sect, or garnered up in one creed, but are manifested by all those whose hearts have been watered by the dews of the heavenly truth, "love your enemies," irrespective of the denomination to which they severally belong.

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Can any individual, in view of these facts, doubt the efficacy of the divine precept, come evil with good?" Can they deliberately affirm that the strong arm of revenge is the best conqueror of evil?—that retaliation is the surest mode of overcoming an enemy?-that opposition should be crushed by the iron power of force? Can they declare that kindness is without influence?-that the voice of love will not reach and soften the soul long under the dominion of violence ?-that it will not subdue the stubbornness of bigotry? So far is this from being the fact-so sanguine do I feel in the power of kindness-that I am almost convinced, that there never yet was an instance in which kindness has been fairly exercised, but that it has subdued the enmity opposed to it. Its first effort may not succeed, any more than one shower of rain can reclaim the burning desert— but let it repeatedly shed the dew of its holy influence upon the revengeful soul, and it will soon become beautiful with every flower of tenderness. An individual can no more oppose the kindness which is continually and steadily

manifesting itself towards him, than he can fan the flame of violent anger in his soul, when the most pure and charming music is flooding his senses with its rich harmony. He will as certainly submit to its winning power, as the compass-needle yields to the influence of magnetism. It is not in human nature to withstand a long course of kindness. Pride and stubbornness may, for a time, stay the tide of better feelings, like the waters of the stream pent up by gathering masses of ice; but those better feelings will accumulate and increase, until they break down pride and stubbornness, and cause the repentant to exclaim like one of old, "Thou knowest that I love thee." Let any person put the question to his soul, whether, under any circumstances, he can deliberately resist continued kindness ?—and a voice of affection will answer, that good is omnipotent in overcoming evil. If the angry and revengeful person would only govern his passions, and light the lamp of affection in his heart, that it might stream out in his features and actions, he would soon discover a wide difference in his communion with the world. The gentle would no longer avoid him; friends would not approach him with a frown; the weak would no longer meet him with dread; children would no longer shrink from him with fear; he would

find that his kindness wins all by its smile, giving them confidence and securing their friendship. Verily I say to you, that kindness is mightier than the conqueror; for the conqueror subdues only the body-KINDNESS SUBDUES THE SOUL.

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CHAPTER IV.

THE DISARMING FORCE OF KINDNESS.

"It is very true, as mother used to tell me, if you want to love people, or almost to love them, just do them a kindness, think how you can set about to make them happier, and the love, or something that will answer the purpose, will be pretty sure to come."-RICH POOR MAN, p. 11.

THE object of this chapter is to present an additional number of instances from the workshop of human life, to exhibit the power of kindness in subduing enmity and changing foes into friends. And it will be observed here, as in the last chapter, that these instances are not dreams, the mere outbreakings of fancy or falsehood; but they are tangible facts, as far beyond doubt as they are excellent in spirit.

It is well known that Quakers, or Friends, have adopted the non-resistance principle, or the law, "overcome evil with good." The founder of Philadelphia, William Penn, was completely armed with the spirit of this principle. When he visited this country, he came without cannon or sword, and with a determination to meet the Indians with truth and kindness. He bought their land and paid them

As a

he made a treaty with them and observed itand he always treated them as men. specimen of the manner in which he met the Indians, the following instance is very striking. There were some fertile and excellent lands, which, in 1698, Penn ascertained were excluded from his first purchase; and, as he was very desirous of obtaining them, he made the proposal to the Indians that he would buy those lands, if they were willing. They returned for answer, that they had no desire to sell the spot where their fathers were deposited-but to "please their father Onas," as they named Penn, they said that he should have some of the lands. This being decided, they concluded the bargain, that Penn might have as much land as a young man could travel round in one day, "beginning at the great river Cosquanco,' now Kensington, and ending at the great river Kallapingo,' now Bristol ;" and, as an equivalent, they were to receive a certain amount of English goods. Though this plan of measuring the land was of their own selection, yet they were greatly dissatisfied with it, after it had been tried; "for the young Englishman chosen to walk off the tract of land, walked so fast and far, as to greatly astonish and mortify them. The governor observed this dissatisfaction, and