That balance was fashioned by
an Almighty God and Is hung up for
perpetual service. "The Lord weigheth
the spirits"
This divine weigher puts into the bal
ance the spirit Of charity and decides
how much Of 1t 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 occasional impulse 1t may
depend upon the condition Of the liver
or the style of breakfast partaken Of a
little while before. 1t 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" II Is accidental or oc-
casional or spasmodc. When such a
spirit of charity is put into the balance
and weighed. God and men and angels
look on and say there Is nothing of 1t.
1t 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 bis hundreds and thou
sands of dollars with such feelings
and amid such circumstances. and he
will get no heavenly recognition.
Divine Principle.
But into the divine scales another
mans charity Is placed. 1t starts from
love Of God and man. 1t is born in
heaven. 1t Is a lifelong characteristic
Ii may have a million dollars or pen
ny to bestow, but the manner in which
that giver bestows it shows that 1t Is
divinely implanted principle. The
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 to cash it. 1t Is not the amount
given, but the spirit with which 1t Is
given. "The Lord weigheth the spir-
It's"
Perhaps no one but God heard that
good mans resolutions, but 1t amounted
about to this: From this present mo-
ment to my last moment on earth, COO
helping me. will do all can to make
this world a purer world, a 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 to contribute
$5O0,O0O. When that charity Is put
into the royal balance. the heavens
watch the weighing and Invisible
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 char
Ity."
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 In the morning tells
hrm s,nnethlng agreeable or disagreed
BILE. Some day the sales In bis store
do not amount to so much as he ex-
pected, and be 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 jubiant. He has
faith that everything In his own ar
fairs and in the affairs OF church and
ptate are tending toward better condl'
lions until something depressing hap
pens In his own personal experiences
,r under his own observation.
But there Is anolncr man who BY re
pentance and pray-r las put hlmsei
into alliance with the Almighty God