and kindred," looks on him and passes by." But at length, a Samaritan, a man of a different nation, and a different sect, journies where he lies bleeding and helpless, and has compassion on him; he binds up his wounds, pours in them the oil and wine he had provided for his neces‐ { sities; sets him on his own beast, conveys him to the shelter of an inn; and, being obliged to depart thence on his business, leaves money with the host to defray the expences incidental to his cure, with the additional charge "whatever thou spendest more, when I come again I will repay thee."

Such is the delightful and instructive parable with which our Saviour chose to answer the question of a Jewish Lawyer, "who is my neighbour?" A question most probably occasioned by an opinion too prevalent among the Jews, that a claim to the good offices of neighbourhood was confined to persons of their own country, and their own religious persuasion.

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In order to lay before you this argument of our Saviour in its strongest light, and to exhibit its full force on the question proposed, it may necessary to state to you certain particulars relative to the enmity subsisting between the Jews and the Samaritans. This enmity, which from its bitterness and long continuance became proverbial, seems to have originated at the revolt of the ten tribes of Rehoboam; and their leader

Jeroboam perpetuated it, by fixing his new capital at Samaria, and by erecting the shrine of a godless and idolatrous worship at Dan and Bethel.

But the circumstance, which rendered the line of separation more impassable between them, was the subsequent erection of the celebrated altar on Mount Gerizim, to which they ascribed more holiness than to the temple of Jerusalem itself." Our Fathers," says the Woman of Samaria, "worshipped on this mountain, but you teach that in Jerusalem men ought to worship." For the service of this altar they consecrated Manasses to the high Priesthood, in avowed rivalry to that distinguished office among the Jews. In consequence of these proceedings, all the excommunicated and disaffected of Judea flocked to Manasses and took sanctuary with the Samaritans; and henceforth these two nations, separatists in religion, in government, and in laws, hated each other with the bitterest animosity; had no dealings, no connection together; forbade all intercourse, and carried their mutual detestation so far as to withhold the common civilities and assistance which no stranger scruples to afford another. Thus the contention arose in religious differences; and to what deadly length such differences will carry their several advocates, we have but too many and too melancholy vouchers in the annals of Christianity

itself; at the same time, that this is a spirit utterly inconsistent with the will and temper of its Divine founder, would be evident to all observers, had they no other grounds on which to form a judgment than the parable before us.

To convince the narrow-minded sectarist of his error, to exhibit in its proper colours the disgusting selfishness of his principles, and to shew the extensive field of Christian charity, I apprehend to be the intention of Jesus Christ in the instance alluded to. And, as there is not a general maxim in the Gospel ordinances which cannot be brought home with advantage to the individual who hears or reads it, I shall endeavour, My Brethren, to direct your attention to two principal considerations, deducible from the parable of the good Samaritan; and before I quit my subject, I shall hope to leave on your minds a clear and definite impression of the principles which bear immediately on that great law of the Almighty, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, principles which are necessary to the right understanding of the law, and without which it would be but a dead letter, and an unmeaning record. Let us then enquire,

I. To what extent we are bound to admit the claim of neighbourly love as it regards persons. And,

II. To what extent we are bound to exercise that love as it regards the benefits it confers.

These appear to me the only material questions which arise on the face of the commandment, and having made up our minds on these points according to the model set before us, it only remains that we give vitality and vivacity to the sentiment, and " go and do likewise."

I. The spirit of charity which the Gospel inculcates, is as diffusive as the ascendency which the Gospel claims is absolute; not confined to country, clime, or colour, they go forth together, the friends of men in all the diversity of his species; wherever man is to be found, there is the Gospel to be preached; wherever the guilt of Adam attaches, there they assert the power and the privilege to counteract the taint; the anger of God, for the disobedience of our first parent, was kindled against the whole race, and who shall dare to deny that his mercy is commensurate with his justice?

After God's own image was man created: but oh! how poorly does the creature image his Creator's mind! We recur to the parable. The Priest of Judah saw his neighbour in distress and misery. Perhaps he paused to consider whether he was one to whom he was religiously bound to apply that term and to fulfil that duty. Had the poor sufferer been a foreigner, this hard hearted monster would not, I dare say, have had the delicacy to turn aside, but would have journeyed recklessly on, in the comfortable convic

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tion that he was not called upon to assist a stranger; but stay, he perceives him to be one of his own tribe, his own city, his own religion; one whom his law enjoins him to behold with pity and to relieve with kindness; and what does he do? Thrown on the sterile resources of his own mean and callous soul, he adopts a conduct which will save at once his conscience, his trouble, and his purse; he affects to be ignorant of his neighbour's extremity, and " passes by on the other side;" truly I wist not this was a Priest, "but God shall smite thee, thou whited sepulchre !" The Levite comes; like his predecessor, he is a bigot to law, a hypocrite to religion, and a stranger to humanity; instigated by curiosity, and probably with some secret hope of finding him an alien, he looks upon the poor wretch groaning by the way side. See! he discovers him at once to be a legal neighbour, to hold a legitimate demand on his compassion; he pauses; perhaps he is moved with some compunctious visiting of conscience; he turns, and looks again, but no, his passion is too strong for his monitor; his avarice carries it against his pity, and while he too sneaks away, and, to preserve the appearance of decency," passes by on the other side," the forlorn object of the robbers* cruelty and the neighbour's neglect is left to the further casualties of the high road. And here, My Brethren, can I glance my eyes around

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