The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1901-05-31
JUDGING CHARACTER
DR.. Talmage Urges the Adoption Of
an Unusual Mode.
In This Discourse He Shows the Diff
ference in the Divine and the
& Human Way-The Weigh
ing of Nations.


Washington, May e.
In this discourse, from a symbol of
the Bible, DR.. Talmage urges the adop-
ton of an unusual mode of estimating
character and shows how different is
the Divine way from the human way;
text, Proverbs, 16, 2: 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 to do with the worlds prosper
ity. A system of weights and meas
ures was invented by Phidon, ruler of
Argos, about 800 years before Christ.
An ounce, pound, ton, were differ
ent in different lands. Henry III. de-
cided 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 Ill. 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 plat
mum kept at the office of the eXche-
quer in England in an atmosphere of
90 degrees f. decides for all Great
Britain what a pound must be. Sci
entitic representatives from all lands
met in 1869 in Paris and established
internationa 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 a Roman balance,
which is our steelyard, or the more
usual instrument consisting of a
beam supported in the middle, having
two basins of equal weight suspended
to the extremities. Scales have been
invented to weigh substances huge like
mountains, and others delicate enough
to weigh infnitesimais. 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-
ual service. "The Lord weigheth the |
spirits"
balance the spirit of charity and de-
cides how much of it 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 i'm
pulse. 1t may depend upon the con-
dition of the liver or the style of |
breakfast partaken of little while |
before. 1t may be called forth by the
loneliness of the solicitor. 1t may be
exercised in spirit of rivalry, which |
practically says: my neishbor has
given so much, therefore I must give
as much" 1t is accidental or occa-
sional or spasmodic. When such a
spirit of charity is put into the bal
ance and weighed, God and men and
angels look on and say there is moth
ing of it. 1t does not weight 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 his hundreds
and thousands of dollars with such
feelings and amid such circums stances,
and he will get no heavenly recogni-
ton.
But into the divine scales another
mans charity is placed. It starts
from love of God and man. It is born
IN Heaven. 1t is a lifelong character
istie. 1t may have million dollars
or penny to bestow, but the man
ner in which that giver bestows it
shows that it is a divinely implanted
principle. The one penny given may,
considering the limited circum-
stances, attract as much angelic and
heavenly attention as though the
check given in charity was so large
1t staggered the cashier of the bank
to cash it. 1t is not the amount
given, but the spirit with which it is
given. "The Lord weigheth the spir-
it's"
Perhaps no one but God heard that
good mans resolutions, but it
amounted about to this: From this
present moment to my last moment
on earth, God helping me, I will do
all can to make this world a purer
world, better world, a happier
world" But the resolution shines
|
Sation, enlarges his nature, controls
his life and shows itself as plainly in
the contribution of 81 as though he
had the means to contribute $500, 900.
When that charity is put into the
royal balance, the heavens watch the
and invisible choirs chant ,
rom the clouds, and I catch one bar
Of the music: Now abideth faith,
hope, charity-these three; but the
greatest of these is charity"
There are Christian people who had
iaith that China would be redeemed
and for 80 years have been contrib '
lting toward that object, but they '
changed their minds and now despair
II the Flowery Kingdom since the ,
Boxers began their massacres. There ;
ire those who were busy in New I
York missions and expected the sal {
,ation of our American cities until
'ecent developments showed that
he police were in completely with
crime, and now these Christian work I
RS are despairful, as though all were
ost. OF what worth is such a mans s
aith? When weighed will thew have