CHRIST REJOICING. 269 they are lost. We cannot understand all His dealings: we see in part, and know in part. Let us rest in the conviction that the judgment-day will clear up all, and that the Judge of all will not fail to do right. We should also observe the character of those from whom truth is hidden, and to whom it is revealed. We must not infer that any persons on earth are naturally more deserving of God's grace and salvation than others. All are alike sinners, and merit nothing but wrath and condemnation. The wisdom of this world often makes people proud, and increases their natural enmity to Christ's Gospel: we must beware of self-righteousness. Nothing so blinds the eyes of our souls to the beauty of the Gospel as the vain, delusive idea, that we are not so ignorant and wicked as some, and that we have got a character that will bear inspection. To see that we are bad, is the first step towards being really good; to feel that we are ignorant, is the first beginning of all saving knowledge. We should observe, in the twenty-second verse, the majesty and dignity of our Lord Jesus Christ. These are the words of One who was very God of very God, and no mere man. We read of no patriarch, or prophet, or apostle, or saint, of any age, who ever used words like these. They reveal to our wondering eyes a little of the mighty mystery of our Lord's nature and person; they show Him to us as the Head over all things, and King of kings. "All things are delivered to Me of my Father." They show Him as the mighty Revealer of the Father to the sons of men; as the God who pardons iniquity, and loves sinners for His Son's sake. U "No man knoweth who the Father is, but he to whom the Son will reveal Him." Let us repose our souls confidently on our Lord Jesus Christ. He is One who is "mighty to save." Many and weighty as our sins are, Christ can bear them all. If Christ was not God as well as man, we might indeed despair; but with such a Saviour as this we may begin boldly, and press on hopefully, and await death and judgment without fear. Christ over all, God blessed for ever, will not fail any one that trusts in Him. We should notice, in the twenty-fifth verse, the solemn question which was addressed to our Lord Jesus Christ. The motive of the lawyer was evidently not right: he only asked this question to "tempt" our Lord, and to provoke Him to say something on which His enemies might lay hold. Yet the question he propounded was undoubtedly one of the deepest importance, and one which unhappily few care to consider. Very few will ever give a moment's thought to the salvation of their souls. The subject makes them uncomfortable: they turn from it, and put it away. But it is a question which deserves the principal attention of every man, woman, and child on earth. We are all sinners, dying sinners, and going to be judged after death. What must we do to be saved? is an inquiry which people of every rank ought to put to themselves, and never rest till they find an answer. We should observe, lastly, the high honour which our Lord places on the Bible. He refers the lawyer at once to the Scriptures, as the only rule of faith and practice. THE RULE OF FAITH. 271 Let this be one of the foundation principles of our Christianity. Let the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible, be the rule of our faith. What saith the Scripture? This is the only rule, and measure, and gauge of religious truth. "To the law and the testimony," says Isaiah; "if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Isai. viii. 20.) Dearer, Lord, thy statutes far Than the world's best treasures are; Dross and dust, compared with them. Like a lamp, where'er I stray, LVIII. The Parable of the Good Samaritan. ST. LUKE X. 29-37. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour ? 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was : and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. In order to understand the drift of this parable we must carefully remember the occasion on which it was spoken. Our Lord answers the lawyer's question, “Who is my neighbour?" by telling the story we have just read, and winds up the narrative by an appeal to the lawyer's conscience. The object of the parable is to show the nature of true charity and brotherly love. To lose sight of this object, and try to discover deep allegories in the parable, is to trifle with Scripture, and deprive our souls of most valuable lessons. THE GOOD SAMARITAN. 273 Our Lord was probably on His way to Jerusalem, to the Feast of Tabernacles, when He spoke this parable, and chose that neighbourhood as the scene of the story. Jericho was situated about fifteen miles to the northeast of Jerusalem, and about eight west of the river Jordan. In the time of Joshua it was a very large city, in point of size second only to Jerusalem, and was the first town taken by Joshua, who destroyed it to the foundation. (Josh. vi. 20.) It was sometimes called the City of Palm Trees, from the number of palms in the vicinity. It is now a small village, wretched in appearance, inhabited by very few persons, and called Riha, or Rah, built near the ruins of the ancient city. In our Lord's time Judæa abounded with robbers, which is a better term than the word thieves, who only steal property, whereas these highwaymen, as well as robbing, endangered also the lives of travellers. The country from Jerusalem to Jericho was rocky, mountainous, and but little inhabited, forming a fit resort for robbers. Our Lord teaches us, in this parable, how rare and uncommon is true brotherly love. Both the Priest and Levite, who "passed by" the poor wounded traveller, were men who, from their office and profession, ought to have been ready and willing to do good to one in distress. But both in succession were too selfish or too unfeeling to offer the slightest assistance. We have in this striking description an exact picture of what is continually going on in the world. Selfishness is the leading characteristic of the great majority of mankind. That cheap charity which costs nothing |