The Newtown bee., 1908-04-17
HOME NEWS.
 LITTLE SERMONS. ... KINDNESS BY o. O. WRIGHT.

"The fruit of the Spirit is { kind.
 ness." Gal. 5: 22. .1s,
 We often hear persons spoken of as
 kind-hearted, or good-hearted- whose
 natural sympathies are quickly moved,
 who are naturally disposed to do about
 anything you may want them to do;
 and who are not very firm to say no
 to anything. Such there are who are
 simply good-natured. perhaps; weak
 rather than gentle, too soft as to their
 feelings and sentiments to make any
 sharp distinctions as to what is right
 or wrong, wise or otherwise. The world
 is full of those who have this idea that
 kindness is simply promiscuous good
 feeling which treats the good and the
 bad just alike; the saint and the sinner
 as being of the same fellowship: the thief. liar, and drunkard as being on the same level with the honest, truth full and temperate.
 Sometimes we see this mawkish sen timentalism manifest in attempts to defeat the ends of Justice. and to let the notorious criminal go free. It is that sort of abnormal feeling which all ways takes the part of the under dog, without any intelligent consideration of what the dog that is under may de- serve. It is disease of our modern civilization.which Charles Dudley War her called ''moral mushiness." It is about as far as possible from being anything like the kindness" which grows out of the Spirit of God.
 Kindness may be simply tender feeling, or natural affections. Kind- ness in the family, home. and social circle comes under this head. We mo- tice the kind husband, kind parents, the kind neighbors and friends. It goes great way toward making life happy. A tender feeling for those in sickness, want, or any distress shows itself in careful attentions of relief and comfort, where there is natural bond of affection, or an acquired love. or some fraternal obligation of associa- tion, self-sacrifce will be found active in ministering good to those who are under mutual VOWS to care for each other. Much of the relief work now done under the name of associated charities may perhaps come into this consideration. It may be Christian love, it may be only the natural sympa thy of tender hearts that cannot bear to see suffering; it may be device to get rid of the personal care and re- sponsibility which many are not able nor willing to assume.
 Personal sympathy and kindness we all need; and bereft of love life can scarcely be other than lonely and mis- erable. With many, the natural affec- ions, and personal relations of this fife are more than all else in the world. They live for those they love, md even sacrifice the higher and more interests of the moral and spiritual nature for the sake of family md friends. Benevolence like any ,ther natural feeling. or sentiment. 'hould be guided by right reason, sound Judgement, and good conscience. It s much easier to do harm than good, if one is predisposed to nor id sympathy and excessive affection.
 Mistaken kindness is one of the most common abuses of our poor, weak. hu- nan nature. It is a strange contradic ion of experience, but nothing is more ertain than that false kindness is the most wanton cruelty. More people are uined by intended kindness than by determined persecution, probably. It s the greatest folly of love that it is lot wise enough to be righteous and I ust toward the object of its affection. To pet a wayward child when it should , ,e punished, for its own moral wei are, is not kindness but cowardice. or weakness. To shield friend from he consequences of deliberate wrong f oing cannot be the part of real, wOr . hy friendship. To condone sin and z rime. and so defeat the spirit and pur- ose of the moral and the civil law can ot be true loving-kindness to any. I God is not mocked; for whatsoever |
 man soweth, that shall he also reap. forbid, excessive, and sinful affec- ions, or sickly sentimental notions Of indness, cannot set aside the laws of t UT own moral nature, nor modify the t fleets of divine retribution. Mistaken , indness to enc, or to a few, which !. rorks injustice and evil to many is a . Il zf-a A..z