so many friends, and go towards Jerusalem, to encounter enemies, Luke ix. 51, Matt. xix. 1, Mark x. 1.

And now laying aside all reserve, he proceeded thither, not as before, in private, at the feast of Tabernacles, but in public, unto the ensuing feast of Dedication, in winter, which he meant to attend openly, John x. 22.

CHRIST VISITS SAMARIA.

On his former visit, CHRIST only spent two days with the hospitable Samaritans of Sychar, but now designing to make some stay among them, he sent messengers before his face to a Samaritan village, to make preparation for him. But when they understood that he was on his way to Jerusalem, they refused to entertain him. Provoked at this inhospitality, James and John demanded permission to call down fire from heaven, like Elijah, to destroy them. But JESUS turned and rebuked them, saying, " Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of;" -yours is hostile to the spirit of the GOSPEL;-" for THE SON OF MAN came not to destroy men's lives, but to save. And they [meekly] departed to another village." In his progress through Samaria, OUR LORD probably made disciples; as we may collect from two instances noticed by Luke, ix. 52-62, to whom we owe this short account of his ministry in Samaria.

SEVENTY DISCIPLES SENT TO PREACH.

During our Lord's stay in Samaria, he sent forth seventy disciples, in succession to the Apostles, as his immediate harbingers, to proclaim, in pairs, his approach, unto the several cities and places which he meant to visit in his way to Jerusalem. This was a special notification to those cities, "The KINGDOM OF GOD is approaching unto you," more confined in its range, than the former, by the Apostles. And the disciples were required to make no delay, "Salute no one by the way," see 2 Kings iv. 29, because the Jewish salutations were remarkably tedious. In other respects, the two commissions were nearly the same; and this began with a similar exhortation to the disciples :

"The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the labourers few; pray ye therefore THE LORD OF THE HARVEST, that he would speedily send forth, (εкßadλņ,) labourers into his harvest." This second commission we learn only from the Evangelist

Luke, x. 1-16. This number was probably chosen in imitation of the seventy elders of Israel, Exod. xxiv. 9.

After executing their commission, which required no long time, distributed among so many, the seventy returned again, with joy, and said, "LORD, even the demons are subject to us, in thy name," Luke x. 17.

Here OUR LORD, anticipating the future triumph of the GOSPEL over the powers of darkness, said, “ I beheld Satan fallen *, (TEσOνra,) like lightning, from heaven." This interpretation seems to be confirmed by OUR LORD's subsequent declaration, "Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the ruler of this world be utterly expelled," (εKẞAN≈NσETAL εEW,) John xii. 31, and also by the enlargement of their commission:

"Lo, I give you authority to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy †, (Satan,) and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice, rather, that your names are written in heaven ;"-by a glorious contrast with those that are written on earth," ver. 18-20.

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In the same hour JESUS exulted in spirit, and said, “I thank thee, O FATHER ‡, LORD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, that thou hast hid these [mysteries] from the wise [in their own eyes,] and prudent [in their own sight, Isai. v. 21,] and hast revealed them to babes [in humility, and docility:] yea, because [thou art] THE FATHER ‡, thus was it well-pleasing in thy sight," (Matt. xi. 25, 26, Luke x. 21.)

These mysteries, respecting the nature of THE FATHER and of THE SON, and the universal authority committed to THE SON, and revealed to his disciples only, are next stated:

"All things were committed to me by MY FATHER: and

The participle Tεσшv, is properly future, Matt. iv. 9, xxi. 44, Luke xx. 18, 1 Cor. xiv. 25, &c. but here, by an elegant anticipation, is considered as past; like Mark ix. 20, Luke v. 12, viii. 14-41, as distinguished from the present, πITTшr, Luke xvi. 21.

This was a prophetic privilege of the MESSIAH. "Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder, the young lion and dragon shalt thou trample under thy feet," Psalm xci. 13, derived from the first covenant, Gen. iii. 15.

† Πατερ is the vocative case, "O FATHER;" but ò Пarnp, afterwards, the nominative," THE FATHER;" which surely is not to be confounded with the preceding. The latter seems to be elliptical, put for ὁ Πατηρ οτι [συ ει] ούτως εγενετο ευδοκια εμроσev σov; assigning as a reason, that "such was his good pleasure," " because He was THE FATHER OF ALL;" and would distinguish his worthy from his unworthy children. The same ellipsis occurs John xx. 28, [Συ ει] ὁ κυριος μου, και ὁ Θεός μου, "[Thou art] MY LORD and MY GOD."

none knoweth who THE SON is, but the Father; and who THE FATHER is, but the Son; and he, to whom THE SON may be willing to reveal [both,] ver. 21, 22. Then turning aside to his disciples, he said, " Blessed are the eyes which behold what ye behold: for I say unto you, that many prophets and kings wished to see what ye behold, and did not see, and to hear what ye hear, and did not hear," ver. 23, 24,-to see the miracles, and hear the doctrine of CHRIST.

