The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-09-25
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
The Great Divine Talks on
Necessary Virtues.



many strangers on their way home
from the watering places and foreign
lands. Many of the members, absent
from the city during the summer, were
In their places. Dr.. Tslmage's morn
ing sermon was on Kindness" from
the text Acts xviii. 2: 1.-THE bsrbar.
Gus people showed us no little kind.
ness"
Here We are on the Island of Malta,
another name for Melita This island,
which has always been an important
commercial center, belonging at differ
ent times to Phenicia, to Greece, to
Rome, 10 Arabia, to Spain, to France,
now belongs to England. The area OF
this Island is about 100 square miles.
1t is the Mediterranean sea. and OF such
clarity of atmosphere that Mount Et-
ma, 100 miles awy, can be distinctly
seen. The island is gloriously memoir
able, because the Knights of Malta for
a long while ruled there, but most ia
nous because OF the apostolic ship
! wreck.
The bestormed vessel on which Paul
sailed had laid to" on the starboard
track, and the wind was blowing east
northeast and the vessel, drifting prob
ably mile and half ar hour. struck
ct what is now called St Paul's bay.
Practical sailors have taken up the BIZ
BILE account and decided beyond contro-
versy the place Of the shipwreck. But
the island which has 30 rough q coast is
for the most part a garden. Richest
fruits and . profusion Of honey chsrac-
terized it in Paul's time as well a. now
The finest oranges, figs and olives
grow there. When Paul and his COM
rades crswled upon the bench, sstura-
ted with the salt water and hungry
from long abstinence from TODD, and
chilled to the bone, the islanders,
though called barbarisns because they
could not speak Greek, opened Their
doors 10 the shipvrecked unfortuRates
Everything has gone to the bottom
OF the deep, and the bsreiooted, bare
headed apostle and ships crew were in
. condition to appreciate hospitality.
About twenty-five such men few sea-
sens ago 1 found in the life station
near Essthamptou, L ]. They had got
ashore in the night from the sea, and
not hat or shoe had they left They
found out, as Paul and his fellow voy-
ayers found out that the sea is the
toughest of all robbers. Ny text fuds
the ships crew ashore on Malta and
around hot fire drying themselves,
and with the best provision the island
ers can offer them. And they go into
government quarters for three days to
recuperate. Publius, the ruler, in
:, vited them. although he had severe
sickness in the house at that time, his
father down with dysentery and typhoid
fever. Yes, for three months they
stayed on the island watching for ship.
and putting the hospitalities OF the
islanders to severe test But it en-
dured the test satisfactorily, and it re-
corded for all the ages of time and eter-
nifty to read and hear in regard to the
inhabitants of Malta: The barbarous
people showed us no little kindness"
Kindness, All definitions of that
multipotent word break down half way.
You say it is clemency. benignity, gem
eroSity; 1t is made up of good wishes,
it is an expression of beneicence. it is a
contribution TO the happiness of Others.
Some one else says: why. I can give
you definition of kindness: it is sun
shine of the soul. 1t is affection paren-
NAL. it is climacteriu grace. it is the
combination OF all graces- It is COM
passion. It is the perfection OF gentle
manliness and womanlihess. Are you
all through? You have made a dead
failure in your definition. 1t cannot be
defined. But We all know what it is.
Tor We all felt its power. Some OF you
NAV 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 hands stretched
out. which showed us no little kind
ness"
There is kindness Of disposition.
kindness OF word. kindness o. act, and
there is Jesus Christ the impersona-
ton Of all OF them. Kindness! You
cannot afford it. YOU cannot play 1t as a
part, you cannot dramatic it. By the
gracd Of God you must have it inside
you. an everlasting summer. or rather
acombination of June and October, the
genialty of one and the tonic Of the 9TH
er. Ii cannot dwell with arrogance. or
revenge, or maleYolence- AT is first
appearance in the soul all these ANA
iekites and Gergishites and Hittites and
Jebusites must quit, and quite forever.
Kindness wishes everybody well, every
man well. every woman we'll, every
child well, every bird well, every horse
well, every dog we'll, every cat well.
Give this spirit full swing and you will
have no more need of societies for pre-
vention OF cruelty to animals, no more
need Of protective sewing women's as
ISOLATION, and it would every sword IN
til il would not cut skin deep, ami IN
wheel everp battery till il could not
roll. and make gunpowder Of no more
use in the world except for rock blast
ing or pYrotecbnic celebration.
Kindness is spirit divinelv implant-
ed. and in answer to prayer, and then
to be sedulously cultivated until il fills
and more pungent than mignonette,
and, as If you put a tuft Of that aromat-
ic beauty behind the clock an the
mantle. or in some corner where no.
body can see ii. YOU find people walking
about your room looking this way and
that and you ask them. What are you
tOO61uS iOF- anu IuSl duSHStf w SES
is that fower?" So il one has in his soul
that infinite sweetness of disposition,
its perfume will overwhelm everything
But are you waiting and hoping for
someone to be bankrupted or exposed.
or discomftted. or in some way over
thrown. then kindness has not taken
possession Of your nature. You are
wrecked on a Malta where there are no
oranges You are entertaining g guest
so unlike kindness that kindness will
not come ana dwell under the same roof.
The most exhausting and unhealthy