“Androcles and the Lion.”  Most of those who read these pages may have heard this story, but it illustrates the point before us so well that I do not hesitate to use it here.

Androcles was a Roman slave.  To escape the cruel treatment of his master he ran away.  A lonely cave in the midst of the forest was his home for a while.  Returning to his cave one day he met a lion near the mouth of the cave.  He was bellowing as if in pain; and on getting nearer to him, he found that he was suffering from a thorn which had run into one of his paws.  It was greatly swollen and inflamed, and was causing him much pain.  Androcles went up to the suffering beast.  He drew out the rankling thorn and thus relieved him of his pain.  His nature, savage as it was, felt the power of the kindness thus shown to him.  He became attached to the lonely slave, and shared his prey with him while they remained together.

But, after a while the retreat of Androcles was discovered.  He was taken and carried back to his master.  The lion also was made a prisoner soon after.  Androcles was kept in prison for some time; and finally, according to the custom of the Romans, he was condemned to be devoured by wild beasts.  The lion to be let loose on Androcles had been kept a long time without food and was very hungry.  When the door of his den was opened he rushed out with a tremendous roar.  The Colosseum was crowded with spectators.  They expected to see the poor slave torn to pieces in a moment.  But, to the surprise of everyone, the great monster, hungry as he was, instead of devouring the condemed man, crouched at his feet, and began to fondle him, as a pet dog would do.  He recognized in the poor prisoner his friend of the forest and showed that he had not forgotten his kindness.  The kindness of Androcles had been like the honey shield to him.  It saved his life, first from the savage beast in the forest; and then from the savage men in the city.  Let us all put on this shield, and wear it wherever we go.  The lesson of kindness which Jesus teaches in this parable, has been very well put by some one in these sweet lines: 

THE LESSON OF KINDNESS.

    “Think kindly of the erring! 
    Thou knowest not the power
    With which the dark temptation came
    In some unguarded hour;
    Thou knowest not how earnestly
    They struggled, or how well,
    Until the hour of weakness came,
    And sadly then they fell.

    “Speak kindly to the erring! 
    Thou yet may’st lead him back
    With holy words, and tones of love,
    From misery’s thorny track: 
    Forget not thou hast often sinned
    And sinful yet must be:—­
    Deal kindly with the erring one
    As God hath dealt with thee!”

The duty of kindness was the third lesson Jesus taught in the parables.

A fourth lesson taught us in some of the parables of Jesus is——­ THE DUTY OF FORGIVENESS.