and fhews him, whom he should confider as his Neighbour.

ing in Oyl and Wine, and fet him on his own Beaft, 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 Hoft, and faid unto him, Take Care of him; and whatsoever thou fpendeft more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

36 Which now of these Three, thinkeft thou, was Neighbour unto him that fell among the Thieves?

37 And he said, He that fhewed Mercy on him. Then faid Jefus unto him,

Go, and do thou likewise.

89

in fome of the Oil and Wine, which he had taken Sect. 107.
with him, as Part of the Provifions for his Jour-
Luke X. 34.
ney; (compare Gen. xxviii. 18.) and fetting him
on his own Beaft, because he was incapable of
walking, be held him up as he rode, and with
the tendèreft Care brought him fafely to an Inn,
where he had fome Acquaintance; and there took
farther Care of him, that he should be lodged, and
accommodated in a proper Manner that Night.
And the next Morning, as he departed from the 35
Inn, he took out of his Purfe Two Denarii, or Ro-
man Pence (1), and gave them to the Landlord of
the Houfe; and at the fame Time faid to him,
Take all poffible Care of this poor wounded Stran-
ger, and let him want for nothing; and whatsoever
more thou shalt spend on his Account, I will repay
thee as I come back.

Now, faid our Lord to the Lawyer he was dif- 36
courfing with, which of thefe Three Perfons, the
Prieft, the Levite, or the compaffionate Samaritan,
doft thou think, was the Neighbour of this poor Man
that fell among the Robbers?
And be faid, 37.
Undoubtedly it was he that had Mercy upon him,
notwithstanding he was a Perfon of another Na-
tion and Religion. Then faid Jefus to him, If this
seem so amiable an Example to thee, go thou, and
do likewife; and if thou findest even a Samaritan
in the like Diftrefs, confider him as thy Neigh-
bour, and as chearfully perform all these friendly
Offices to him: For those Pretenfions to Religion
are but vain, which do not infpire Men with such
univerfal Humanity and Benevolence.

(1) Two Denarii, or Roman Pence.] These were in Value about Fifteen Pence of our Money. It is a very probable Circumftance, that a Man travelling without any Attendants, and now going out to a confiderable Distance from Home, fhould not have more to Spare; efpecially as he was to travel thro' fo dangerous a Road, and fo it would have been very imprudent to charge himself with much more Money, than he was like to want in his Journey; which would be the lefs, as it was ufual for Travellers in those Parts to carry their Provifion with them. Compare Gen. xxviii. 18. and Joh, ix. 12, 13, \

VOL. II,

M

IMPROVE

90

Sect. 107.

Ver. 26.

Reflections on the Exercife of Charity and Benevolence..

O

IMPROVEMENT.

F how great Importance is it, that we should every one of us be in good Earneft making this Enquiry, which the Scribe addreffed to our Luke x. 25. Lord, What shall I do that I may inherit Eternal Life! What ought we not willingly to do, and to bear, that we may fecure fo great a Felicity? Still will our Lord answer us from his Word, that we must keep the Commandments of GOD, while we are looking to him as the End of the Law for Righteousness. (Rom. x. 4.) Happy are they that faithfully do it, that thro' the Grace manifefted in the Gospel they may have a Right to eat of the Tree of Life! (Rev. xxii. 14.)

Ver. 27.

Ver. 31, 32.

Ver. 33.

Ver.33,-35.

Ver. 37.

May this Abstract and Summary of the Commandments be written, as it were in Golden Characters, on the Table of each of our Hearts! May we love the Lord our GOD with all the united Powers and Faculties of our Souls, and our Neighbour as fincerely and fervently as ourselves! And may we learn from this beautiful Parable of the good Samaritan, to exercise our Charity to our Fellow-Creatures, in the most amiable Manner!

The Jewish Priest and Levite had, no doubt, the Ingenuity to find out fome Excuse or other, for paffing over to the other Side; and might, perhaps, formally thank GOD for their own Deliverance, while they left their Brother to bleed to Death for Want of their Affiftance. Is it not an Emblem of many living Characters, perhaps of fome, whofe Sacred Office lays them under the strongest Obligations to diftinguished Benevolence and Generofity? But the good Samaritan acted the Part of a Brother to this expiring few. Ob Seed of Ifrael! ob Houfe of Levi, and of Aaron! will not the Day come, when the humane Virtues of Heathens fhall rise up in Judgment against thee!

