lambs among wolves." They were to have no purse for money, no bag for food, nor shoes; for they must not feel that they could provide for themselves, but they must trust the Lord's care. They must salute no man by the way, and not go from house to house; but they must have their minds. wholly on their errand. Where they were not received they should wipe off the dust from their feet as a sign that they would let nothing of evil cling to them.

Should you not think that in every house they would welcome the disciples who came to tell about the Lord? If people did not receive them it was because they loved to do things which the Lord

(By permission of Palestine Exploration Fund.) Valley of the Jabbok, eight miles from the Jordan.

Even among the people in the towns of Galilee, who had more chance than any others to know the Lord, there were few who loved Him. When He once came to Nazareth where He had been brought up, the people tried to cast Him from the hill. There was Capernaum by the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and Bethsaida near by, where the Lord had done so many works of healing, and Chorazin back a little on the hills behind Capernaum; how they might have known the Lord and loved Him if they only would! "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." The Lord's sad words, which we are about to read, come strongly to mind as we stand among the ruins of Chorazin and Bethsaida, and look almost in vain for any trace of Capernaum. And then we think, the Lord has given us still more opportunity to know Him and to love Him, than He gave the people of Galilee. Are we not still more to blame if we do not do it?

After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes and salute no man by the way. And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you and heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same,

and say, Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell. He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to

tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.-Luke X. 1-21.

THE GOOD SAMARITAN.

THERE was a road which the disciples had often passed over with the Lord, which they knew very well. It led from the east gate of Jerusalem across the Kidron valley, up over the Mount of Olives, by the village of Bethany, and so down among bare

desert hills nearly twenty miles, to the brow of the high bluffs which border the Jordan valley. By the side of the road is a deep, rough gorge, from which a brook runs out into the sunny plain. In the Gospel time it watered the fields and gardens of Jericho, which stood just under the hills. This road is a lonely one, with no town

Apostles' spring, on the Jericho road.

after passing Bethany, and the country is rough and wild. Travellers to-day take a guard when they pass this way, and in the old time people sometimes fell among thieves as they went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.

The Lord told of such a one in a parable. There was a priest in the parable, one of those who did service in the

temple at Jerusalem, perhaps returning to his home after his term of service. The priests wore their white robes and turbans, and often as they went they read in some sacred roll. And there was a Levite in the parable. He was one of the tribe set apart for sacred duty, who helped the priests in the temple. We see the priest and the Levite gathering their robes about them, lest they should be defiled, and passing by on the other side.

Afterward a Samaritan came this way, riding on his horse or ass. You remember the Samaritans who lived in the middle part of the country between Judæa and Galilee. The Jews despised them and would have no dealings with them. This man was not learned in the law like the priest and Levite, but he had more of its spirit than they, for his heart was kinder than theirs. The parable tells of an inn. It was a khan, not unlike the inn at Bethlehem, where travellers rested on their lonely journey. The two pence which the Samaritan gave to the host were Roman silver coins about the size of our dimes, and worth fifteen cents each. But a penny was a day's wages in those times. We must read this beautiful story just as the Lord told it. But let us notice why He told it, and who were listening as He spoke.

A certain lawyer had asked the Lord a question. The lawyers were men who spent much time in studying the law of Moses, but too often they overlooked the real lesson of the Scriptures, to love the Lord and one another by being kind and useful.

And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 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. And by chance there came down a certain priest 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 neighbour 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. 25-37.

How can we go and do likewise? We never found a wounded man by the roadside. Perhaps not, but have we never met some little child in trouble, or some old person, or a blind man, and left him for some one else to help instead of helping him ourselves? At home and school, do we not pass many little chances to help our mother or our little sister

(By permission of Palestine Exploration Fund.)

Gorge of the Kelt: Jericho road high on the hill to the left.

or brother, because it is too much trouble, or would interfere with something we want to do for ourselves? There may be many times when it would not be really kind to give money to a poor man, for he would make bad use of it, and do harm to himself and others; but we must all watch for chances to be really kind and useful. Our best chance is in doing our regular work faithfully and well. And there are many little chances, which we shall not see unless we look for them; they will go unused unless we are quick to say a kind word and to lend a helping hand.