Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-09-14
1T is KINDNESS
THET WINS SOULS FOR TEE GREAT HIAVXE-
LY MASTER 4
DR.. TSlmags PrsAchss on Very Fruitful Topic
Be GresIs the People Who Have Been
Wandering in Foreign Lands, and
Draws SomeSEiking Parallels.
Npe4aL TsIecram % tAs Rscistsr.

MANY strangers on their way home from
the watering places and foreign lands.
Many of the members, absent from the
city during the summer, we're In their
places. The church building and the
organ, which have been almost contlnu-
ally under brush and hammer since the
dedication last spring, are now about
completed. The sermons to-day were
full of congratulation and were attend
ed by the usual throngs. DR.. Talmage's
morning sermon was on Kindness"
from the text, Acts 2s:2: THE bar
barous 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 centre, belonging at differ
ent times to PhRnicla, to Greece, 10
Rome, TO Arabia, TO Spain, to France,
now belongs to England. The area OF
the island Is about 100 square miles. 1t
Is in the Mediterranean Sea and OF such
clarity OF atmosphere that Mt. Etna,
$50 miles away, can be distinctly seen.
The island is gloriously memorable, be-
cause the Knights OF Malta for a long
while ruled there, but most famous
because of the apostolic shipwreck.
The bestormed vessel on which Paul
sailed had ''laid to-" on the starboard
tack. and the wind was blowing
east-nOrtheast, and the vessel,
drifting, probably mile and half an
hour, she struck at what is now called
St. Paul's 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 coast Is for the most part
garden. Richest fruits and q profusion
OF honey characterized IT In Pauls time
as well as now. The finest oranges,
figs and olives grow there. When Paul
and his comrades crawled up on the
beach. saturated with the salt water,
and hungry from long abstinence from
food, and chilled 10 the bone, the ISL
anders, though called barbarians, be-
cause they could not speak Greek, opened
their doors to the shipwrecked unfor-
Inmates. Everything had gone to the
bottom OF the deep, and the barefooted,
bareheaded apostle and ships crew
were I'm a condition 10 appreciate
hospitality. About twenty-five such
men few seasons ago l found in the
life station near Easthampton, Long
Island. 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 vOyagers found out, !
that the sea is the toughest Of all rob- |
beers. Ny text finds the ships crew |
ashore on Malta, and around hot fire |
driving themselves, and with the best |
provisions the islanders can offer them. |
And they go into government quarters
for three days TO recuperate, Publlus,
the ruler, inviting them, although ne |
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
hospitalities Of the islanders TO severe
test. But 1t endured the test satisfac-
torily, and it is recorded for all ages OF
time and eternity to read and hear In
regard to the inhabitants OF Malta:
''The barbarous 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 munifcent |
word. II is a favorite Bible word, and |
it is early launched in the book OF Gen
esis, caught up In the book OF Joshua,
embraced in the book OF Ruth, sworn by |
IN the book of Samuel, crowned In the |
hook Of Psalms, and enthroned In many
places In the new Testament. Kind
nesssl A word no more gentle than
mighty. I expect 1t will wrestle me
down before / get through with 1t. 1t is
strong enough to throw an archangel.
But n will be we'll for US to stand
around il, and warm ourselves by its
glow as Paul and his fellow voyagers
stood around the fire on the Island of
Malta, where the Maltese made them
selves immortal in my text by the way
they treated these victims OF the sea.
THE barbarous people showed us no
little kindness"
Kindness! All definitions of that
multipotent word break down half way.
You say IL is clemency, benignity, gsn-
erosity; it is made up of good wishes, it
is an expression OF benefcence, it is a
contribution to the happiness Of others.
some one else says: "Why, can give
Won a definition Of kindness: II Is sun
shine of the soul. 1t is affection peren-
NAL, it IL aclimacteric grace, 1t Is the
combination OF all sIaces. 1t is COM
passion. II is the perfection Of gentle
msnlinesS and wOmanlinesS. Are you
All through? You have made dead
failure in your definition. 1t cannot be
defined. But we all know what 1t is,
for we all felt its power. Some OF you
NAV have felt IL as Paul felt 1t, on some
coast of rock as the ship went to pieces,
but more OF US have again and again In
some awful stress o. life had either from
earth or heaven hands stretched out,
which ''showed Us no little kindness.
There is kindness of disposition,
kindness Of word, kindness of act, aud
there is Jesus Christ the impersonation
of all OF them. KindneSsl You can
not affect it, you cannot play 1t as a
mart. YOU cannot enact ID, you cannot
dramatic it. BY the grace Of God you
must have IL inside you, an everlasting
summer, or rather = combination OF
June and October, the geniality OF the
one snd the tonic OF the other. 10 can
not dwell with arrogance or spite or
revenge or malevolence. At its first
appearsnce in the soul all these Amale-
Kites and GergishiteS and Hittites and
Jebusltes must quit, and quit forever.
Kindness wishes everybody well, every
man well, every woman we'll, every
child we'll, every bird well, every horse
well. every dog well, cry cat
we'll. Give this spirit full swing
and you would have no more
need OF societies for prevention
of cruelty to animals, no more need OF
protective sewing woman's association,
and il would dull every sword until IL