"

;

Let us reflect with Shame, what are the Differences between one Christian and another, when compared with thofe between a Samaritan and a few! Yet here the Benevolence of a good Heart overcame even these and in the View of a wounded dying Man, forgot that he was by Nation an Enemy. Whofe Heart does not burn within him, whofe Eyes do not overflow with Tears of Delight, while he reads fuch a Story? Let us go, and do likewife, regarding every Man as our Neighbour, who needs our Affiftance. Let us exclude every malignant Sentiment of Bigotry and Party Zeal, which would contract our Hearts, into an Infenfibility for all the Human Race, but a 'little' felect Number, whofe Sentiments and Practices are fo much our own, that our Love to them is but Self-Love reflected. With an honeft Opennefs of Mind let us always remember the Relation between Man and Man, and feel and cultivate that happy Inftinet, by which God, who has formed our Hearts in many Inftances akke, has in the original Conftitution of our Nature, ftrongly and graciously bound them to each other.

SECT.

CHRIST comes to Bethany, and is entertained there.

SECT. CVIII.

CHRIST vifits his Friends at Bethany; and commends the Diligence with which Mary attends his Preaching, while her Sifter Martha was too anxious about the Entertainment of her Guests. Luke X. 38, to the End.

A

LUKE X. 38.

91

BOUT this Time (a) our Lord quitted Sect. 108.
Jerufalem, and fet out on his laft Journey
from thence to Galilee, the Feast of Tabernacles Luke X. 38.
being fully concluded, as was observed above.
Now it came to pass, as they were on their Journey,
he entered, with many of his Attendants, into a cer-
tain neighbouring Village called Bethany; (com-
pare John xi. 1. Sect. 139.) and a certain pious
Woman, whofe Name was Martha, with the most
chearful Hofpitality received him into her House,
thinking herself greatly honoured by fuch a Vifit.

And he had a Sifter called Mary, who being 39
defirous to improve this happy Opportunity of
advancing in Divine Knowledge and a Religious
Temper, fate down at the Feet of Jefus, as an
humble Disciple (b); and heard with most diligent
and pleafing Attention his wife and gracious Dif-
courfe, which, as his usual Practice was, he began,
as foon as he came in, to addrefs to those that were
about him.

But Martha, too folicitous about the Va- 40
riety and Elegance of the Entertainment the in-
tended for her Sacred Gueft and the Company
with him, was exceedingly burried (c) and per-

plexed

(a) About this Time.] I exprefs myself in this indeterminate Manner, as to the Date of this little, but very inftructive Story, because I apprehend the Evangelift has not exactly determined when it happened, which it was of no Importance for us exactly to know. Ít might very poffibly be just at this Time; at least, the Want of any fufficient Reason for tranfpofing it, obliges me, on the Rules I have laid down to myself, to introduce it here.

(b) Sate down at the Feet of Jefus, as an humble Difciple.] It is well known, that this was the Pofture, in which Learners attended on their Teachers, (compare Luke viii. 35. and Acts xxii. 3.) and likewife grew into a Proverb, for humble and diligent Attention. See the Authors cited by Wolfius, in loc. and efpecially Vitringa, Synag. lib. i. part. 2. cap. 6. (c) Was exceedingly hurried.] The Word wepalo properly fignifies, to be drawn (as it were) different Ways at the fame Time, and admirably expreffes the Situation of a Mind

M 2

fur

92 Sect. 108. plexed about much ferving; and coming in to the Room where Jefus was, he, not without fome Luke X. 40. Warmth and Difcontent, expreffed how much the was offended at it, and faid, Lord, doft thou not mind, that my Sifter has left me to provide and ferve

Mary's Attention to his Word is better than Martha's Care.

41

up the Entertainment alone, which is more than I
can well manage; while fhe fits here as calmly, as
if fhe had no Concern in it? I would not take
upon me to call her away from thy Prefence my-
felf; but I beg, that thou wouldst interpofe in the
Matter; fpeak to her therefore, that he may lend
her helping Hand with mine (d), and let her then
fit down to hear thee difcourfe, when the Enter-
tainment is over.

