News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1905-12-27
Sermon by Rev. p. A. Smith

. from Mark 12.41. He said in part
Scene, the court of the women il
the Temple at Jerusalem. Thirteen
treasure chests ranged around, into
} which rivulets of gold and silver wert
finding their way from the hands Of
a ceaseless throng of givers. Some
casting in their munificent gifts
Others their beggarly ones.
I AS Overlook paints it, IA great
hurley, rich Pharisee pushing his way
through the crowd. and ostentatious
ly emptying his huge purse into the
chest, while with timid hesitancy just
behind him is a poor woman with
penury staring out of every rent il
her poor mean clothing, two little
children cling to her hand and bash.
fully hiding their faces in the folds oil
her dress, modestly reaching forward
to cast in her meager gift"
Very meager indeed was it. Two
little copper coins of the value Of two
mills, Of which she might justly have
kept Que, but she gave them both.
That was a wonderful scene, but
the most wonderful thing about it
was the little company OF disiples sit
ting over against the treasury, with
Jesus in their midst, accurately be-
holding and perfectly understanding
all
AS hesaw the gift of the woman. he
turned to his disiples and tells them
of her, "Verily | say unto you, this
poor widow has cast in more than all
they that have cast in"
This scene coupled with the words
of Jesus, is significant of the fact
That all our lives are going on under
the prtc else divine no ice.
Not in a general way as we would
note the outward seeming, but in the
way of an exact understanding. and
searching analysis of each giver and
each gift as a signal and test of char
aCter.
Men are enexplicable to each other.
The reason is that we can only see
the outside. We cannot go back into
the hidden machinery OF motive. We
can only see All act when it is done,
| and even then we cannot see it all.
,, We cannot pierce the mysterious in
| terplay OF conception, conscience and
volition that is behind it. If the act
be hidden the whole life is hidden to
us.
God sees all life in it's most hiddeo
motives and meanings. Notes every
act and purpose, as signal and test
of character. He never misunder-
stands or misjudges as men do.
The keenest pain that humanity en-
dures in this life, is pain of mind and
heart, arising from sense Ofiniustice
for which there is no redress Caused
by the rash misrepresentation and
misjudgnents of act and motive, on
the part of those whose good opinion
is valued.
Many lives have been spent under a
perpetual cloud, all the brightness
crushed out of them, till in despera-
ton they have plunged into the
vortex Of sin that leads to death and
destruction, in a paroxism of despair
have suffered the pain of death by
their own hand rather than longer
endure the torments of their living
hell, caused by the rash misiudg-
ments OF others.
Many who would shrink from in
flicting the least physical pain seem
to take "demoniacal" delight in in
tiicting such pain as the body can
never know, by making their mis-
judgments known, carelessly or ma
liciously repeating rumors and Sian.
ders that may have no shadow of
foundation on fact, or in saying to
Others without cause those things
that are calculated to wound sensi-
tive nature. 1t is cruel thing to do.
Close your ears, shut your mouth,
and weigh your words before you
speak them.
For those who have thus suffered,
there is comfort in the thought that
he who sits over against their lives,
will never misiudge.
The knowledge that God thus accu-
rately beholds, brings also the terror
that nothing can be hidden from him.
How would you feel, could you
know that your every act, thought
and motive is perfectly known and
understood by your best friend?
Your wife, your husband, perhaps?
God thus sees and notes, and by his
judgemnt we stand or fall.
Jesus thus accurately beholding,
furnishes the true test of:-The moral
quality of action.
At first sight that was a strange
Judgment, This woman has cast in
more than all they have cast in"
Measured by human standards it
was not true. Two mites are not
more than ten thousand dollars.
Judged by the divine standard, the
moral quality of action, it was true.
1t is the intention that gives value
to gift or act. If you can put your
finger on the motive you touch that
which fushes an act with moral quail
ity. 1t was this moral quality that
Jesus had in view when he said the
woman gave the most. Her inten-
ton was more worthy.
Gods scales are hung back in the
realm OF the intention. He measures
things by the unfailing standard of