The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-17

Rev. George Edward Reed, y. D.,
the president Of the Dickinson college,
and one of the best known pulpit or
ators in American Methodism, occu-
pied the pulpit of Elm Park church
yesterday. Last night he spoke to
congregation who listened To sermon
remarkable FOR its power and beautiful
simplicity To say that his hearers
were delighted with his discourse, is
to express but mildly the expressions
of appreciation. The theme was from
the text "By Kindness" q Cor. 6. 6)
Kindness the speaker said, comes
from the old world kin, whose signiii-
cance has broadened from a relation
ship in the family to that between
races and nations. The abstract quail
ity of kindness at first meant thot dis
played by q man to those akin of him
by ties of blood.
Kindness is q familiar old-fashioned
word, distinguished as a Christian vir-
tue, but not until the advent of the
Lord Jesus. Before His coming it was
scarcely known. In the language of
the Romans there was no word to eX-
press the quality. Paul in his arraign-
ment of the Romans says that not only
for human kindness but they werc
devoid of the natural feeling that q
beast might have for its offspring. OF
this fact there is plentiful proof in
the Pagan writings of the time and
even among the people of God its alb
sence it noted. The Jew cared no
more for man not Jew than for a
dog. The Savious illustrates this in
he hi ,,f bn
"A vast change is recorded. The
Christian world is comparatively akin,
but in heather lands the same cruel
conditions prevail and it will until a
better form of religion exists. But the
world isn's as kind after all as it ought
to be. The Christian world needs
much improvement. The strongest
reason why men keep out of the church
and are repeled by Christian society is
because of the lack of sympathy in the
church family. | am not afraid of the
skepticlsn produced by study, hut the
skepticism / fear that whicn becomes
most hard and desperate, is induced
oftentimcs in human hearts by the
contemplation Of mans inhumanity to
man.
I'VE are all Of us measurably kind,
| kind today, and cruel tomorrow; kind
| one hour and hard the next, when by
| slander, villifcation and unchristian
sentiments we send men writhing in
| every direction, and the good we would
| do is terribly misdirected. If the
| church would measure up to the stand
ard in fifty years the entire nation
would be captured for God. We should
/ be living epistles, known and read OF
all men. A mans life is "a stronger
! proclamation of the Gospel than any
words that flow from his lips.
! zone fundamental law in the general
| virtue of kindness in the disposition to
| please men for their good. The art OF
| pleasing men is not very generally cul-
| ttVutcd. A few people are born with
| pleasing dispositions, and it is natura
for them TO cast sun light. Indeed they
| would find it a hardship to do other
| wise, but the vast majority are borr
the other way. If we do please peo-
plc we have to strive vigorously. Nc
I1Ore delightful art exists in all the
Wcrld than striving to please men fol
their good.
THE second great principle is to bt
! pleased with men, if possible. If any
cloud has a silver lining on the mere
edge to be able To see it and TO com
mend instead of find fault. A pessim
list is man with Il Cinder in his eye
who sees nothing right and rubs tht
cinder more thoroughly in until the
whole system is infamed. 1t is a de
light to meet optimists rather thar
pcssimists, the former are delightful
travelling companions. / remember Z
man who could see nothing but tough
beefsteak and muddy coffee in al
Switzerland.
1.-THE man is sure to be loved who
is bound to his wife and his family
and who spends an hour in commen.
dation for the five minutes in UnkinC
criticism. 1t is a fortune to a man tc
have sunny wife who does not nap
and frown and scold him into the sa,
loon and the gambling shops.
"The next element of kindness is Il
be able TO bear with patience anC
kindness the foibles and idiosyncrasie:
!