The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-06-12

>AAeS
tho Royal Balance.
tCopyrirht 1871
WASHINGTON, D. 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
weigheth the spirits"
The subject of weights and measures is
discussed among all nations, is the subject
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 300 years be.
fore Christ. An ounce, a pound, a ton,
were different in different lands. Henry
III. decided that an ounce should be the
weight Of $40 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 1853?
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 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 to
| z.1a fal
to weigh substances huge, like mountains,
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 drtine weigher puts into the bal.
ance the spirit of charity and decides how
much of it really exists. It may go for
nothing at all. It may be that it says to
the unfortunate, "Take this and do not
bother me any more" It may be an occa'
sional impulse. 1t may depend upon the
breakfast partaken of little while before.
It may be called forth by the loveliness OF
the solicitor. 1t may be exercised in spirit
of rivalry, which practically says. "Myv
neighbor has given so much; therefore
must give as much" 1t is accidental or
occasional or spasmodic. When such q
spirit of charity is put into the balance
and weighed, God and men and angels
look on and say there is nothing of it:
It does not weigh so much as a dram,
which is only the one-eighth part OF an
ounce, or scruple, which is only the
twenty.fourth part of an ounce. 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. It starts from
love of God and man. 1t is born in heav
en-. It is lifelong characteristic. 1t may
have million dollars or a penury to be-
stow, but the manner in which that. giveI
bestows it shows that it is divinely i'm
planted principle. .,
The one penny given may, considering
the limited circumstances, attract as mucf
angelic and heavenly attention as though
the check given in charity was SO large i
staggered the cashier of the bank to cash
it. 1t is not the amount given: but the
spirit with which it is given. 1.-The Lore
weigheth the spirits"
Perhaps no one but God heard that gooi
|
to this: "From this present moment to my
last moment on earth, God helping me,
will do all I can to make the world.
purer world, a better world, happier
world" But the resolution shines out II
his face, sweetens his conversation, en-
larges his nature, controls his life ano
shows itself as plainly in the contribution
of 81 as though he had the means to con
tribute S500,000.
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 ne meets Il
the morning tells him something agreea6i'
or disagreeable. Some day the sales in nj
store do not amount to so much as ne eX
pected, and he goes home with enough
complaints to fill the house as soon as n
enters it, Another day the sales are twen
ty or forty per cent. larger than usual, ant
as he is putting the key into the door loci
his family hear him whistling tune mos
jubilant. He has faith that everything il
his own affairs and in the affairs of churcl
and state are tending toward better condl
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 int
alliance with the Almighty God. Made al
to work to make the world straight. Hesay
to himself: "God LAUGHED this world, ant
He never launched failure. The GardeI
of Eden was q useless morass compared
with what the whole world will be whel
it blossoms and leaves and flashes and re
sounds with its coming glory. God vii
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. I have ,powel
to frown, and will frown upon iniquity
I have power to smile, and l will snlll!
encouragement upon all the struggling,
have q vocabulary not so opulent as th'
vocabulary of some others, but have ;
storehouse of good words, and l mean tt
scatter them in helpfulness. I will ascrib'
right motives to others when it is possible
If I can say anything good about others,
will say it. If l can say nothing but evl
OF them, I will keep my lips shut as tlgh
as the lips of the Sphinx, which for 3OO'
years has looked off upon the sands of th'
desert and uttered not one word about th'
desolation. The scheme. of reconstructinl
this world is too great for me to manage
have faith to believe that the plan is wei
laid out and will be we'll executed: Giv'
me a brick and trowel, and will begir
now to help build the wall. I am not
soloist, but can sing Rock of Ages to {
sick pauper. I cannot write a great book
but can pick cinder out of a child's eyt
or splinter from under his thumb nail
now enlist in this army that is. going tt
take the world for God, and defy all the
evil powers, human and satanic, to discour
age me. Count me into the service. l can
not play upon musical instrument, but
can polish n corner or string harp or ap
paud the orchestra"
All through. that mans experience there
runs a faith that will keep him Cheerful
and busy and triumphant. / like the
watchword of Cromwelps 'Ironsdes," the