The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-03-06
SERMON.
THE VICTORY OF KINDNESS.

sword and thy bowl Set bread and water
before them" ii. Kings vi:22.
A few of our advanced psychol-
IA ogsits are attempting, and sue
ceeding in the attempt, to control
lunatics in some of our asl lums by
kindness. The straight jacket, shack
les and iron bars are removed; their
whims are gratifed-whims which to
them are realities; freedom is given
them; they are made to feel that con-
fidence is had in them. The result of
this system Of treatment far exceeds
the most sangIine expectations of it's
advocates. Almost perfect control is
maintained by this method; at least
much better control than under the
old regime Kindness is a more po-
tent factor in the government of those
whose minds are unbalanced than
harshness.
The successful teacher-successf
in the highest sense, that is, one who
permanently moulds character, and
gives something to the pupil besides
book-knowledge, even as the lily of
the valley gives its perfume to the
air, is the one who governs with kind
ness. Through this she gains the
victory. Such a teacher is spoken of
with love when her pupils have grown
to be men and women. Did you ever
hear an old soldier tell of some act of
kindness of his general9 How his
eye lit up and his very frame became
animated Many victory has been
won on the field of carnage because
men followed leader whom they
loved, that love engendered by kind
ness and sympathy. We read the
biographical sketch of mans life,
and linger over these deeds of kind
ness, which have subtle fascination
for us even as the smile of de-
parted friend fingers in our memory.
Truly has Wordsworth spoken of
"That best portion of good mans life,
His little, nameless, aforementioned acts
of kindness and of love-
The civilized world has been and
still is, shocked at the stories of
atrocity, cruelty, harshness and tyr
amy of the Governor General of
Cuba, Weyler. His plea of defence
for permitting this barbarism is, that
be wishes to quell the rebellion as
soon as possible, and that this harsh
ness is necessary in order to gain a
speedy victory for Spain. But by
this policy he is turning all chances
of victory into defeat. 1t causes the
insurgents to redouble their energy
and to wipe out with blood the cruel
outrages at any cost. Kindness on
the part of the Spanish rulers would
gain for Spain greater victory than
all the soldiers she could send would
achieve. More than by a fleet bear
ing soldiers would General Weyler
be benefited by reading and needing
Portals words
"The quality of mercy is not strained,
1t droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath; it is twice blest;
1t blesseth him that gives and him that
takes:
IT'S mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his
crown:
His sceptre shows the force of temporal
power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of
kings;
But mercy is above this sceptral sway
1t is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
1t is an attribute to God himself
That American prophet and seer,
Benjamin Franklin, once said, do
good to thy friend to keep him, to thy
enemy to gain him." l wonder how
many of us attempt to gain victory
this way. Do we fully understand
Jesus words, "Bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you,
and pray for them which despitefully
use you and persecute you? Paul,
also, expressed the same sentiment:
"If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if
he thirst, give him to drink; for in SO
doing thou shalt heap Goals of fire
upon his head. Be not overcome of
evil, but overcome evil with good"
(Romans xii. 20, 2l)
This principle will apply anywhere
and everywhere in life; we do not
have to go very far to use it. Over
come the evil tendencies by doing
good; overcome the habit of making
evil remarks about people, by max
ing good ones; overcome the evil
speech, by letting clean words flow
from your lips, as pearlY drops come
from heaven; overcome the inclina-
ton to judge your neighbor unjustly
or harshly, or too quickly, AMI give
him the benefit of all doubt. Be not
always ready and anxious to hurl
invective, denunciations and bitter re-