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WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR?

wakeful, tell him that other steps are approaching. Half opening his failing eyes, he sees a Levite approaching. “Ah! now," he thinks, for he can speak no longer, “I shall find a friend. A proud priest may belie his religious professionsmany have done so before--but a Levite, who mixes more with the people, will show compassion, and come and help me." The Levite arrived at the spot, and turning out of his way, he came up to him and "looked on him." But surely this will not be all that he will do-surely he will not, like the unfeeling priest, pass on, and leave the poor traveller to die! Alas! he does: for without speaking a word, he “passed by on the other side." Verily, thou dost not love thy neighbour!

Dreadful were the fears of the wretched sufferer, as a projecting rock hid from his view the hard-hearted Levite, passing on his way. "Now I must die," he said in heart, "and go the way of all the earth!" Thoughts of the eternal world ¦ now occupied his mind with such overwhelming power, that his money, his wife, his children, his friends, and his own pains, were all forgotten.

Again he hears the sound of footsteps; but his eyes can see no longer-his head swims in dizzy visions-he faints! By-and-bye he recovers, and opening his eyes, he sees one stand bending over him with affectionate kindness. He is not a priest or a Levite-he is a stranger. And now that stranger, having bound up his wounds, "pouring in oil and wine," has set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn." " What he did there beside, yon read in the sacred narrative.

In this way Jesus Christ answered the question—“ Who is my neighbour?" and the lawyer who asked the question was silenced. And well he might, for who could gainsay such a reply.

And the lesson taught by our Lord is this-every man is your neighbour-Englishman or Frenchman, Indian or African -and you should show your love to all by doing good to all, and thus shew yourselves to be the children of our Father in heaven.

But our Lord had another design; he wished to teach this pharisaic lawyer, that the religious pretensions of the Priests and Levites were good for nothing, and worse-they were hypocritical. They esteemed themselves to be righteous, and despised others, especially the Samaritans. When they wished

POETRY.

to say the bitterest thing they could think of against our Lord himself, it was, "Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil." The Samaritans were an abomination to the Jews. "All the prejudice that ever grew out of caste, colour, name, or nation, combined into one intense sentiment of repugnance, were nothing to the inherent irreconcilable hatred which the Jews entertained against this unfortunate people. For it was a hatred set on fire by religious zeal and Jewish intolerance, pursuing the poor Samaritan with a curse that burned down into his grave. His presence was pollution: no religious Jew would enter his habitation, or drink from his well, or eat from his table, or touch anything that belonged to him. He would exchange with him no salutation or expression of civility. Every avenue of reconciliation was closed; the privilege of repentance was denied him; the hope of pardon was cut off; for he was the only being on earth who could not attain to the communion of the Jews by a conversion to their faith. These bigots could not stop here; they would fain consign his soul to annihilation, and sink his grave beneath the hearing of the archangel's voice. Presumptuous profanity! they launched an anathema against his sleeping dust, and excommunicated his body from the resurrection of the dead!" We need not wonder that the disciples marvelled when they found their Lord talking with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. And yet our Lord so managed this parable as to make the lawyer confess that the hated Samaritan was the best man of the three. And so it is, and so it ever will be, that although man may set up his pretensions to goodness and sanctity above his fellows, yet all his pretensions are less than vanity if love to God and love to man le not found burning on the altar of his heart. For no other sacrifice will God accept.

Poetry.

BE KIND.

BY SPENCER T. HALL.

Be kind to the old man, while strong in thy youth-
Be kind, not in seeming alone, but in truth;
He once was as young and as hopeful as thou,
With a bosom as light, as unwrinkled a brow!
Be kind to the poor man, and give of thy bread,
With shelter and pillow to comfort his head;

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His lot and thine own may be one here he dieth,
Or neighbour to thine the low grave where he lieth!
Be kind to the crooked, the lame, and the blind;
What's lack'd in the body they feel in the mind;
And while virtue through trial and pain cometh forth,
In the mind, not the body, is man's truest worth.
Be kind to the fallen, who lives but to mourn;
Be kind to the outcast, who seeks to return;
Be kind to the hardened who never hath prayed;
Be kind to the timid, who still is afraid!

The injured, who down by oppression is borne ;
The slighted, who wither; the victim of scorn;
The flattered, who lifted aloft but to fall;}

The wronger and wrong'd-O! be kind to them all!
For vast is the world of the generous mind,
But narrow the sphere to the selfish assign'd;
And clear is the path of the gentle and true-
Of the haughty and vain, how delusive the view!

Then unto the old show respect while thou mayest

The poor, while to Him who gives all things thou prayest-
The weak or the lost, 'neath the load of his sorrow,
And thy own cup of joy shall o'erflow ere the morrow!

Anecdotes and Selections.

