The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-09-04
READ AND HEED.
SERMON ON THE POWER OF KIND
NESS BY DR.. TALMAGE.

ter Tongue and tho Sarcastic Tongue
but Little OF the Soft Tongue.
CINCINNATI, o.. Aug. 24.--.Dr. Tai
mage, who is in the city to-day discourScs
on power which. If it had been used rs
extensively as Christ intended il TO be
used, would have saved the church and
the world from infinite t!iscord and sor-
row-thc power of Kindness. His text
is "A soft tongue brcakCth The bone"
(Prov. XNv, I5). Following is his SER
mon:
When Solomon said this he drove q
whole volume into one phrase. You. of
course. will not be so silly as to take the
words of the text in Il literal sense. They
simply mean to set forth the fact that
there is Il tremendous power in q kind
word. Although it may seem TO he very
insignificant. It's force is Undesirable and
lllnhitablc. l'unTCnt and all-coHQucrinw
uttcranCc: "a soft tongue brCakcth the
hOnc."
If the weather were not so hot. and |
had time, | would show you kindness rs
means OF defence; kindness as 4 means
Ol usefulness; kindness as y means Of do
mCSuc harmony: kindness rs best en-
poycd by governments for the tanning
and curing of criminals: and kinGuCss as
best adapted for the settling and unjust
inT international QuarrclS: but | Shall
call your attention only TO two OF these
thoughts.
And at first. speak to You Of kindness
as Il means of defence. Almost every
man in the course OF his life. is set upon
and assaulted. Your motives arc mis-
interpreted or your religious or political
principals are hombardcd. What to ,lo
under such circumstances is the question
The first impulse of the natural heart
says: "Strikc back. Give rs much as hr
sent. Trip him into the ditch which hc
duo for your feet. Cash him with rs
severe wound as that which he inllict-
cd on your soul. Shot for shot. Sarcasm
for sarcasm. An eve for an eve. A
tooth for a tooth." but the better Sniri!
in the mans soul rises up and says:
'I on ought to reconsider that mattcr.'
You look up into the face OF Christ and
say: My MASTER, how ol"ht | {" act
under these uillicult circumstances. ~
And Christ instantly answers: "BlrNS
them thai curse You, and pray for them
which drSlntClully use Nou.' Then the
oldnatur2 rises up again and says: You
had better not forgive linn until first NOll
have chastiscd him. You will never get
him n SO tight Il corner again. You
will never have such an opportunity of
inilicti:l- the right kind of punishment
upon him AGAIN. First chaSli.;c him and
then let him 90" mo-" SAYS the bet
ter nature. ''huSh. thou foul heart. FRY
the soft tongue that brcakcth the bone !"
Have You ever in all your life known
accrblrty and Acrimonious dispute to set
tlcaqarrcl: Did they not always make
matters worse, worse. and worse?
Many years ago there was great
quarrel i'll the Presbyterian family. Min
iStcrs OF Christ were Thought orthodoN
in proportion as they had measured
lanccs with other clcrgymcn OF the same
personalities were abroad. AS III the
autumn. Il hunter comes home with Il
string ofgamc. partridycS and wild ducks
slung over his shoulder, 50 there wcr,
many ministers who came back from the
ecclesiastical courts with lun~ strings ct
doctors OF divinity whom they had shot
with their own rifle. The division lr-
came wider, the animo>ity greater. until
after a while some good men resolved
upon another tack. They BEGAN to cN-
plain away the difficulties: they began to
forgive each Others faults. and lu! the
great church quarrel WAS settled. and a
new school Presbyterian church and the
Old school Presbyterian church became
lie. The different parts Of the JrcShv-
trrIan order, wictdcd by Il hammer. lit
Tie hammer. 4 Christian hammer that the
Scripture calls "a soft tOnyuc.0
You baNc 4 dispute with yournrighbor.
y on say to him II dispose you.' He
replies: II can't bear the sight of you."
Iou say to him: Never enter my house
again. lie says: IF YOU come on my
door sill I'll kick you ON" You say to
him: "l'll put you DOWN. lie SAYS to
you: "Iou arc mistaken: I'll put YOU
down." And so the contest RACES; and
year after year You act the unchriStian
part. and he acts the mclristi1n part. AZ
ter while the better spirit SEXES you. and
one day You go over to the neighbour.
and say: "Glvc me your hand. We have
fought long enough. Time is SO short
and eternity is so near, that we cannot
afford any longer TO quarrel. l"' % II
have Wronycd me very much
settle all now in one grra'
and be good friends I'LL
lives" have rh.
form than that on wi
stood. You win his
You get his apology.
not conquered him
rate YOU have wOr
own conscience.
good men. and
who died for
"But."
when Sl&r
come acr