And Jefus in Reply faid to her, Oh Martha,
Martha, thou art over anxious, and disturbed with
restless Agitation of Spirit (e) about many Things,
which might well have been spared on fuch an
42 Occafion as this: But let me tell thee, my
dear Friend, that there is One Thing abfolutely
neceffary (f), and of infinitely greater Importance,
than any of thefe domeftick and fecular Cares:
And Mary is wifely attending to that; therefore
inftead of reproving her, I muft rather declare,
that he has chofen what may eminently be called
the good Part (g), which, as it shall not be finally

taken

and came to him, and faid, Lord, doft thou not care that my Sifter hath left me to ferve alone? bid her therefore that the help me.

furrounded with fo many Objects of Care, that it hardly knows which to attend to first. She had probably Servants, to whom the might have committed thefe Affairs; and the Humility and Moderation of our Bleffed Redeemer would have taken up with what had been lefs exactly prepared; especially as she had fo valuable, and fo fignal an Opportunity, of improving her Mind in Divine Knowledge.

(d) Lend her helping Hand with mine.] This is the exact Import of ovarianas which is alfo with the utmoft Propriety used for the Affiftance, which the Spirit of GOD gives to the Infirmities of our frail Nature. Rom. viii. 26.

(e) Disturbed with restless Agitation of Spirit.] The Word Tugban is no where elfe used in the New Testament. It seems to exprefs the restless Situation, of a Perfon in a tumultuous Croud, where fo many are preffing upon him, that he can hardly ftand his Ground; or of Water in great Agitation.

(f) There is One Thing abfolutely necessary: evos de es1 Xpeta.] This is one of the gravest and most important Apothegms, that ever was uttered; and one can scarce pardon the frigid Impertinence of Theophylact and Bafil, who explain it, as if he had faid, One Dish of Meat is enough.

(g) The good Part.] That ups fignifies a Portion, there can be no reasonable Doubt; but that here is any Allufion to the Custom, of fending the beft Portion of an Entertainment to a Gueft, to whom peculiar Honour was intended, feems too great a Refinement, and not exactly fuitable to the Occafion; tho' fome confiderable Criticks have defended it. (See Wolfius, in loc. and Elfner, Obferv. Vol. i. pag. 225, 226.) I think, rendering 7 ayatny pepida,

the

S

Reflections on the Regard due to the One Thing needful.

93

taken away from her, I would not now hinder her Sect. 108. from pursuing; but rather invite thee to join with Luke X. 42.

her in her Attention to it, tho' the Circumstances

of our intended Meal should not be fo exactly ad-
jufted, as thy fond Friendship could defire.

IMPROVEMEN T.

O fteadily and zealously did our Blessed Lord purfue his Work, with Luke x. 38, fuch unwearied Diligence, and conftant Affection. No fooner is he 39. entered into the House of this pious Friend, but he fets himself to preach the Word of Salvation, and is the fame in the Parlour, which he had been in the Temple. Oh Mary, how delightful was thy Situation! Who would not rather have fate with thee at the Feet of Jefus, to bear his Wisdom, than have filled the Throne of the greatest Prince upon Earth! Bleffed were thine Eyes in what they faw, thine Ears in what they heard, and thine Heart in what it received and embraced, and treasured up as Food, which would endure to everlasting Life!

How unhappily was her good Sifter deprived of the Entertainment of thefe golden Moments, while hurried about Meats and Drinks, and Tables Ver. 40.. with their Furniture, till the loft, not only her Opportunity, but her Temper too; as it is indeed hard to preferve it, without a refolute Guard, amidst the Croud and Clamour of domestick Cares! Happy that Mistress of a numerous Family, who can manage its Concerns with the Meekness and Compofure of Wisdom, and adjust its Affairs in fuch a Manner, as that it may not exclude the Pleasures of Devotion, and cut her off from the Means of Religious Improvement! Happy the Man, who in a preffing Variety of fecular Bafinefs is not fo cumbered and careful, as to forget that One Thing which is abfolutely needful; but refolutely chufes this better Ver. 41, 421Part, and retains it as the only fecure and everlasting Treasure! Oh that this comprehenfive important Sentence were ever before our Eyes! oh that. it were infcribed deep upon our Hearts! One Thing is needful. And what is this One Thing, but the Care of the Soul? what, but a humble Attention to the Voice, and the Gospel of Chrift? Yet, as if this were of all Things the most unneceffary, for what poor trifling Care is it not commonly forgot? yea, to what worthless Vanity is it not daily facrificed?

Let the Minifters of Chrift, let the Friends of Souls in every Station, exert themselves, that all about them may be awakened duely to regard this great Interest; accounting it their Meat, and their Drink, to promote

it..

the good Part, is more forcible, as well as more literal, than our Tranflation; as it intimates nothing elfe to deferve the Name of a good Part, when compared with this. Compare Mat. xix. 17. Se&t. 137.