The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-09-24
ABOUT KIN On ESS.
DR.. Talmage Discourses Upon This
Most Desirable Trait Of
Character.
Lessons Drawn From the Kindly
Treatment st. Paul Re-
ceiyed.

morning sermon was on kindness,
from the text, Acts xviii, q:
"Ihe barbarous people showed us no
little kindness"
Here we are on the Island OF Malta,
another name for Melita. This island,
which has always been an important
commercial center, belonging at diff
ferent times to Phmnicia, to Greece,
to Rome, Arabia, to Spain, to France,
now belongs to England. The area OF
the island is about one hundred
square miles. 1t is in the Mediter-
ranean sea, and of such clearity OF
atmosphere that Mt. Etna, 100 miles
away, can be distinctly seen. The
island is gloriously memorable be-
cause the Knights OF Malta for long
time ruled there, but most famous be
cause OF the apostolic shipwreck. The
bestormed vessel on which Paul sailed
had "laid" to on the star board tack,
and the wind was blowing east-north-
east and the vessel drifting, probably
mile and a half an hour, she struck
at what is now called st. Pauls
bay. Practical sailors have taken
up the Bible account and decided
beyond controversy the place of the
shipwreck. But the island which has
so rough a coast is tor the most part
a garden. Richest fruits and g. pro-
fusion OF honey characterized it in
Paul's time as we'll as now. The
finest oranges, figs and olives grow
there. When Paul and his comrades
crawled up on the beach, saturated
with salt water, and hungry from
long abstinence from food, and chilled
to the bone, the islanders, though call
ed 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 barefooted, bare
headed apostle and ships crew were
in a condition to appreciate hospital
ity. My text finds the ships crew
ashore on Malta, and around hot
fire drying themselves, and with the
best provisions the islanders can
offer them. And they go into govern
ment quarters for three days to re-
cuperate, Publius, the ruler, inviting
them, although he had severe sickness
in the house at that time, his father
down with dysentery and typhoid
fever. Yea, for three months they
stayed on the island watching for
ship, and putting the Inequalities Of
the islanders to a severe test. But it
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 bar
barous people showed US no little
kindness"
kindness! What great word that
is. 1t would take a reed as long as
that which the apocalyptic angel used
to measure heaven to tell the length,
the breadth, the height OF that NUM-
fcent word. It 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 the book of
Samuel, crowned in the book of
Psalms, and enthrowned in many
places in the new Testament Kind
ness! A word no more gentle than
mighty. / expect it will H..
WREsTLE ME DOWN.
before I get through with it. It is
strong enough to throw an archangel.
But it will be we'll for us to stand
around it, and warm ourselves by it's
glow as Paul and his fellow voyagers
stood around the fire on the island
OF Malta where the Maltese made
themselves immortal in my text by
the way they treated these victims OF
the sea. -
Kindness! All definitions of that
multipotent word break down half
way. You say it is clemency, benig-
nifty, generosity; it is made up of good
wishes, it is an expression of bene-
ticence, it is a contribution to- the
happiness of others. Some one else
says: "Why I can give you a defni-
ton of kindness; it is sunshine of the
soul. 1t is affection perennial, it is a
climacteric grace, it is the combina-
ton OF all graces. It is compassion. It
Is the perfection ofgentle manliness and
womanliness." Are you all through?
You have made a dead failure in your
definition. It cannot be defined. But
we all know what it is, for we all felt
it's power. N-....
There is kindness of disposition,
kindness of word, kindness OF act, and
there is Jesus Christ the inpersonation
OF all of them. Kindness! You cannot
affect it, you cannot playit as a part,
you cannot enact it, you cannot dra-
Matte it. By the grace of God you
must have it inside you, an everlast.
ing summer, or rather a combination
OF June and October, the geniality Of
one and the tonic OF the other. It can
not dwell with arrogance or spite or
revenge or malevolence. At it's first
appearance in the soul all these Anal
kites and Gergishites and Hittites
and Jebusites must quit, and quit for
ever. Kindness wishes everybody we'll,
every man well, every woman we'll,
every child well, every bird well, every
horse well, every dog we'll, every
cat we'll. Give this spirit full swing
and you will have no more need Of so.
cieties for prevention of cruelty to
animals, no more need of protective
sewing women's association, and it
would dull every sword until it would