Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1901-10-03
POWER OF KINDNESS
DIR, TALMAGE'S SUNDAY SERMON.
Kind Words Cost Nothing and Have
Tremendous Potency In Doing
Good.
fCopEriRht. l@ul ]

OLHef name fOF MeltH. i MS lS!&NQ, WnlcH
has always been an important commercial
centre, belonging at different times &c
Pheenicia. to Greece to Rome, TO Arabia
to Spain. to France. now belongs to Eng
land The area Of the island Is about 100
square miles. 1T is in the Mediterranean
Sea. aud Of such clarity Of atmosphere
that Mount Etna. 100 miles away, can be
distinctly seen. The island is giorlously
memorable because the Knights Of Malta
for long while ruled there. but most Ia
nous because OF the apostolic EhpWTeck
The bestOrmed vessel on which Paul
sailed had laid to- on the starboard tack
and the wind was blowing east-northeast,
and, the vessel drifting probably mile
and half an hour. she struck at what IS
now called St. Paurs Bay. Practical sail
or8 have taken UP the Bible account and
decided beyond controversy the place of
the shipwreck. But the island, which has
50 rough coast, is for the most part a
garden. Richest fruits and profusion OF
honey characterized it IN PauPs time as
well az now. The finest oranges, figs and
olives grow there.
When Paul and his comrades craw,cd up
on the beach, saturated aud hungry from
long abstinence from food and chilled to
the bone, the islanders. though called bar
bar!aE5 because they could not sDeGE
Greek, opened their doors to the ship
wrecked unfOrtunates. Nv taZt finds the
- -
hot fire ard with the best provision the
islanders can offer them. And they go
into Rovernmcr1 quarters fo- three d.ys
t, recuperate. Pub'ius. the ruler. inviting
them. although he bad .cvere sickness in
,he hOu.e at That time, his father down
with 4 dangerous illness. Aea, for three
months they stayed on the island watch
ing tot a ship and putting the hospitality
OF the islanders 10 a severe test. But it
endured the test satisfactorily. and It Is
record 4 for all the aces of time and otrr-
njtv to read and hear IN regard to the in
habitants Of MALTA. The barbarCUs DeoDlc
showed u, no little kindness"
Kindoc.s. What a great word that Is,
Il would take L reed a. long as that which
the apocalyntic angel used to measure
heaven TO tell the leneth. the breadth, inc
heicht Of that munificant word It is 4
favorite Bible word, and it is early launched
in the book of Genesis. caught IN in the
Ruth sworn bY 10 the book OF Samuel,
crowned in the book of Psalms and en-
thr0nod in many uiaces iii the New Tes-
lament. Kindness. 4 word 10 more
gentle than mighty. I expect it VIII wres-
tie ne down before I get through with It.
it is strong erough to throw an archan-
gel But 1t will be well for lis to stand
around it and warm ourselves bv It's glow
as Paul and his fellow v0yagers stood
around the fire on the Island of Malta.
where the Maltese made themselves i'm
mortal in nv text by the wav thew treated
these victims of the sea. The barbaroUs
people showed us no little kindness"
kindnessl All definitions of that multi
potent word break down half way. You
say it i cIemency, beniguity, generosity;
it IS made up OF good wishes; it is CON
tlibuti0n 10 the happiness OF others.
Some one else saws: "(Vnv. | can Give Won
a definition OF kindness. It is sunshine Of
the soul; it is affection perennial: it is a
cIinacteric grace; it is a combination of
all the graces; it Is compassion; it is the
perfection Of gentle manhness and vom-
anlines5.' Are YOU all through? You
have made Il dead failure in your defini-
ton. 1t cannot be Defined But we all
know what it is, for we have all felt its
power. Some Of YOU may have felt il as
Paul felt it or some coast OF roc, a. the
ship went 10 pieces, but more of us have
again and again in some awful stress Of
life had either from earth or heaven hands
stretched out which "shOwCJ rs no LITTLE
kindness"
There j. Kindness Of disnos;tion hind
ness Of word. kindness OF act and there
is Jesus Christ. the impcrsora+ion of All
OF them. Kindness! You cannot affect il:
you cannot play it as a part; YOU cannot
enact it; You cannot dranatize il. Bv the
grace OF God YOU must have II inside Won
an everlasting summer. or. rather a COM
bination OF June and october. the Genial
ity CT the one and the tonic Gf the other,
1T cannot dwell with Arrogance or spite or
revenge or nalevolence. At its first ay-
pearance in the soul all these AmaIeI,itfs
aud Gergishites and Hittites and ,Jebu-
sites must quit and cult forever. Kind
ness wishes ever,hodr vcn every child
well. every bird WeU. every horse we'll
every dog well. every cat well.
Give this spirit full swing, and You
would have no more need Of Societies for
prevention OF cruelty to animals. no more
need OF protcc5iva sewing won,ea's asso-
cations, and il would dull every sword
until it would not cat skin dleD and lll-
wheel every battery I'll it could not roll
and make cuny0w1ar Of M mora Il.n in
the world cxcapr for rock BLASTING or Dy-
rotechnic celebration.
Eut are you waiting and hoping for some
one TO be bankruDted or exposed or dis
committed or III some way orertllrown?
linen kindness has noo taken possession OF
yoIr nature. You are wrecked on Malta
where there are no oranges. lou are en-
tertalnlng 4 guest so unlike kindness that
klndness Wlh no. come aud dwell under
the same ROOF. The most cXhaustin1 and
and rLinous spirit OF Cartn IS d
revennaiul spirit o.. r5taljatilg spirit, as |
kno"- by experience, fo2 J. have tried it for
five OF ten minutes al time. When some
mean tang has been done me or said
about me, have felt Il viii pay him in
ms Own coin [ viii show him IN. The
migrate, the traito", the liar. the yiIlain!'
~. I'VE o. ten minutes OF the feeling has
ben 50 unnarving and exhausting | have
i. ed ] cannot understand
how rco~.e can 60 about tortI1riDr them
: ewes i've 0. IL, o. twenty years irvine
to SCI even with sorahody. The 0niT
Way YOU viii ever triumnh over Innr o enc-
mics Is. b. forgiving them ald wishing
tE,m all good and no evil.
- iA''evo.ence Is the most uneasy and
Proi'Lt(S ana dangerous fee!nE, kindness
IS tne most EedIth1ui and delightful. And
TINS Is nos an a55tracIoA. As have tried
a NIKE OF the retahatory feeling, 50 ! have
tired a nttlc or the torglylng. | do not
want to leave this world until / have
i &5en Vengeance upon every man that ever
ol4 n me W VII by e dol2 e.: hlm klndness
let Us al |, pray Tor thus spirit Of kind
ness 1T VIII settle thousand questions.
1t Will change the phase OF everything. 1t
viii mellow through aad through our en-