Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-09-18
REV. DR.. 7ALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine'S Sun
day Sermon.
Subject: kindness"

as no httle kiHdaeSs."-Acts xviii. ..
My text puts us on the island of Malta
another name for Meita. This island, which
has always been an important CONNER
cial centre, belonging at different times K
Phenicia, to Greece, to Rome, 10 Arabia, Il
Spain, to France now belongs to England
The area of the island is about one hundrec
square miles 1t is in the Mediterranean sea
and OF such clarity of atmosphere that
Mount Etna, one hundred aud thirty miles
away, can be distinctly seen. Tho island is
gloriously memorable, because the Knights
of Malta for a long while ruled there, but
most famous because of thu apostolic ship
wreck.
The bcstormed vessel on which Paul sailed
had "leid toy on the starboard tack, and thu
wind was blowing east northeast, and tht
vessel drifted probably mile and half an
hour ere she struck ut what is now called st
Paurs bay. Practical sailors have taken
up the Bible account and decided beyond
controversy the pace Of the shipwreck
But tho island which has so rough
coast is for the most part q
garden Richest fruit AMI profusion OF
honey characterized it in PauTs time as we'll
as now. The finest oranges, figs AMI olive5
grow there When Paul and his comrades
crawled up ON the beach, saturated with salt
water and hungry from long abstinencs
from food and chilled to the bone tho
islanders, though called barbarians because
they could not speak Greek, opened their
doors to the shipwrecked unfortunates
Everything had gone to the bottom of the
Deep and the barcfooteJ, bateheade1 apos-
tie and ships crew were in a condition to
appreciate hospitality. About twenty-five
such men a few seasons ago | found in
the life station near Easthampton, Long
lei Lo1 fv,f ov,s. !,
from the sea, and not a hat nor shoe hal
they left They found out as Paul and his
fellow voyagers found out, that ths sea is
the toughest of all robbers. Ny text finds
the ships crew ashore on Malta, and around
a hot fire drying themselves, and with the
best provision the islanders can offer them.
And they 60 into government quarters for
three days to recupsrate, Puolius, the ruler,
inviting them, although he hal sevsre SICK
ness in the house at that tims-lis father
down with dySentery and typhoid fever.
Yea, for three months they staid on the isl
and watching for a ship and putting the hos
FATALITIES of the islanders TO a severe test.
But they endured the test satisfactorily, and
it is recorded for all the ages of time and
eternity TO read and hear in regard to the
inhabitants of Malta THE barbarous people
showed us no little kin1nsss"
Kindness. What great word that is, IL
would take a reed as long as that which the
apocalyptic angel used TO measure heaven
to tell tho length, the breadth. the height OF
that munifcent word. 1t is a favorits
Bible word. and it is early launched Iii the
book of Genesis, caught up in the book OF
Joshua, embraced in the book OF Ruth,
sworn by in the book OF Samuel,
crowned in tho book Of Psalms, and en-
throned in many places in the New Tests-
-, 4 rr-orI No crautla
than mighty. 1 expect it will wrestle me
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 his fellow voyages stood around the fire
on the island of Malta, where the Maltese made
themselves immortal in my text by the way
thew treated these victims Of the sea. "rho
barbarous people showed us no little kind
ness"
Kindness, All definitions of that multi
potent word break down half way. You
say it is clemency, benignity, generOsityf it
is made up of good wishes it is an express
sion of beneficencs, it is contribution TO
the happiness Of Others. Some one else says:
"Why, | can give you definition Of kind
ness: 1t is sunshine of the soul, it is
affection perennial, it is a browning grace, it
is the combination OF all graces it Is co npas-
sion, it is the perfection OF gentle manliness
and womanliness" Are you all through?
You have ma le dead failure in your def
niticn. 1t cannot be defined. But
we all know what it is, for we all
felt its power. Some Of you may have
felt it as Paul felt it, on some coast Of rock
as the ship went 10 pieces, but more OF us
have again and again in some awful stress
OF life had either from earth or heaven
hand stretched out, which shovel US no
little kindness
There is kin lness of disposition, kinl-
ness of word, kindness of act, and there is
Jesus Christ, the representation OF all CT
them. Kindnassl You cannot affect it,
you cannot play it as n part you cannot
enact it, you cannot dramatizs it. By the
grace of God you must have it inside you,
an everlasting summer, or rather a com
bination Of June and October, the geniality
of the one and the tonic Of the other. 1t can
not dwell with arrogance or spite or revenge
OF malevolence. AT its first appearance in
the soul all these Amaekites AID Gergishites
and Hittites and Jebusites must quit and
quit forever
Kindness wishes everybody well, every
man well every woman well, every child
well, every bird well, every horse well, every
dog well. every cat well. Give this spirit
full swing, and you would have no more
need Of societies for prevention of cruelty
70 animals, no more need OF pro
tective sewing woman's asSoci1tiOn, ami 1t
would dull every swOr Until 1t would not
cut skin deep, and unwhosl every battery till
it could not roll and make gnnpowlcr OF no
more use in the world except for rock blast
ing or pyrotechnic celebration.
Kindness is a spirit divinely implanted,
and in answer to prayer, and then to be
sedulously cultivated until it fills all the
nature with a perfume richer and more
pungent than mignonette, ami, as II yon put
a tuft OF that aromatic beauty behind the
clock on the mantel or in some corner
where nobody can see it. you find people
walking about your room looking this way
and that, and you ask thsm: What arc you
looking fory' And they answer: where
Is that flower" Soft one has in his soul this
infinite sweetness OF disposition its perfume
will welm Everything.
But il you are waiting and hoping for somo
one to be bankrupted or exposed or dis
comfted, or in any way overthrow, then
kindness has not taken possession OF your
nature. You are wrecked on Malta w1ere
there are no oranges. You are entertain
ing guest so unlike kinlness that kindness
viii not come AMI dwell under the
same roof. The most exhausting an
unhealthy and ruinous feeling on earth Is
a revengeful spirit or retaliating spirit, as
know by experience for | have tried 1t nvs
or ten minutes at time. When some mean
thing has been done me or said about me
have felt 81 will pay him in his own coin.
will show him up. The ingratel The ira
tori The liar The vllain"
But five or ten minutes Of the feeling ma;
been so unuerving and exhausting that J
have abandoned it, and | cannot understand
how people can go about torturing them
selves five or fen or twenty years,
trying to get even with somebody. Tho
only way You will ever triumph over your
enemies is by forgiving them and wishing
them all COOL and no evil. As malevolence
is the most uneasy and proitless and dan
gerous feeling, kindness is the most health
full AMI delightful. And this is not an alb
straction. As / have tried little Of tbs
retaliation, 50 | have tried a little of the for.
givny.
/ do not want to leave tiis world until /
have taken vengeance upon every man that
ever di me wrong by doing him kind
ness. In most OF such cases have already
succeeie1 but there are a few malgnants
whom / am vet pursuing, and | shall not be
content until have in some wise helpsd
then or benefited them or blessed them.
Let US all pray for this spirit OF kin lness. 1t
will settle thousand questions. II will
change the phase OF everything. II will mel
low through anl through our entire nature.
II will trans 'orn lifetime. 1t is not
feeling COTTON up for occasions, but peren-
MIA