THE HOME CIRCLE by Edwin Burnham

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Mar 11, 1880

THE HOME CIRCLE.

By Edwin Burnham

THE PHILOSOPHER'S SCALES.

A MEEK man of earth once retired, at his will, To weigh human action—the good and the ill— In the scales of philosophy, formed to his mind, And thus he proceeded, as he was inclined; He first weighed kingdoms, and empires, and thrones, And found them outweighed by a few martyr's bones! He next weighed honor, and power, and fame, And found them all lighter than one Christian's name! He then weighed pleasure, and glitter, and show— Determined, with candor, their value to know— He put in the opposite scale, with due care, One penitent's simple and short, earnest prayer; When looking with wonder, he saw with delight The scale with the prayer in come down quick as sight! He next tried wealth and aristocrat pride, And found of a truth—for his scales never lied— That a morsel of virtue did much more avail, Than those lying heaped in the opposite scale! When weighing out heroes, he plainly did find A thousand outweighed by an humble man's mind! A victorious army when put in the scales, And balanced with what sweet contentment avails, Went up with rebound in an instant of time, No longer to boast of great actions sublime. He finally weighed all that mortals called great, And found throughout empire, and kingdom, and state, That nothing is better for man to possess, In all his relations, than true Holiness! —Edwin Burnham.