to thee? How opened he thine eyes?”. He answered them, "I have told you already, and ye did not hear; wherefore would ye hear it again? Will ye also be his disciples?" Then they reviled him, and said, "Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spake to Moses; as for this man, we know not whence he is." The man answered and said unto them,

66

Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners; but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began has it not been heard, that any one opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing." They answered and said unto him, "Thou wast altogether born in sins; and dost thou teach us?" And they cast him out.

Jesus heard that they had cast him

out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, "Dost thou believe in the Son of God?" He answered and said, "Who is he, Lord, that I might believe in him?" And Jesus said unto him, "Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee." And he said, 'Lord, I believe;" and he threw himself at his feet. And Jesus said, "For judgment am I come into this world, that they who see not, may see, and that they who see, may be made blind." Some of the Pharisees, who were with him, heard these words, and they said. unto him, "Are we also blind?" Jesus said unto them, "If ye were blind, ye would have no sin; but now ye say, "We see; therefore your sin remaineth."

PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN. (Luke x. 25-37.)

AND behold a certain lawyer stood up, and tried him, saying, "Master,

what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus 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 rightly; this do, and thou shalt live."

But he, desiring to shew himself a just and righteous man, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?" Jesus answering, said, "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who, having stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, went away, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way; and though he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, and saw him, 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 having set him on his own beast, he brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow, when he was going away, he took out two denarii,* and gave them to the host, saying, 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 to him that fell among the robbers?" The lawyer answered, "He that had compassion on him." Then said Jesus unto him, "Go thou, and do likewise."

This parable shews us that we ought to do good to all men, as we have opportunity, without waiting to inquire who they are,

* Two denarii would be about sixteen pence of our money, and this would go much farther in Judæa than in Great Britian.

and without considering whether they are connected with us or not. The Samaritan had compassion on the man who had been robbed and wounded, though he knew that he was a Jew, with whom the Samaritans were not on friendly terms; and we are told that our Father in heaven "maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." From this we may learn how we ought to behave. When we see any one in distress, we ought to help him, though we know not who he is, or even though we know him to be one who has injured us. Thus only shall we shew ourselves true disciples of Jesus, and inherit that eternal life, which he has promised to all those who conform themselves to his precepts.