THE

CHRISTIAN PIONEER:

A

MONTHLY MAGAZINE,

ISSUED IN NUMBERS, ONE HALFPENNY EACH.

EDITED BY JOSEPH F. WINKS.

VOLUME IX.

1855,

LONDON:

SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, AND CO.

LEICESTER:

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY WINKS AND SON.

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR?

OR, THE LAWYER'S QUESTION ANSWERED.

EVERYBODY admires Jesus Christ. All men, infidels among the rest, admire him, and well they may; for who ever talked as wisely, or acted as kindly, as he did? What a happy world

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR?

would this be if all men were to imitate him—no more oppression or bloodshed then!

God made men to be happy—to live in his love and the love of one another; just as angels do in the heavenly world. But what do we see? We see men doing wrong to their Maker first, and then doing wrong to one another. Jesus Christ came to remind us of the great love of God to us all, and he came to teach us that we ought to love one another.

And how beautifully he did this! The Jews hated the Samaritans, and the Samaritans hated the Jews—just as the Russians hate the Turks, and the Turks hate the Russians. Now hear what he said:—

"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 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 he 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 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."

In this interesting manner did Jesus Christ teach his lessons of love. Do you understand him? Perhaps not quite. Let me tell you a few things in explanation.

Our Lord said, "A certain man went down from Jerusalem

OR, THE LAWYER'S QUESTION ANSWERED,

to Jericho, and fell among thieves." That was a thing which sometimes happened, for the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, about fifteen miles, was rocky and mountainous, and afforded opportunities to thieves and robbers to commit their depredations. It is said that at this time robberies accompanied by violence were frequent, Herod the Great having dismissed forty thousand men, whom he had employed in rebuilding and repairing the Temple, most of whom had become robbers. All the people knew this; and our Lord always took care that his lessons were such as would strike on their attention, and awaken it to thoughtful reflection.

66

Well: this man fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead." A sad state this for any man to be in-robbed of his money, wounded, bleeding, and almost dying. Perhaps he could not move-he could only listen and look. At length he hears footsteps-it may be one of the robbers coming back to kill him outright, lest he should recover, and be the means of bringing them to justice. But his fears are quelled, and his hopes are excited; for it is not a robber, but a priest! Now he shall be helped to get up, and be conducted to a place of safety. His wounds will be tenderly treated, and he will again return to his own house, and all there will be too glad that he is alive to care anything about the money of which he has been robbed. The priest draws nearer and nearer. His deliverance is at hand. He sees him-but he turns his head and walks by on the other side. Unfeeling man! And a priest too!-a teacher of that law which says, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Seest thou not thy brother there bleeding and helpless-he is not a hated Samaritan, or a despised Gentile, but a son of Abraham-wilt thou not help him? No: he passes on with proud priestly dignity, and leaves the poor wounded traveller to bleed away his life. Verily thou dost not love thy neighbour!

The wounded man nearly faints with horror at such a display of cruel neglect. "Can it be," he exclaims to the hard rocks around him, "that he who taught me the law, and presented my offerings at the altar-he who professed to be my spiritual guide and comforter, will thus leave me to die? Oh God of Abraham save me!"

Again he closes his eyes, and thinks hard things of man, but loses not his confidence in God. And now his ears, ever