Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1901-190?, 1901-09-30
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
THE SPIRIT OF AMlTY" LAST SUN.
DAYS sg2IEcT.
The Barbarous People showed Us No
Little Kindness Acts NNviii.
Kindness In Action the Greatest of
Virtues.

| ICopyright, 1901, by Louis klopsch. n. "
Washington. Sept. 22.--In this dis
course DR. Talmage commends the
| spirit of amity and good feeling and
mentions illustrious examples OF that
spirit, text, Acts xviii. 2. The bar
barous people showed us no little
kindness"
Here we are on the island OF Malta.
another name for Melita This island,
which has always been an important
commercial center, belonging at diff
ferent times to Phoenicia to Greece,
to Rome. to Arabia. to Spain. to
France. now belongs to England. The
area OF the island is about 100 square
miles. II is in the Mediterranean sea
and of such clarity OF atmosphere that
Mount Aetna. 1870 miles away. can be
distinctly seen. The island is glori-
| ously memorable because the Knights
OF Malta for long while ruled there.
but NOSE famous because OF the apos-
tolic shipwreck. The bestormed YES
sci on which Paul sailed had laid
to- on the starboard tack. and the
wind was blowing east-northeast. and,
the vessel drifting probably a mile and
a half an hour. she struck at what Is
now called ST. Paul's bay. Practical
sailors have taken up the Bible ac-
| count and decided beyond controversy
the place OF the shipwreck. But the
! island which has so rough a coast. Is
/ for the most part a garden. Richest
fruits and a profusion Of honey char
/ acterized IL in Paul's time as well as
now. The finest oranges. figs and
olives grow there.
When Paul and his comrades crawl
ed up on the beach. saturated and
hungry from long abstinence from
food and chilled to the bone. the ISL
lnders. though called barbarians be-
cause they could not speak Greek.
opened their doors TO the shipwrecked
unfortunates. Everything had gone
to the bottom OF the deep. and the
barefooted, barehedded apostle and
ships crew were in a condition to ap-
preciate hospitality. About twenty
five such men few years ago found
In the life STATEN near East Hampton,
Long Island. They had got ashore in
the night from the sea. and not hat
or shoe had they left. They found
out as Paul and his fellow voyagers
| found out. that the sea is the toughest
Df all robbers My text finds the ships
crew ashore on Malta and around
hot fire drying themselves and with
the best provision the islanders can
offer them And they go into govern
ment quarters for three days to recu-
perate, Publius. the ruler, Inviting
them. although he had severe sickness
n the house at that time his father
down with a dangerous illness. Yea,
for three months they staid on the
sland watching for ship and putting
The hospitalities of the islanders to a
severe test. But il endured the test
satisfactorily.and ii is recorded for all
the ages of time and eternity to read
and hear in regard to the inhabitants
of Malta THE barbarous people
showed us no little kindness"
A Magnificent Word.
Kindness What a great word
that isl 1t would take reed as long
as that which the apocalpytic angel
used To measure heaven to tell the
length, the breadth, the height OF that
muniflcent word. 1t is favorite Bible
word. and II is early launched in the
book OF Genesis caught up In the
book of Joshua. embraced in the book
of Ruth, sworn by in the book OF
Samuel, crowned in the book OF
Psalms and enthroned in many places
in the New Testament. Kindness! A
word no more gentle than mighty.
expect it will wrestle me down before
| get through with II. II Is strong
enough to throw an archangel. But II
will be well for us to stand around
II and warm ourselves by its glow as
Paul and his fellow voyagers stood
around the fire on the island OF Malta.
where the Maltese made themselves
immortal In my text by the way they
treated their victims OF the sea. THE
barbarous people showed MS no little
kindness"
Kindness! All definitions of that
multipotent word break down half
way. You say it Is clemency, be-
dignity. generosity it is made up OF
good wishes; 1t is an expression of
beneficence; 1t is a contribution to the
happiness OF others. Some one else
says. Why. | can give you a defini-
tion of kindness; II is sunshine OF the
soul;7i 1t is affection perennial: II Is a
climacteric grace;it is the combination
Of all graces; il is compassion; II is
the perfection of gentle manliness and
womanliness," Are you all through?
You have made a dead failure in your
definition II cannot be defined but
we all know what 1t is for we have
all felt its power. Some of you may
have felt IL as Paul felt IL, on some
coast of rock as the ship went to
pieces, but more OF us have again and
again in some awful stress OF life
had either from earth or heaven hands