Year: 1874

Wnlcn Nc ID AZ the mercy OF external acci-


dents in the world. has always been a fa-


vorite topic with the moralists. They have


expatiated upon it with so much amplitude


OF rhetorical exaggeration, that it has at
| last produced in our minds sense of un-
reality, against which we rebel. Man is no


doubt very weak. He can only be passive
| in q thunder storm, or run in an earthouake.


The odds are against him when he is man
aging bis ship in hurricane, or when pes
| tiience IS raging in the house where he
| lives. Heat and cold, drought and rain,


are his masters. He is weaker than an
elephant, and subordinate to the east wind.


This is very true. Nevertheless, man has
TO leave him as proprietor of this planet, in
Possession of at least as much comfortable
jurisdiction as most landed proprietors
have In free country. He has one power
in particular, which is not sufficiently
dwelt on, and with which we will at pre-
sent occupy ourselves. It lis the power of
making the world happy, or, at least, of SO
greatly diminishing the amount of unhap-
piness in it, as to make it quite different
world from what 1t ia at present. This
power is called kindness. The worst kinds
OF unhapp1ness, as we'll as the greatest
amount of it, come from our conduct to
each other. If our conduct, therefore, were
under the control of kindness, it would be
nearly the opposite of what it is, and so
the state of the world would be almost re-
versed. We are for the most part unhappy,
because the world is an unkind world.
But the world is only unkind for the lack of
kindness in US units who compose it, Now,
if all this is but SO much as half true, it is
plainly worth our while to take some
trouble to gain clear and definite notions
of kindness. We practice more easily what
we already know clearly.


We must first ask ourselves what kind
ness is. Words which we are using con-
at mt 70 how Soksr
meaning in our minds. They become SYM


bols and figures rather than words, and
we content ourselves with the general i'm
preston they make upon US. Now let us
be little particular about kindness, and
describe it as accurately as we can. Kind
We put others in the place of self We
treat them as we would wish to be treated
ourselves. We change places with them.
For the time self is another, and others are
self. Our self-love takes the shape of
complacence in unselfshness. We cannot
speak Of the virtues without thinking Of
God. What would the overflow of self
upon others be in him, the Ever-blessed
and Eternal 1t was the act of creation.
Creation was divine kindness. From it, as
from fountain, flow the possibilities, the
powers, the blessings of all created kind
ness. This is an honorable genealogy for
kindness. Then, again, kindness is the
coming to the rescue of others when they
need it and it is in our power to supply
what they need and this is the work of the
attributes of God towards his creatures.
His omuipotence is forever making up our
deficiency of power. His justice is con-
tinually correcting our erroneous judg-
ments. His mercy is always consoling our
fellow creatures under our hard hearted
ness. His truth is perpetually hindering
the consequences of our falsehood. His
omniscience makes our ignorance succeed
as if it were knowledge. His perfections
are necessarily coming to the rescue of our
inperfections. This is the definition of
Providence and kindness is our imitation
of this divine action. Moreover, kindness
is also like divine grace for it gives men
something which neither self nor nature
can give them. What it gives them is
something of which they are in want, or
something which only another person can
give, such as consolation and besides this,
the manner in which this is given is a true |
gift itself, better far than the thing given (; |
and what is ali this but an allegory of
grace? Kindness and sweetness to every
thing. 1t is kindness which makes life's
blossom, and paints them with
their cheering hues, and endows them
with their invigorating fragrance. Whether
it waits on its superiors or ministers to its
or disports itself with it's equals,
its work is marked by q prodigality which
the strictest discretion cannot blame 1t



looks the most necessary work that could
be. If it goes to soothe sorrow, it does
more than soothe it. If it relieves a want
It cannot do so without doing more than
relieve it. Its manner ia something extra,
and is the choice thing in the bargain.
Even when it is economical in what it
gives, it is not economical of the grace
ulness with which it gives it. But what
8 all this like, except the exurberance of
,he divine government See how, turn
which way we will, kindness is entangled
with the thought of God Last of all, the
secret impulse out of which kindness acts
Is an instinct which is the noblest part of
the most undoubted remnant of
;he image of God, which was given US at the
irst; We must, nn5 Therefore, never think Of
nature, common in the sense of being of
title value. 1t is the nobility of man. In
Ill it's notifications it reflects heavenly
ype. It runs mp into eternal mysteries.
{ is divine thing rather than a human
me and it is human because it springs