Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-02-02
SERMONS OF THE DAY
"The Law of Kindness is the Title Of
the New York Hera1d's Tenth Competi-
tive Sermon-Dr. TalInage breaches
q Sermon to the Feminine Toilers.

Sermon to the Feminine Toilers.
Proverbs XXI, 26.
There are two superficial and somewhat
prevalent notions of kindness which over
look the truth of a law of kindness and
hinder the fulflment of that law. The
first is that kindness is happy accident
of temperament. When Charles Lamb died
Henry Crabb Robinson went to visit Mary
Lamb, and she said to him: "Now, I call
this very kind of you, not good natured,
but very, very kind" Her distinction is
just. Kindness is more than constitutional
good naturedness. 1t implies discipline
and culture.
The second notion associates kindness
with Christian etiquette and department,
with something amiable and desirable,
perhaps. but rather ornament al than essen
tial. Consequently many religious and
devout people unkind in words and
actions without any feeling of sinfulness
on that account. Put away the notion of
kindness which regards it as merely an
external grace of character or a useful
lubricant wherewith to reduce the frictions
of social intercourse and conceive it an
essential element of all goodness, divine or
human, and as comprphended under Gods
law of human life. Unkindness, like any
other transgression of moral law, is wick
edness. Nor is it enough to try and not
be unkind. for unless one tries to be kind
he not only fails of duty, but will be un-
able to guard himself from actual unkind-
ness.
Kindness has its root in kinship. 1t inn
plies relationship and affinity. Men are
children of common Father, and there
fore brethren. Therein lies the signih-
canoe of all that the Scriptures teach con-
cerninS the essential. exceeding and ever
lasting loving kindness of God. There is
kinship between Him and men, created in
His image. Therein is grounded our hu-
man kinship and the law of brotherly kind
fnr all f1an, i, Z snI lnt nf
human life has higher authority or sacred
er sanctions.
As one can be good as he should
and may be, so no one can do good as he
should and may without striving to fulfill
this law of the cultivation and manifesto
tion Of kindness. There is nothing else so
powerful for good unless it be love, and
love as st. Paul says, is kind. 1t disarms
prejudice and hatred, 1t converts distrust
into confidence it overcomes all manner of
evil with good. 1t brings ont as nothing
else can the latent and potential good
things in people. Men have come to recog-
niZe and act upon this principle in their
treatment and training of animals. How
much more effective will be the training of
children and the treatment of all human
beings which is based upon kindly sympa-
thyI The safest assumption that can be
made in all such matters is that kindness
will meet all such response.
Kindness has insight and can detect signs
of promise in the unpromising, while under
| its genial influences and delicate ministra-
tioHs these signs become manifest and the
things they promise begin to be fulfilled.
What else gives so great encouragement to
| the many who are struggling with advers-
| ity or temptation, correcting and changing
! just those depressed feelings of loneliness
| and neglect wherein the power of evil finds
| its most favorable conditions? Wordsworth
J speaks of
| That portion of a good mans life