passion: as if he had said-" You have in this Samaritan the pattern of a true neighbour, who, generously overlooking all the foolish animosities arising from pride and personal considerations, chuses his worst enemy as a fit object of his mercy; attending first and chiefly to the distress that presented itself, without standing to consider the description of the sufferer." The journey he took was that of the incarnation, which called upon him to take the same course with his brethren, whom he followed from Jerusalem toward Jericho, that he might bring them back with him on the way from earth toward heaven. In the course of this journey, he came into this vale of tears, and found miserable man naked and helpless upon the earth; and as he came from heaven in the capacity of a physician to the soul, he was furnished with every thing necessary to counteract the works of the Devil. When he had found the wretched object of his compassion, he went to him, and bound up his wounds, poured in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. Each of these particulars is well worthy of a particular consideration; and as you may possibly begin to find yourselves interested in the event of this narrative, I hope you will bestow some attention upon them.

His first act was that of binding up his wounds, pouring in of and wine*: which passage is worth regarding in its physical acceptation; for wine hath an abstersive sharpness in it, which renders it of sovereign use for the cleansing of wounds; while it is the nature of oil to heal, ca which account it is a general ingredient common to all ointments, the use of which is to molly and heal, when the wound is properly cleared and prepared for them. But the virtue ofod is most remarkable when applied to the bite of a serpent, particularly a viper, for which * is now publicly received as an infallible cure, and the experiment is very common in this age, To our understanding such an effect is almost macious, fral is a liquor, in all appearance indokert, îns aid, and incapable of penetrating ir sach a manner as to do any good; yet few stotices are more quick in their operation, nor is there a fed in the world which will pass through the body of steel itself in so short a

The application of all this is plain enough. The wote poured by the Saviour into the wounds

of

* An ointment is now in use with many under the name of the Samaritan Balsam. It is composed of sound old wipe hed to a consistence with an equal quantity of olive oil.→→ great efficacy for the cure of green wounds.

of man, is his own precious blood, which as St. John expresses it, cleanseth us from all sin. By the oil is signified the power of the holy Spirit, which healeth all our infirmities; and which in baptism restores what sin and Satan had destroyed.

The misery of sin, and the cure of it, are represented under the like terms in other figu rative parts of the holy scripture. Isaiah thus describes the corrupt state of the people of his own time-" from the sole of the foot even to the head" (that is, from the lowest of the people up to the princes and rulers) "there is no soundness, but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with oil." The prophet David, in the person of a natural man, describes his own case in similar expressions"There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger, neither is there any health in my bones by reason of my sin-my wounds stink and are corrupt, through my foolishness." Then on the other hand, there are promises to the poor and helpless, that the Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, neither will he deliver him unto the will of his enemies-the Lord

will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing, and will make all his bed in his sickness

for

for he healeth the broken hearted, and bindeth up their wounds. Psal. cxlvii. 3.

The second act of this Samaritan was to set. the wounded man upon his own beast. No sinner hath any natural ability to rise from the earth, and convey himself to a place of safety:

any more than a man lying half dead the upon ground can stand upright and find help for himself by the strength of his own limbs. With the divine help man is brought to a new state: he is removed from the perils and dangers of the world, to find health and refreshment in the Church of God: for the parable adds-he brought him to an inn, and took care of him The life of a Christian is that of a pilgrim, or way-faring man, upon his journey from this world of vanity to the heavenly city of God; and to preserve a sense of this journey, as well as of their pilgrimage from Egypt, the Israelites were commanded to eat the passover with their loins girded, their shoes on their feet, and their staffs in their hands; that is, equipped in all respects as travellers. In the road to heaven we find the Church, which, like an inn, receives all that will come to it, and is open indifferently to people of all nations. The question is never put to any stranger, whether he is Jew

ΟΙ

or Gentile, Greek or Barbarian, bond or free: these distinctions are of no more account in the christian Church than at an inn on the highway: all men being accepted, and their wants supplied in this place of accommodation. The master of it, standing before the door, and seeing the weary traveller pass by, calls out to him with the voice of hospitality and mercyCome unto me, all ye that travel and are heavy taden, and I will refresh you. In this place, the Samaritan is said to have tarried a while with his charge, in order to settle things that were necessary toward his perfect recovery. 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 whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again I will repay thee." By the host we are here to understand the ministers and rulers of the Church, to whom at his departure Christ committed the care of every returning sinner: and that they may be enabled to supply all their wants, he hath committed to them the Holy Scriptures under the form of the two Testaments, which it is the proper business of the host to expound, enforce, and apply for the support of those who are committed to their charge. The ministers of the church are stewards of the myste