Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1898-02-03
OUR WEEKLY SERMONS.
PREPARED ESPECIALLY fOR
TUE FAMILY FIHESIDE.
THE Law OF Kindness Is the Title OF
the New York Herald's Tenth Cofnpet
tive SerInon-Dr. TaiInage breaches
a Sermon TO The Feminine Toilers'
Proverbs xxi. =

tive SerTnon-Dr, TaiInage Preaches
a Sermon TO The Feminine Toilers'
Proverbs xxi. 2G.
There are two superficial and somewhat
prevalent notions OF kindness which over
look the truth If 4 law Of kindness and
hinder the fulAiment q that law HE
first is that kindness Il p happy ACCIDENT
Of temperament. When Charles Lamb 1ied
Henry Crabh Robinson went 10 visit Mary
Lamb. and she said TO him: Now, eau
this vorv kind Of You. not good natared,
bat very. vtrv kind. Her distinction Is
Just. Kindness is more than constitutional
good ~naturcdne.s. 1t implies discipline
and culture.
The second notion associates kindness
with Christian etiquette and department.,
with something arniable and desirable,
perhaps. but rather ornamental than essen
tial. Consequently many religious and
GevOut people arc urkihd in words and
actions without any feeling OF s~infulness
on that account. Put away the notion OF
Kindness which regards it as merely an
external grace Of character or q useful
lubricant wherewith to reducethe frictions
Of social intercourse and conceive it as ar
essential clement Of Mi goodness, divine or
human. and rs co!nptrhended under Gods
law Of human life. Cnkindness. like any
other tranSgree-ion OF moral law, is wick
edness. Nor IS it enough to try and not
be uukind. for unless one tries to be kind
he not only fails Of duty, but will be I'M
able to guard himself from actual unkind-
ness.
Kindness has its root in kinshi1. It i'm
plies relationship and affinity. Men are
children Of a common Father, and there
fore brethren. Therein lies tho signiil-
canoe Of ali that the Scriptures teach con
corning the essential, exceeding anG ever
lasting loving kindness Of God. There is
kinship between Him and men, created in
His image. Therein is grounded our hui
man kinship and the law Of brotherlv kind
ness for all men. than which no law Of
human life has higher authority or sscred-
or sanctions.
As no one can be as good as ne should
and NAV be, so no one can do good as he
should and may without striving to fulfill
this law of the cultivation and manifesto
ton Of Kindness. There is nothing else SO
powerful for good unless it be love, and
10y" rs st. PAIL says, is kind. 1t disarms
prejudice and hatred. it converts distrust
into confidence, it overeomes all manner Of
evil with good. 1t brings out 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 OIL
children and the treatment Of all human
beings which IS based upon kindly sympa-
thy! The safest assumption that can be
made in ell such matters is that kindness
will meet ali suoh response.
Kindness has insight and can detect signs
Of promise in h compromising. while under
its genial Influences and delicate lninistra-
| tons these signs become manifest and the
things they promise begin to be fulfilled
| What else gives 50 great encouragement t.
the many who are struggling with adyers-
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
| speaks Of
That portion Of a good man. life
HIS little, nameleSS, aforementioned acts O
kindness and Of love.
How suggestive that is of what is posi-
bic in this way of kindness, which work:
with magic power to transmute apparent
trifes into priceless treasures-as st. Zita'r
cup OF cold water given to Il dusty ant
weary pilgrim proved to be. as he drank it
a cup of precious wine. Kind words often
as Dante says Of Bcatrice's words. "mort
smiled than spoken!" Kind actions. cost
ing little, but bestowing much! How easil,
they might be multiplied to tho immeasur
able cheer and comfort and enrichment O
HE! They make tho gloomy smile, The
angry grow meek, the suffering to ceast
from groaning:thcy light up hope. sweetel
bitter hOugh console sorrow. st rpnCtleI
the faint and turn from sin: and they reacl
and move those whom no other good infu
ences affect and conquer such as have re
sisted al! other powers Of grace.
Bitter and all too frequent are our re
cretS and rcpentanceS, rs we recall, per
haps too late for auGht but regret and re
pentancc, the unkind things said or don
| by Us. or the kind things We might am
should have said and done, but left unsaie
and undone. In our cups Of recollection
Overlooking With divine tender mercic
] and loving kindneSSeS there is no bittcre
ingredient than this. But seldom. ii ever
do we recall any error of ours on the par
of kindness or find any occasion for regret
ting merriful allowances. favorable. inter
pretations or whatever a spirit OF kindnes
may have prompted. We have never st0o,
by q coffin or n grave and repcnted Of an
utmost or even u%nrequited kindness show.
to the person at rest there.
The Gospel of Christ is precious becaue
It lSa gospel Of the "eXceeding great kind
ness Of God toward rs" in Christ, and be
cause it Is all the while timing to touc
and waken the chords of human svmpath
III our hearts: and in bringing Us under tn
law and into the spirit of brotherly kind
ness. to make rs know and rejoice togethe
IN the loving kindness Of our God, O. tbi
gospel We can all be ministers, and tn
best and most useful portion of our live
Will be our little, nameless. unremembere
acts Of kindness and Of love
Oh. then, since the time is short. .B
swift e love. make haste to be kind"
EDWIN BOND PARKER.
Pastor or the Second Church in Hartford