Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-14
A TALK ON KINDNESS.
1t May and Should Be Exercised Both
in Words and Actions.
GOOD COUNSEL Te PESSIMISTS.
A Healthy Way of Looking at Matters
Drives on MisantErOpy.
TIJMAGES SUNDAY MORNING SERMON

EDelT WsiN nptQS 4TolE tHt NoNCliilS PANSSc
and foreign lands DR. Talmage's morning
sermon WAS on "Kindness." from the text,
Acts xviii, .: ''The barbsrcus people
showed us no little kindness"
Here we are on the Island Of Malta, an
ether name for MelIta. This island, which
has always been an important commercial
center. belonging at different times to Pho-
nicia, to Greece, to Rome, to Arabia, to
Spain, TO France, now belongs to England.
The island is gloriously memorable because
the knights OF Malta for q long time ruled
there. but most famous because of the apos-
tolic Shi3wreck But the island which has
SO rough a coast is for the most part q gar
den. Richest fruits and profusion Of
honey characterized it in Paul's time as
well as now. The finest oranges, figs and
olives grow there.
THE HOSPITABLE BARBARIANS.
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 islanders,
though called barbarians because they could
.iOt speak Greek. opened their doors to the
shipwrecl1ed unfortunateS. Everything
had gone 10 the b tom of the deep, and the
lIuefootcd, barehead ded apostle ana snip 5
crew were in a condition to appreciate hos
piJality.
Malta, and around hot fire drying them
selves, and with the best provision the
islanders can offer them. And they go into
Government quarters for three days to re-
Cuuerate. Publius, the ruler, inviting them,
although he had severe sickness in the
Eouse at that time, his father down with
dvscurerv and typhoid fever. It Is recorded
Joy. all ages OF time and eternity to read and
hear in regard TO the Inhabitants OF Malta:
"TEe barbarous people showed us no little
kindness
Kindness, What great word that is. 1t
would take a reed as long as that which the
Hnocalyptic angel used to measure heaven to
tell the length, the breadth, the height of
that munifccut word.
BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF KINDNESS.
Itis 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 en-
throned in many places in the New Testa-
ment Kindness! A word no more gentle
than mighty. Il 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 voyagers stood
around the fire on the Island of Malta.
Kindness, All definitions of that multipo-
tent word break down half way. You say it
Is clemency, benignity, generosity: 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:
~ " nv. can give Won 4 OF
ness; it Is sunshine of the soul. 1t is affec-
riOn perennial, it is a climatic grace. it is the
combination of all graces- 1t is compassion.
1t is the perfection of gentle manliness and
NomanlineSs." Are you all through? You
have made a dead failure in your definition.
Il cannot he defined But we all know what
il for we all felt its power.
VARIETIES OF KINDNESS.
There is kindness of disposition, kindness
Of word, kindness of act, and there is Jesus
Christ the impersonation of all of them
Kindness! You cannot affect it. you cannot
play it as q part, you cannot enact it, you
cannot dramatize it. By the grace of God
you must have 1t inside you. an everlasting
summer OF rather a combination of June
and October, the geniaiity of the one and
the tonic OF the other
It cannot dwell with arrogance or spite or
revenge or malevolence. Kindness wishes
everybody well, every man well, every
woman well. every child well, every bird
vel, every horse well, every dog well, every
cat well. Give this Spi;it full swing and
YOU would have no more need of societies
tOr prevention of cruelty to animals, no
more need OF protective sewing woraan's as
sociation and it would dull every sword un-
III Il would not cut skin deep, and anwheel
every battery till it could not roll, and ma Ike
g-unpowder OF no more use in the world ex-
cept for rock blasting or pyrotechric cele-
U,ation.
Kindness is a spirit divinely implanted,
and in answer 20 prayer, and then to be
sedulously cultivated until it fills all the
nature with perfume richer and more pun
gent than fnignonctte-
WAITING FOR OPPORTUNITIES
But are you waiting and hoping for some
one to be bankrupted or exposed, or dis
comforted. or in some way overthrown, then
kindness has not taken possession of your
nature. You are wrecked on a Malta where
there are no oranges. You arc entertaining
81 guest so unlike kindness that kindness
Tiu not come and dwell under the same
roof
The most exhausting and unhealthy and
TUinouS feeling on earth is reveugeful
spirit or retaliatinS spirit, as l know BY eX-
JgerienCe, tor / have tried il for five or ten
minutes at a time. The only way YOU will
ever triu.uph over your enemies is BIZ for
giving them and wishing them all good and
lo evil. As lnalevolence is the most uneasy
and pronIleSs and dangerous feeling, kind
ness Is the most healthful and delightful
Let US ali pray for this spirit of kindness.
Il VIII settle a thousand questions. 1t will
CIauge the phase of everything. 1t Will
mellow through and through our entire
nature. Il viii transform lifetime 1t is
not feeling gotten up for occasions, but
perennial. And this grace of kindness is not
spasmodic, Is not intermittent, is not for a
little while, but it irradiates the whole
nature.
THE POWER OF THE TONGUE.
must speak of kindness of word. When
you meet anyone do you say a pleasant
thing or al unpleasant? Do you tell him of
agreeable things You have heard about him,
or tnc disagrcea5ie? When he leaves YOU,
does he feel better OF Goes he feel worse9
Oh. the power Of the tongue for the produc-
ton Of Happiness or misery!
one would think from the way the tongue
i Gagged IN We might take the hint that it
has dangerous power. First it is chained
tC the back part Of :he mouth by strong
muscle. Then it is surrounded by the teeth
Oi the lower jaw, 50 many ivory bars: and
then 10y the teetn of the upper law more
ivory bars. Then OUTSIDE OF all are the two
lips with the power o. compression and ar
rest. And yet notwithstanding these four
lmI-isonmvEtS or limitations, now many
take 40 hint in regard to the dangerous
power OI tie tongue, and the results are
iaceratton. specification. and dainratiou
There are those ii they knowa good thing
about YOU and a bad thing, will mention the
bad thing and ac5 AS though they had never
Grard the GOOD thing. Now there are two
sides 20 alnoS: every ones character and
have lhc choice of overnaulin.; the
vif-rIC or :he vice. Oh, say the cordial
Jl.ing. say the useful thing, Say the
hO=pi,9Dic thingi Say the helpful thing, Saw
tie UErist-fil1e tAing! Say the kind thing.
4 DIFFERENCE OF TEMPERAMENT.
I admit that this is easier for some temper
RnCats than for others. Some are born pes
simjsts and some are born Optinists, and
that demonstrates itself all through every
thing 1t Is cloudy morning. You meet a
pc-snnisJ and you say: what weather to-
day?" He answers: "It's going to Storm"
and umbrella under arm and waterproof
oNercOat show that he is honest in shat
utteDince. On the same block, minute /
n Ter, yOu meet an cptimist. und you say: |
'H nat weather to-day?'' Good weather:
5his IL only 4 fog and VIII soon scatter