return.

nothing necessary for his recovery might he wanting, he gave the host what money he could spare, a sum equal to about fifteen pence with us, desiring him at the same time to lay out more, if more was needful, and promising him to pay the whole at his Luke x. 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, two denarii, 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. As neither the Samaritan nor the host knew, whether the man himself was in condition to defray the charges of his own recovery, he was so charitable that he became bound even for the whole. It seems he was afraid the mercenary temper of the host, might have hindered him from furnishing what was necessary, if he had no prospect of being repaid. Having finished the parable, Jesus said to the lawyer, 36. Which now of these three thinkest thou was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? The lawyer, greatly struck with the truth and evidence of the case, replied, without doubt, 37. He that shewed mercy unto him. Then Jesus said unto him, Go, and do thou likewise: shew mercy and kindness to every one that standeth in need of thy assistance, whether he be an Israelite, an heathen, or a Samaritan; and when works of charity are to be performed, reckon every man thy neighbour, not inquiring what he believes, but what he suffers t.

The smallness of the sum which this charitable man left with the host, shews that he was but poor. If so, this circumstance enhances his kindness to the Jew not a little.

† All the circumstances of this beautiful parable are formed with the finest skill imaginable, to work the conviction designed, so that had the lawyer been ever so much disposed to reckon none his neighbours but men of his own religion, it was not in his power to do it on this occasion. And although favours from a Samaritan had always been represented to him as an abomination more detestible than the eating of swine's flesh, he was obliged to acknowledge, that not the priest of the evite, but this Samaritan, by discharging a great office of humanity towards the Jew in distress, was truly his neighbour, and deserved his love more than some of his own nation, who sustained the most venerable characters; that the like humanity was due from any Israelite, to a Samaritan who stood in Reed of it; and that all men are neighbours to all men, how much soever they may be distinguished from one another in respect of country, or kin. dred, or language, or religion. Mankind are intimately knit together by their common wants and weaknesses, being so formed that they cannot live without the assistance of each other; and therefore the reation that subsists between them is as extensive as their natures, and the obligations under which they lie to aid one another by mutual good offices, are as strong and urgent as every man's own manifold necessities. By this admirable parable, therefore, our Lord has powerfully recommended that aniversal benevolence which is so familiar in the mouths, but foreign to the

hearts

hearts of many ignorant pretenders to religion and morality. It woul appear that the presumption of the Jews in matters of religion exceede all bounds; for though the supreme Being pays little regard to outwar worship, and is much more delighted with the inward hoinage of an holy and benevolent mind, yet because they prayed daily in his temple, and offered sacrifices there, and carried about his precepts written on their phylacteries, and had God and the law always in their mouths, they made no doubt but they worshipped God acceptably, notwithstanding they were so enormously wicked, that they would not put themselves to the smallest expence or trouble, though they could have saved life by it; and there. fore had no real love to God or their neighbour. This monstruous presumption being entirely subversive of true religion, our Lord thought fit to condemn it in the severest manner, and to brand it with the blackest and most lasting note of infamy, in the above charming parable.

As Jesus was now in Samaria, he shewed great humanity as well as jus tice, in assigning the benevolent charitable character in the parable to a native of this country. Or if the manner in which the evangelist has introduced this transaction, does not imply that it happened immediately after the seventy had given account of their mission, we may suppose that Jesus had left Samaria, and was gone into Judea. If so, it is not im probable that when he spake the parable he might be nigh to the place where the scene of it is laid. Travellers tell us, that the road from Je rusalem to Jericho ran through a mountainous country, fit for sheltering robbers, and that it was actually infested much with that sort of people. See Maundrel's Travels. The scene of the parable therefore is very properly laid.

§ LXXXIII. Jesus lodges at Bethany with Martha and Mary, in his way to the feast of dedication. Luke x. 38,-42.

In his way to Jerusalem, whither he was going to celebrate the feast of dedication, Jesus spent a night at Bethany, in the house of Martha and Mary, two religious women, the sisters of Lazarus. Luke x. 38. Now it came to pass as they went (journeyed) he entered into a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. On this occasion Martha expressed her regard for her divine guest, by the care she was at in providing the best entertainment in her power for him and his disciples; but Mary, the other sister, sat quietly at his feet listening to his doctrine, for he embraced every opportunity of imparting the knowledge of divine things to such as were willing to receive it. The burden of the service therefore lying upon Martha, and she being cumbered with it, blamed Jesus for allowing her sister to sit idly by him, while she was so much hurried. 39. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus's feet and heard his words. 40. But Martha was cumber

ed with much serving, and came unto him and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. In return, Jesus gently reproved Martha for putting herself to so much trouble about him, and commended Mary for applying herself to hear his doctrine. 41. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art care

ful

ful and troubled about many things: 42. But one thing is needful. Μεριμνάς και τυρβάζη περι πολλά. ενός င်း επι χρεια This some translate,

Thou art careful and troubled about many dishes; but there is need of one only. And Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her *: Mary, who now employs herself in hearing my doctrine, rather than in providing an entertainment for me, hath chosen a part which I approve of, and which I will not take from her.

The praise bestowed on Mary as having chosen a better part than Martha, does not imply that the contemplative life is more acceptable in the sight of God than the active, as the Papists would have us believe; for though it should be granted, that the comparison is run between the employments of Martha and Mary as they stand in the sight of God, the conclusion will not follow which they pretend to draw from it. The reason is plain: it is not two courses of life, but two particular actions that are here compared ; in which case no body will deny, that to hear the word of God as occasion offers, provided we do it with a view to profit by it, is more acceptable in the sight of God than to exercise any art or occupation relative to the present life; for no other reason, however, but that it tends more to the happiness of the person himself, which is the great end that God has proposed in all his laws. In the mean time it may be doubted, whether this be the meaning of the comparison. Cur Lord de signed rather to signify, that though he was not displeased with Martha's civility, Mary's listening to his doctrine was more acceptable to him, because he had infinitely greater pleasure in instructing, sanctifying, and saving souls, than in any kind of sensual indulgences whatsoever. As he beautifully expressed it on another occasion, "His meat and his drink was to do the will of his heavenly Father."