FAMILY PRAYER AT THE BLACK LION.-Rowland Hill was once driven by a storm of rain into a village inn, and compelled to spend the night. When it grew late, the landlord sent a request by the waiter that the guest would go to bed. Mr. H. replied, "I have been waiting a long time, expecting to be called to family prayer." "Family prayer! I dont know what you mean, sir; we! never have such a thing here." "Indeed: then tell your master I cannot go to bed until we have had family prayer." The waiter informed his master, who, in great consternation, bounced into the room occupied by the faithful minister, and said, "Sir, I wish you would go to bed. I cannot go until I have seen all the lights out. I am so afraid of fire." "So am I," was the reply; "but I have been expecting to be summoned to family prayer." "All very good, sir; but it cannot be done at an inn." ""Indeed! then pray get me my horse. I cannot sleep in a house where there is no family prayer." The host preferred to dismiss his prejudice, rather than his guest, and said, "I have no objection to have prayer; but I dont know how." "Well then, summon your people, and let us see what can be done." The landlord obeyed, and in a few minutes the astonished domestics were upon their

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knees, and the landlord called upon to pray. "Sir, I never prayed in my life. I dont know how." "Ask God to teach you," was the gentle reply. The landlord said, folding his hands, God, teach us how to pray." "That is prayer, my friend," cried Mr. H. joyfully, "go on." "I am sure I dont know what to say now, sir." "Yes, you do; God has taught you how to pray. Now thank him for it." "Thank you, God Almighty, for letting us pray to you!" "Amen! Amen!" exclaimed Mr. H., and prayed himself. Two years afterwards, Mr. H. found in that same village a chapel and a school, as the result of the first effort of family prayer at the "Black Lion."

FAITHFUL PREACHERS.-The Rev. D. Jones, in Lady Huntingdon's days, Vicar of Llangan, preached the word of life wherever a door was opened, be it in a barn, or in a private house, as well as in his church, which occasioned so many complaints against his irregularity to be made to the bishop, that his diocesan, Dr. Watson, was obliged to remonstrate. In reply, Mr. Jones said, "My lord, I am so satisfied that in thus doing, I obey the will of God, that rather than desist I would resign my living." What answer did bishop Watson make? "What is that you say, Mr. Jones? If such be your determination, depend on it you shall never hear from me again on the matter." He was troubled no more, but went on unmolested in the way the Lord marked out for him. Mr. Jones's curate, the Rev. William Howels, who departed this life the useful and honoured minister of Long Acre Chapel, walked by his Vicar's rule, and had consequently grievous representations made by an embittered clergy to the bishop. The diocesan told him of the complaints that were made of his preaching in unconsecrated places; and William Howels, full of the Holy Ghost, answered, "My Lord, when the Son of God came into the world, his feet consecrated every spot of this earth." The thoughtful bishop Watson replied, "Mr. Howels, that thought never struck me before." Thus ended the interview between William Howels and bishop Watson; and would to God bishops of this day were as candid and tolerant.

A REMARKABLE DREAM.-I have known the grace of God for nearly thirty years; but, in spite of all my advice, my five sons and two daughters, all grown up, had ran on in the broad way to destruction. This cost me many a prayer and many a tear, and I saw no fruit in all my labour. In January last, I dreamed that the day of judgment was come. I saw the judge on his great white throne; the holy angels sat around him, and all nations were gathered before him. I and my wife were on the right hand, but I could not see any of my children. I said, "I cannot bear this; I must go and seek for my dear children.” So I went to the left

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hand, and found them all seven standing together, tearing their hair, beating their breasts, and cursing the day that ever they were born. As soon as they saw me, they caught hold of me, and said, "O, father! dear father! we will part no more." I said, "My dear children, I am come to try, if possible, to get you out of this dreadful situation." So I took them all with me. But when we were come within a short distance of the Judge, I thought he cast an angry look, and said, "What do thy children with thee now? They would not take thy warning when upon earth; they shall not share thy crown with thee now. Depart ye cursed!" At these words I awoke, bathed in sweat and tears. Some time after, as we were sitting altogether on a Sunday evening, I related to them my dream. No sooner did I begin, but first one, and then another, yea, all of them, burst into tears, and God fastened conviction on their hearts. Five of them are now rejoicing in God their Saviour; and I believe God is at work with the other two; so that I doubt not but he will give them also to my prayers. His other two children have since been converted to God. O that every parent who may read this dream to their children, may live to see the same blessing attend the reading of it that attended the relation of it to that good man's children, who had wept and prayed so long for their conversion to God. And may every young person, especially those who have pious parents, who have often heard their prayers and seen their tears, remember that they will be without excuse at the day of judgment. Therefore, "Prepare to meet thy God."

HOW TO HEAR THE GOSPEL.-Rowland Hill paid a visit to an old friend a few years before his death, who said to him, "Mr. Hill, it is just sixty-five years since I first heard you preach, and I remember your text and part of your sermon. You told us that some people were very squeamish about the delivery of different ministers who preached the same gospel. You said, "Suppose you were attending to hear a will read, where you expected a legacy left you, would you employ the time in criticising the manner in which the lawyer read it? No you would not; you would be giving all your ear to hear if anything was left you, and how much it was. That is the way I would advise you to hear the gospel." This was good advice, well worth remembering sixty-five years!

AN HUMBLE CHRISTIAN, in walking home one evening from Divine worship with a person who knew not Christ, a conversation began about the sermon they had just heard, "What do you think of it ?" said his friend. "Think of it," said he, "why I think there was rather too much about Christ in it." This startled his friend. He stopped and exclaimed, "Too much of Christ, sir!

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