Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1891-09-19
A TYPE OF DIVINE LOVE.
KINDNESS OF THE BARsARlANs OF
MELlTA TO PAUL AND HIS FELLOWS.

KINDNESS OF THE BARBARlANS OF
MELlTA TO PAUL AND HIS FELLOWS.
Dr. Tailnnso Draws Variety of Lessons
from the Record III acts-They We're
Barbarians Only In That They Could
Not speaI, Greek.
BROOKLYN. Sept. 10. : Brooklyn
Tabernacle today contained many
str,ngrrs *, their way home from the
watering places aI.G foreign, lands /
Many of tire. members. absent from tie !,
city during tile sillnlner. were III their
places. The church Miitling and the
crgan. Which lave been almost con
tinnaIly under brush ami hummer since
tile dedication last spring. are HOW I
about completed. The sermons today
wNr full OF congratulations and were
attended by tile usual tllrongs DIR. /
TalniaSe's morning sermon was ON
Kindness from the teyt,sActs xviii.
Is2. Tile blrtarot,sS people sllowedsus
no little kindness.
Ms text puts us on the Island Of
Nlalt;l. another n:line for Melt; THIS
islalnl which l,ls always been IN i'm
portant commercial center belonging
Mt different times to phtanici;. TO
Greece, to Rome. to Arabia. To Spain.
to France. NOW belongs to EilEIand |
Tie area Of the island is about 100 |
square miles. 1t is in the Meditcr /
ranc;,il sc:,. aid Of such clarity OF ut :
nospIlere tllais Mount t;tna. one hun
llrrd and thirty miles away. cail he dis
tillctly sc:il The island is gIor;o:sy
memorable because tile Knights OF I
Malta for Il long wllileruetl there but
most famous because OF the apostolic
sliipwreclS
Tile bcstorned vessel on which Paul
sailed had Laid to" OH the starboard
tack. and the wind was blowing east /
northeast and the vessel drifting prob
ably u mile and Il half an lour Gre she
struck ut what is now called St. Paul's
bay Practical sailors lave taken up
tile Bible account and decided beyond
controversy the plnce of the shpwrccH.
tut the island which has SO rough Il
coast is for the most part II garden.
Richest fruits and II profuSion OF honey
characterized it in Paus time as well
rs now The finest oranges, figs and
olives grow there When Paul and his
comrades crawled up on the beach, sat
nrlted with the SILT water and hungry
from long abstinence from food and
chilled to tle bone. the islanders,
though called larbari;llS because they
could not speak Greek. opened tllei.
doors TO the shipwrcked mnfortliiates.
Everything had gone TO tile bottom
of the deep and rlie barefooted, bare
headed apostle and ships crew were in
II condition TO appreciate hospitality.
About twenty-five such men II few
Seasons ago found in the life station
near E;stllanpton. Long Island They
had got ashore in the night from the
,te;l. anil not Il hat nor shoe had they
left They found out, as Panl and his
fellow voyagcrs found out. that the sen
is tlttrrouglests Of ali-robbers. Ny text
finds the slips crew ashore ON Malta.
and around a hotiire drying themselves.
and with the best provision tile island
ers r;n offer them.
And they 20 into government quar-
tors for three days TO recuperate, Pub
lius the ruler, inviting them, although
he had severe sickness in the house
at that tine-liis father down with
dysentery and typhoid fever. Yea, for
three months they st;lid Oh the island.
Watching for ship and putting the
hospitality of the islanders TO IL severe
test Bit they endured the test satisf;lc-
torily. and it is recorded for all the ages
of time and eternity to read and hear
in regard to the inhabitants Of Malta,
''Tlle barbarols people showed MS 10
little kindness.
JEsUS CHRIST is KINDNESS INCAR-
MATED.
Kindness! What great word that
is 1t would taken reed as long as that
which tie apocalyptic angel used to
measure heaven to tell the length, the
breadth, the height OF that Inunificent
word. 1t is a favorite Bible word, and
it is early launched in the book Of
Genesis. caught up in the book Of
Joshua, embraced in the book of Ruth,
sworn by in tile book Of Samuel,
crowned in the book of Psalms and en-
throned in many places in the New
Testament Kildnessl a word no
more gentle tlan mighty expect it
will wrestle he down before | get
through with it. 1t is strong enough to
throw an archangel. But it will be
well for us to stand around it and
warm ourselves by its glow as Paul and
Ills fellow voyagers stood around the
lire on the Island of Malta, where the
Maltese made themselves immortal in
my text by the way they treated these
victims of the sea- Tile barbarous
people showed US 40 little kindness.
Kindness All definitions oftllat null
tipotent word break down half way.
You say it is clenuency. benignity, gen
prosity; it is made up of good wishes.
it is an expression Of benefcence, it lisa
contribution to the happiness OF others.
Some one else says: WHY. can give
yon definition OF kindness. 1t is sun.
slime Of the soul; it is affection per.
ennial. it is a browning grace. it is the
combination of all graces; it is COLI
passion: it is the perfection of gentle
iuunliness and woiuailiness. Are you
all through You Lave ,nade'a dead
future in your definition. 1t cannot be
defined. But we all know what it is.
for we alI felt its power. Soue OF you
may have felt it as Paul feltit. on some