LXXXIV. At the feast of dedication, Jesus meets with the man who was born blind, avhom he had cured at the preceding feast of tabernacles. See § 78. He leaves Jerusalem and goes to Perea. His ministry in Perea begins. See § 98. John ix. 35,--41. x. 1,-42.

ABOUT the time that the feast of dedication began, Jesus arrived at Jerusalem; and being told that the council had excommunicated the beggar, on whom he had conferred the faculty of sight at the preceding feast of tabernacles, he resolved to make him full amends for the injury he had suffered on his account. Accordingly having found him, he discovered himself to him as the Messiah, and invited him to believe on him. John ix. 35. Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? 36. He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? 37. And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. The beggar being fully convin ced of his mission from God, by the great miracle performed on himself, (see ver. 30,--33. § 78.) replied, 38. Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. Upon this, Jesus directed his discourse to the people, who happened to be present with them: 39. And

Jesus

[Sect. 84. Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made blind. In these words he alluded to the cure of the blind man ; but his meaning was spiritual, representing not the design of his coming, but the effect which it would have upon the minds of men. It would shew what character and disposition every man was of. The humble, and teachable, and honest, though they were as much in the dark, with respect to religion and the knowledge of scriptures, as the blind man had been with respect to the light of the sun, should be greatly enlightened by his coming; whereas, those who in their own opinion were wise, and learned, and clear-sighted, should appear to be what they really were, blind, that is, quite ignorant and foolish. The Pharisees present hearing him speak thus, imagined that he cast a reflection. on their sect, which was held in great veneration among the common people because of their skill in the law. Wherefore, they replied with disdain, Do you imagine that we are blind like the rude vulgar; we, who are their teachers, and have taken such pains to acquire the knowledge of the scriptures? (see Acts xxii. 3.) John ix. 40. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus told them, that they would not have been to blame for rejecting him, if they had not had faculties and opportunities to discern the proofs of his mission; in that respect they were not blind. Nay, he acknowledged that they were superior to the vulgar in point of learning. But at the same time he assured them, that because their hearts were averse from receiving and acknowledging the truth, they were altogether blind; and that an enlightened understanding greatly aggravates the guilt of a blind heart. 41, Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin; but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Having thus reproved the Pharisees for shutting their eyes against the evidence of his mission, he continued the reproof by describing the characters of a true and false teacher, leaving them who had so unjustly excommunicated the beggar, to judge which of the classes they belonged to. Our Lord being now in the outer court of the temple, near the sheep which were there exposed to sale for sacrifice, the language of the ancient prophets came into his mind, who often compared the teachers of their own times to shepherds, and the people to sheep. Accordingly, in describing the characters of the Scribes and Pharisees, he made use of the same metaphor, shewing that there are two kinds of evil shepherds, pastors, or teachers; one, who instead of entering in by the door to lead the flock out and feed it, enter in some other way with an intention to steal, kill and destroy; there is another kind of evil shepherds, who, though they may have entered in by the door, feed their flocks with the dispositions of hirelings;

for

for when they see the wolf coming, or any danger approaching, they desert their flocks, because they love themselves only. Of the former character the Pharisees plainly shewed themselves to be, by excommunicating the man that had been blind, because he would not act contrary to the dictates of his reason and conscience to please them. But though they cast him out of their church, Christ received him into his, which is the true church, the spiritual inclosure, where the sheep go in and out, and find pasture. That this parabolical discourse was taken from the sheep which were inclosed in little folds within the outer court of the temple, whither they were brought by their own shepherds to be sold, is plain, because our Lord speaks of such folds as the shepherd himself could not enter, till the porter opened to him the door, viz. of the temple. John x. 1. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber: I assure you that whosoever in any age of the church, assumed the office of a teacher without commission from me, and without a sincere regard to the edification and salvation of men's souls, was a thief and a robber; and in the present age, he is no better who assumes that office without my commission, and particularly without believing on me, and without intending my honour, and the good of my church. For as our Lord calls himself the door, ver. 9. entering by the door must signify acting by his commission, which at that time could not be done without believing on him, and regarding his interest. He therefore here condemns the Scribes and Pharisees, who by assuming to themselves the right of teaching the people, had, directly contrary to God's command, intruded into the province of the priests, who were by God himself appointed the public teachers, (Levit. x. 11.) whose lips were to preserve knowledge, and at whose mouth the people were to seek the law, Mal. ii. 7. This is the reason that our Lord called the Scribes and Pharisees “a plantation which his heavenly Father had not planted," Matth. xv. 13. and ordered his disciples "to beware of their doctrine," Matt. xvi. 12. because they taught for doctrines the commandments of men, and made void the commandments of God by their traditions," Matt. xv. 6, 9. John x. 2. But he that entereth in by the door, the teacher that believes on me, and acts by commission from me, is the shepherd of the sheep. 3. To him the porter openeth; the person or persons who have a right to admit pastors, open the door to him :-and the sheep hear his voice; the people of God knowing him to be a true pastor, hearken unto him and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth

Ver. 3. Calleth his own sheep by name.] This is in allusion to the cus toms of Judea, where shepherds had names for their sheep, who answered

to