Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-09-14
A TYPE OF DIVINE LOVE
KINDNESS or THE eAR5ARIANs OF
! MELITA TO PAUL AND HIS FELLOWS

mEItlh ~ Tf@OE ftiND iftO -
DR.. Ta1nage Draws q variety Of Lessons
from the Record in Aets-They We're
narbarssns only IN That They Could
Not Speak Greek.
BRooKLTN, Sept 13. Brooklyn
Tabernacle today contained 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 The church building and the
organ, which have been almost con
tinually under brush and hammer since
the dedication last spring, are now
about completed. The sermons today
were full of congratulation and were
attended by the usual throngs DR.
Talmage's morning sermon was on
kindness. from the text, Acts xviii.
2 'sThe barbaroEs people showed US
no little kindness"
My text puts as on the Island OF
Malta. another name for Melita. This
island, which has always been an i'm
portant commercial center. belonging
at different times to Phnnicia, TO
Greece, to 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 Aiediter
ranean sea. and Of such clarity OF at
mosphere that Mount Etna. ore hun
dred and thirty miles away. can be dis
tinctly seen. The island is gloriously
memorable because the Knights of
Malta for a long while=tiled there. but
most famous because of the apostolic
silipwreek
The bestorFned vessel on which Paul
sailed had ''laid to- on the starboard
tack. and the wind was blowing east
northeast and the vessel drifting prob
ably a mile and a half an hour ere she
struck AZ what Is now called ST. Paurs
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 for the most part a garden.
Richest fruits and profusion of honey
characterized it ia 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, sat
nrated with the salt water and hungry
from long abstinence from food and
chilled 70 the bone. the islanders.
though called barbarians because they
couid not speak Greek. opened their
doors 20 the shlpwrecked unfortunates.
Everything had gone 10 the bottom
Of the deep. and the barefooted. bare
headed apostle 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 Island They
had got ashore In the night from the
sea. and not hat nor shoe had they
left. They found out, As Paul and his
fellow voyageFs found out. that the sea
is the ronghest OF all robbers My text
tiads the ships crew ashore on Malta,
ard arou8si hot fire drying themselves,
and with the best provision the island
ers can ofTer them.
And they go into government quar-
tiers for three days To recuperate, Pub
Illus. the ruler. inviting them, although
he had severe sickness in the house
at that tinie--his father down with
dysentery and typhoid fever Yea, for
three months they staid ON tie island,
watching for ship and putting the
hospitality Of the islanders to a severe
test. But they endured the test satisfac-
torily, and Il 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 uA no
little kindness"
JRsus CHRIST Is KINDNESS rNcAR
HATRD
Kindness What great word that
Is. Il would take reed as long as that
which the apocalyptie angel used TO
measure heaven 20 tell the length, the
breadth. the height of that munificent
word. II is favorite Bible word. and
II is early launched IN the ~ook OF
Genesis. caught up in the book Of
Joshua. embraced in the book of Ruth.
sworn by ia the book OF Samuel,
crowned Ia the book OF Psal ms aud en-.
throned in many places in the New
Testament kindnessl A word no
more gentle than mighty expect II
will wrestle me down before | get
through with t. II Is strong enough 10
throw an archangcL But il win be
well for as 20 stand around IL and
warm ourselves by It's glow as Paul and
his fellow voyagers stood around the
llre on the Island OF Malta, where the
Maltese made themselves immortal In
my text by the way they treated these
victims Of the sea 'sfhe bs,rbarous
people showed as no little kindness"
Klndnessl All definitions Of that mul
tipotent word break down half way.
You say Il Is clemency, henignity, gen
orosity; Il Is made up Of good wishes,
II Is an expression OF beneteenee. il is q
contribution 10 the happines OF Others
Some one else saya why, ! can givs
YOU a definition Of kindness Il Is sun
shine Of the soul; Il Is affection per
ennlal. Il Is a crowning grace, Il Is th.
combination OF all graeesi IL Is com
passion, ID Is the perfection Of gentle
manlinesa and Womanliness. Are yOs
All throRghi You have made a deal
failure Ia yeOr definition. Il cannot b
dedned- But No all know what Il IA
for NE al felt is power some Of yos
may have felt il a. Paul folt IT, on SONS