effectually overcome; for the fire of love had melted their enmity. How very different this result from that which followed the harsh conduct of Rehoboam, son of Solomon, when he ascended the throne! The congregation of Israel came to him, and said, "Thy father made our yoke grievous; now, therefore, make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which is put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee."* After consulting with his young men, Rehoboam answered, “ 'My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions." He might evidently have conciliated the people by kindness; but by pursuing a course of malignity, he introduced rebellion into his dominions; for ten of the tribes revolted against him, and formed a separate kingdom, which never again united with the rest of the Jews; but was frequently embroiled in war with them until the ten tribes were carried away into captivity. In this case, Rehoboam added evil to evil; and the consequence was discord, bloodshed, and anarchy. Elisha, on the contrary, met evil with good; and his enemies were changed into affectionate friends, who refused to lift the hand of opposi+1 Kings xii. 14.

* 1 Kings xii. 4.

tion against him or his country. The contrast between the result of love and hate, is very obviously marked in these convincing instances. Hate and revenge as surely ended in bloodshed and war, as love and kindness rooted up every weed of animosity and gave birth to respect and affection. Rehoboam multiplied his enemies by harshness-and Elisha gained many friends among the pagan Syrians by forbearance and goodness.

The power of the law of kindness is beautifully exhibited in the events with which the apostle Peter was concerned, at the betrayal of Christ. When Peter denied his Lord, and in his fear declared that he knew not the man, his bitter tears would never have flowed, nor his sorrow have been so pungent and complete, had not recollections of the kindness of his Lord came thronging over his feelings, powerfully contrasting his base ingratitude with that love which had instructed and blessed him. Peter bowed under it-he could not withstand the good with which his evil was met and he mourned his defection with sincere repentance, and was ever after true to his Saviour, even unto death.

After the venerable Evangelist, John, had returned from his banishment to the isle of Patmos, he made it his duty to visit the various

churches, to consult their prosperity and welfare. On one occasion he observed an intelligent-looking man, who, after a time, became a member of one of the churches. But this man soon became corrupt and intemperate, through the influence of bad company, and at last fled to a band of robbers, of whom he was made captain. When John, to his great grief, heard these facts, he exposed himself in the haunts of the robbers, and when taken, said, "Lead me to your captain." When the bandit saw John, he fled; but the apostle pursued him, saying, “My son, why flyest thou from thy father, unarmed and old?-fear not; as there yet remaineth hope of salvation-believe me, Christ hath sent me." Before the kind entreaties of John, the robber trembled and wept; and finally returned to his Christian companions and became an exemplary man.

*

In these instances we discover the power of kindness; and they prove that it is more efficacious than revenge: for if revenge had been exercised in regard to these persons, the results would have been entirely different from those which were brought about by the divine rule of overcoming evil with good.

See Goodrich's Ecclesiastical History, pp. 68, 69.

CHAPTER III.

THE POWER OF KINDNESS.

"The hand that wiped away the tears of want,
The heart that melted at another's wo,

Were his; and blessings followed him."

If we leave the Scriptures, and examine the records of history and experience, we find the most illustrious examples to exhibit the influence of the law of kindness in opening the fountain of goodness in the heart. These instances are not mere anecdotes, the stale outbreakings of fallacy; but they are facts whose truth is beyond doubt. And, so little is the law of loving enemies practised, that it is our duty to pile fact upon fact, until demonstration shall become so open and powerful, that to depart from it shall be blind and wilful resistance of truth. For, so sure as there is a God who rules in the universe; so sure as he has spoken to the world through the revelation of his will; so sure as Christ died for his foes, forgiving them the sin of his murder; so sure it is, that the law of kindness is the true governing principle between man and his fellows.

The first illustration to be presented under this head, is the case of the benevolent Howard. John Howard was born about the year 1727, in the village of Clapton, near London. From the year 1773 to 1790, the year in which he died, he spent his whole time in endeavoring to ameliorate the condition of prisoners of various characters. In this sublime employment, he chose to apply the fortune with which he was favored. And most nobly did he discharge his assumed duty. He personally visited and inspected nearly all the prisons and jails in England, Ireland, and Scotland-and so well was he convinced that neglect, brutal treatment, filth, and undue severity, only serve to harden the heart of the offender, that, by his representations to government, a great reformation was effected in the houses of confinement and the situation of prisoners. He visited the continent of Europe several times for the same object. He was the friend of the unfortunate. No matter how loathsome the dungeon, or degraded and hardened its inhabitants; his voice of mercy was there heard, and his kindness was manifested, as the best means of subduing and winning the sinner: for his familiarity with, and his conduct towards victims of all degrees of wickedness, perfectly convinced him that no person was so debased, or his feelings so cal