It is remarkable that our blessed LORD broke forth into the same rapturous expression of praise and thanksgiving to GOD, upon the former occasion also of the return of the twelve Apostles from executing their commission, Matt. xi. 25—27 *. And well may Christians of the present day, " blessed" with the glorious light of THE GOSPEL, who "have not seen, yet have believed" in CHRIST, as THEIR LORD and THEIR GOD," (John xx. 29,) express their exultation and gratitude to GOD and CHRIST, in the similar language of the great Apostle of the Gentiles:

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of GOD [THE FATHER:] How unsearchable his judgments, and untraceable his ways!" Rom. xi. 33. “Who, пого, hath

revealed to his saints, the mystery which was hid from the ages, and from the generations [past,"] Col. i. 26-" of GOD in CHRIST, reconciling the world unto Himself,” 2 Cor. v. 19; that "great mystery of Godliness: GOD [THE SON] manifested in the flesh, justified by THE SPIRIT, seen by angels, preached among Gentiles, believed in by the world, taken up in glory!” 1 Tim. iii. 16. "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge!" Col. ii. 2, 3. To WHOM, with the FATHER, be glory and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen!

CHRIST VISITS JUDEA.

This interesting conversation appears to have taken place after JESUS had left Samaria, and gone into Judea, where the seventy found him on their return, proceeding on his way to Bethany, Luke x. 38. But a Jewish scribe, or doctor of the law, who was present thereat, having heard OUR LORD's reply

The only difference between the two Evangelists is, that Matthew says ovdεiç ETTIYLVWOKEL TOv viov, &c. " None intimately knoweth THE SON," &c. (the compound verb being intensitive, 2 Cor. vi. 9,) and Luke, in explanation thereof, ovdεiç yivwOKEL τις εστιν ὁ υἱος, &c. "None knoweth the nature of THE SON," &c.

to the seventy, and his thanksgiving, and ranking himself probably among" the wise and prudent," whose ignorance of the divine mysteries had been noticed, took offence thereat, and "tempting him," determined to try his knowledge of the law, with the insidious design, perhaps, to accuse him of heresy, if he should answer contrary to the decision of the doctors. He proposed, therefore, as a leading question, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" JESUS, alluding to his profession, said, "What is written in the law, how readest thou?" He answered by repeating the first great commandments of the law, the love of God, and the love of our neighbour. Our Lord commended him for answering rightly, and told him that the observance of these would procure him eternal life. "But he wishing to justify himself," in a narrow interpretation of the word "neighbour," which the Scribes confined to their own countrymen, the Jews, in exclusion of the Samaritans and of heathens; again asked, " And who is my neighbour ?"—This was a nice and delicate question; a direct answer to which might have committed our Lord with the Scribes and Pharisees. He therefore veiled his answer in the

PARABLE OF THE HUMANE SAMARITAN.

This most instructive parable might have been founded in fact. It represents a Jewish traveller who was robbed and wounded by banditti, on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, through the desert, which, from the frequency of the murders committed thereon, was called the bloody way. This Jew was left half dead on the road, and was passed by unheeded, first by a priest, and then by a Levite, (many of whom resided at Jericho,) until a Samaritan passenger took compassion on him, dressed his wounds with oil and wine, set him on his beast, brought him to an inn, and took care of him, and even left money with the host for his support, with a promise of repaying any further expense that might be incurred, on his return. Our Lord then left the Scribe to decide which of the three, the priest, the Levite, or the Samaritan, was neighbour to the wounded Jew? and when he could not avoid deciding in favour of the last," He that shewed mercy on him," JESUS directly pointed the application to himself, "Go, and do thou likewise," and for the future, count the despised Samaritan your neigh

bour, which hitherto you have not done. He departed, therefore, censured rather than justified.

From this admirable parable we learn the true, enlarged, and Christian import of the word "neighbour;" any person with whom we have any concern or dealings, in the usual intercourse of society, however different he may be from us in country or tribe, religion, or sect *. This also is in the true spirit of the Mosaical law, (see the foregoing article,) and also of the patriarchal, as expressed in the Latin aphorism,

Homo sum; nihil humani a me alienum puto.

"I am a man; I count no human being an alien."

Such too was the Hindu; "Whether this person be of my tribe or of another, is a consideration of the narrow-minded, but that of the noble-minded is to hold all the world related to them." See Pancha Tantra, or "five explanations of their morality."

MARTHA AND MARY.

In his progress through Judea, our Lord was entertained at the village of Bethany, near Jerusalem, by the sisters of Lazarus. Martha, the elder, as mistress of the house, was cumbered with much serving, or busied in preparing for the entertainment of their illustrious guest, while Mary, the younger, was sitting at the feet of JESUS, in the posture of a disciple, listening to his heavenly conversation. Jealous at this, Martha said, LORD carest thou not that my sister hath left me to serve alone; bid her then to assist me. But he repressed her domestic cares. with a gentle and affectionate rebuke; "Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful, [the care of the soul;] and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her," Luke x. 38—42. This pious and hospitable family were honoured with the friendship of OUR LORD, John xi. 5.

The Evangelist Luke has recorded several of OUR LORD'S sayings, doctrines, parables, and miracles, in the course of this

Thus our evangelical Liturgy prays, that "GOD would have mercy upon all Jews, Turks, Infidels, and Heretics, and take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of his word, and so fetch them home to his flock, that they may be saved among the remnant of the true Israelites, and be made one fold under one Shepherd, JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD." Easter Collect.