ed to believe that such enmity, and all the righteousness, virtue and religion which are consistent with it, are opposed to the Lord our righteousness and to his gospel. 4th. It is evident that Jesus of Nazareth preached a righteousness, a system of moral virtue, and taught a religion, which were consistent with love to sinners, and the forgiveness of sins. Therefore, to be active in the righteousness, virtue and religion of Christ, it is necessary for us to feel the need and benefits of forgiveness ourselves, and to be disposed thereby to grant the same inestimable blessing to others who stand in the same need.

It will be granted, on all sides, that this woman possessed more of the spirit of Christ than Simon did. This is evident from what Jesus said to Simon, see verse 44-46. "And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou givest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou givest me no kiss: but this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. Mine head with oil thou didst not anoint but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment." From this it is safe to conclude, that those who are disposed to pour forth the tears of penitence and gratitude at the feet of him who forgives our many sins, are possessed of more of the spirit of Christ, than those who deny him, because he receiveth sinners and has compassion upon them.

Notwithstanding Simon, who was, undoubtedly, a man of a respectable character, of an honorable standing in the religious order to which he belong

ed, of a good natural disposition, and a tolerable discerning mind, on account of his religious education, was led to think that Jesus was no prophet, and that he did not know what manner of woman that was who approached him, yet he was that prophet of whom Moses spake, Deut. xviii. 15. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophct from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken." And he not only knew what manner of woman that was, but he also knew. the thoughts of Simon's heart, and was divinely wise to reprove him, and to correct his religious errors..

And notwithstanding there be in the premany sent day, of whom we might speak and think as favorably as we have above of Simon, who now have the same opinion of the true spirit of Jesus Christ, as Simon had, who now reject that blessed spirit of pardon and forgiveness with as much religious zeal as the pharisees in general did Jesus, and though they call this divine master of the house, Beelzebub, and those of his household nothing better, yet this blessed spirit is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of their hearts, and a wise reprover of their unbelief and religious bigotry.

PARABLE XXIX.

"And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped bim of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain pries that way; and when he saw him he passed by on the

other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 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. 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. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise," LUKE X. 30-37.

THIS parable of the man among the thieves, was spoken by Christ, to a lawyer, in answer to the lawyer's question, who asked, whom he should consider to be his neighbor. And the answer contained in the parable, communicates one of the most important duties which was ever enjoined on

man.

1st. A man travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho falling among thieves, being stript, wounded and half dead, is a suitable object of charity, which is the greatest of all christian virtues; and without which, the professor of ever so much goodness or religion, is nothing.

2d. A priest and a Levite beholding the suffering man, and treating him with cold neglect, is a just representation of the pharisee and his religion. The priest would, undoubtedly, have been willing to offer a sacrifice that the suffering man might bring, as an expiation of guilt, it being so, that he who administered at the altar lived of the things

of the altar; having never learned, that mercy was more acceptable to God than sacrifice. And being a stranger to heaven-born charity, could leave a distressed object of pity, to the scorching heat of day, to the cold damps of night, to nakedness, and to the death-like knawings of hunger.

3d. One possessed of the real principles of true religion, and a heart taught to feel for the distress of others, whose soul has been fired with divine charity, but does not conform to all the customs and traditions of the elders, wherewith they make void the law of God, is represented by a despised Samaritan pouring oil and wine into the wounds of suffering humanity. O, ye vain and formal professors of christianity! open your ears to reproof. What is all your profession of faith, of zeal for religion and the service of God? If you have not charity, you are nothing. He who had compassion on him who fell among thieves, was willing to go on foot, that the wounded might ride; neither did he ask another to show mercy and excuse himself, but having it in his power to relieve, asked none to assist in the expense. The lawyer having acknowledged that he who had compassion, was neighbor to him who'd among thieves, in preference to the priest a... the Levite; Christ exhorts him to go, and do likewise.

It is not unlikely that Christ should have a still further meaning in the above parable; though, undoubtedly, the above notes contain what was intended to be understood by the lawyer at that time, as the exhortation above mentioned seems to evince. The christian is taught to believe, that the scriptures testify of Jesus, and therefore may view the above parable as follows:

1st. By a man travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho, is represented the travel of man from the garden of innocence to the thorny and thistly fields of sin.

2d. By his falling among thieves, being stript naked, being wounded and left half dead, are represented the spiritual enemies of man, who are worse than thieves; the nakedness in which Adam found himself after transgression; the wounds, received from transgression and moral death, which are the wages of sin.

3d. By the priest and the Levite neglecting the wounded man, is shown the impotence of legal righteousness to recover man from sin and condemnation.

4th. By the Samaritan, Christ is intended, (the Jews said he was a Samaritan and had a devil) who was as much despised by the pharisees, and more, than were the Samaritans.

5th. By the compassion shown to the suffering man by the Samaritan, is represented the compassion of Christ towards the sinful race of Adam. Remember, the man who fell among thieves was so disabled that he could not help himself; that the oil and wine which were poured into his wounds, were not bought by him; that he rode the Samaritan's horse, having none of his own, therefore, did not travel on foot to the inn; and that he was afterwards taken care of at the expense of him who had compassion on him. All those miseries and poverty the sinner feels in himself; and more than all the good offices of the Samaritan, he rejoices to acknowledge from Jesus