Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1901-06-13
CHARACTER MAKING
THE DIFFERENCES OF ESTIMATION
DR.. Talmage Shows How the Ameri-
can National Character is Being Now
Weighed in the Divine Balance.
[Copyrieht 1qo, (,

WASHINGTON, D. C-In this discourse
from a symbol of the Bible DR.. Talmaof
urges the adoption Of an unusual mode q
estimating character and shows how d;f
ferent is the divine way from the human
way text, Proverbs xvi, 2, "The Lore
lne subject OF weights and measures K
discussed among all nations. is the snbiect
81 OF legislation, and has much to do Will
tne worlds prosperity. A system o1
weights and measures was invented h1
fhdon, ruler of Argos, about 800 wears he
lore Christ. An ounce, pound ton
were Inherent IN different lands. Henry
II: decided that an ounce should be The
Melgnt OF OF o4O dried grains of wheat from
William the Conqueror to Henry VIII =
tne English pound was the weight of 1880
grams OF wheat. Queen Elizabeth decreeJ l
tnat pound should be 1000 grains ~
w Wheat taken from the middle of the ear
Inc II e, piece OF platinum kept at the office
OF the exchequer in England in an atmos-
m pnere OF s1xty-two degrees F. decides for
g.: e. Great Britain what a pound must be.
oclentihc representatives from all lands
met IN 1869 IN Paris and established inter.
natlonal standards of weights and .meas-
ures. 'es'S-
f1u all know something of avoirduno;s
weight, OF apothecaries' weight, of troy
weight. Y ou are familiar with the d;ffer-
ent kinds of weighing machines. whether
Roman balance, which is our stee|vard
or the more usual instrument CONSISTING
OF beam supported in the middle. having
Two ~ basins OF equal weight suspended to
tlie extremltles. Scales have been invented
to weigh substances huge, like mountains
ana others delicate enough to weigh inf.
nlteslmals. But in all the universe there
mas only b7en one balance that cou]d
weigh thoughts, emotions, affections ha
treds, ambitions. That balance was fash
loned s by an Almighty God, and is hung up
etn the spirits
Ihe divine weigher puts into the bal
ance the spirit of charity and decides how
mucn OF 1T really exists. 1t may 90 for
nothing at all. It may be that it saws In
the unfortunate, "Take this and do not
bother me any more" It NAV be an occa-
slonal impulse. It may depend upon the
condition of the liver or the style of
breakfast Q partaken of little while before.
1t may be called forth by the loveliness of
the solicitor. It may be exercised in shirt
OF rivalry, which practically says, INV
nelghbor has given SO much; therefore /
must give as much" It is accidental or
occasional or spasmodic When such
spirit OF charity is put into the balance
ana weighed, God and men and angels
1t does not weigh SO much as a dram.
which is only the one-eighth part Of an
ounce, or scruple, which is only the
part of an ounce. A man
may give his hundreds and thousands of
dollars with such feelings and amid such
and he will get no heavenly
But into the divine. scales another
mans charity is placed. It starts from
owe OF God and man. It is born in heav.
IN. 1t is lifelong characteristic. It may
nave .4 million Ia dollars or penu1ry to be,
stow, but the manner in which that eiver
oestows it shows that it is a diyinely i'm
planted principle
lhe one penny given may, considering !
he limited circumstances, attract as much |
.ngellc and heavenly attention as thonoh |
he check given in charity was so large it |
staggered the cashier of the bank to cash |
t. I. 1t IS not the amount given, but the
plrlt with WI which it is given. ''The Lord
Perhaps no one but God heard that good |
mans resolutions, but it amounted about
t91s From this present moment to nv
asst moment on earth, God helping me
vii DO all | can to make the world a
'urer world, a better world, a happier
Eorid. But the resolution shines out in
rs face, sweetens his conversation, en-
argos his nature, controls his life and
hows itself as plainly in the contribution
81 as though he had the means to con
ribute $500, 900.
when that. charity is put into the royal
alance, the heavens watch the WEIGHING
nd invisible choirs chant from the clouds.
nd catch one bar of the music-'Now
bldeth faith, hope, charity-these three;
ut the greatest of these is charity
80 also in the celestial scales is placed
ne spirit OF faith. In most cases faith de-
ends on whether or not the sun shines
nd the man had sound sleep last night.
nd whether the first person he meets in
lie morning tells him something agreeable
dlsagreeable Some day the sales in his
lore 40 not amount to so much as he ex-
acted,. and he goes home with enough
ompla!nts to I'LL the house as soon as he |
1ters It. Another day the sales are TWEEN .
or forty per cent. larger than usual. and 1
J he is putting the key into the door lock
g s 1amlly hear him whistlng a tune most !
Ibhant. He has faith that everything in
s own affairs and in the affairs of church
Id state are tending toward better condi- s
ons until something depressing happens ,
MS own personal experiences or under {
s own observation.
But there is another man who bv re- :
,ntance and prayer has put himself into t
nance with the Almighty God. Made all Il
5AAo ~ Vic odVIOuI grace, CQ1S man goes {
work to make the world straight. Hesays a
himself: "God LAUGHED this world. and S
e never launched failure. The Garden t
Eden was useless morass compared | h
tn what the whole world will be when il
blossoms and leaves and flashes and re- b
unds with its coming glory. God will
We 1t anyhow, with me or without me. S
t L want to do my share I have some t.
ulpment, not as much as some others. t.
t what | have I will use. [ have power a
,frown, and [ will frown upon iniquity. v
have power to smile, and [ will smile h
couragement upon all the struggling. I Ct
We a vocabulary not so opulent as the tt
cabulary OF some others, but [ have a D
'rehouse of good words, and I mean to Il
liter them in helpfulness. I will ascribe II
Mt motives to others when it is possible. tt
| can say anything good about others, I 81
II say It, II | can say nothing but evil in
them, [ will keep my lips shut as tight v;
the lips Of the Sphinx, which for 5000 vi
ars has looked off upon the sands OF the gt
sert and uttered lot one word about the
ISOLATION. The schemesof reconstructinc te
s world is too great for me to manage. m
am not expected to boss this job. / I II
We faith to believe that the plan is well tt
1 out and will be well executed. Give a,
brick and a trowel, and [ will begin | b]
" to help build the wall. I am not a | m
DIST, but I can sing Rock of Ages to "
Dauper i cannot. write a great honly 4 .,