The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-01-28
FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS spy.
NEIGHBOR.......No. II.
find aeho as my neighbor r'-B1BLI


or merely denoting propinquty of location.
very many are the passages of scripture
with anynctionS and prohibitions respecting
our neighbor. The Greek word, pLesion,
rendered neighbOr, in the theme of this esi
say, is derived from pelds, synonymous with
the Latin, prope, and signifies nedr-hard bv.
no learn the duties enjoined, and the pro-
hibltlons imposed, shall cite a few, of ma
ny, texts, from the sacred oracles, relating
to orr nelghbor. In the decalogue we ara
Commended not to bear false witness
against our neighbor, or covet any thing
that Is his" a citizen of Zion is describ-
ed as one " that backbiteth not with his
tongue, nor doeth evil to his neghbor, nor
taketh up reproach against his neighbor."
Among the proverbs of Solomon, we find
the following true and interesting maxinls !:
Withhold not good from them to whom it
is due, when it is in the power of thine hand
to do 1t. Say not unto thy neighbor, 60,
and come again, and tomorrow viii give ;
when thou hast it by thee. Devise not evil
against thy neighbor, seeing he dwelleth
securely By thee. An hypocrite with his
mouth destroyeth his neighbor. The poor
IS hated evenof his own neighbor; but the
rich hath many friends. He that despiseth
his neighbor, snneth; but he that hath
mercy on the poor, happy is he. A violent
man enticeth his neighbor, and leadeth him
into the way that is not good. Be not
witness against thy neighbor without
cause, and deceive not with thy lips. Say
not will do to him as he hath done to me.
Debate thy cause with thy neighbor, and
| discover not a secret to another. With
draw thy foot from thy neighbours house,
lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.
A man that beareth false witness against
| his neighbor is maui, and 4 sword, and a
sharp arrow. AS mad man, who casteth
| tirehrands, an oWs, and death, SO is the man
that decelveth his neighbor, and saith, am
| not IN sport? Thine own friend, and thy
| fathers friend, forsake not, neither go into
| thy brothers house in the day of thy caam-
! lty for better is a neighbor that is near,
than brother far off. A man that hatter-
eth his neighbor spreadeth a net for his
| feet"
| L shall now answer the question, " and
who is my neighbor? ?" in the language of
one, greater than Solomon. "And Jesus,
answering, said-A certain man went down
from Jerusalem to Jerico, and fell among
thieves, which stripped him Of his raiInent,
and wounded him, and departed, leaving
him half dead. And by chance there came
down certain priest that way and when
he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
! And likewise Levite, when he was at the
place, came and looked on him, and passed
by on the other side. But a certain Sa-
marian, rs he journeyed, came where he
was and when he saw him. he had com
passion on him, and 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 what
soever thou spendest more, when l come
again will repay thee. Which now of
these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor to
| him that fell among the thieves? And he
said, He that showed mercy on him. Then
said Jesus unto him, go, and do thou like
wise"
/ We see plainly by these passages from
! holy writ, what we are to do, and what we
are to torbeaEto do, to our neighbour We
are to wish him well, and actually do him
! good. We are to know his wants-antc-
4 ipate his requests-tender him our kind
( ness-grieve for his adversely, and rejoice
| i'll his prosperity. We are to love him as
ourselves, because we are so commanded,
and because he is, as it were, part of our
selves, situated near, living, enjoying, and
suffering, in our sight, and always the bet
ter or the worse, according to the manner
of our treatment. We should feel lively
interest in his health and the welfare of his
! household, and, like Elisha to the Shuna-
mite woman, when meeting him, affection
ately inquire, " Is it well with thee? Is it
we'll with thy husband Is it well with the
child 2" His temporal and spiritual inter-
ests we should labor to promote by whole
j some advice, and by examples exhibiting
every moral virtue and Christian grace.
While industry, enterprise, frugality, and
Il laudable emulation should be the basis
Of every character, all the social virtues and
the benign fruits of Christianity should be
engrafted upon it, and be continually exer-
cised for the benefit and felicity of our
neighbor. Good neighborhood implies be-
nightly Of heart, kindness of disposition,
frequency and familiarity of intercourse,
and constancy of affection, and perpe;-
ual succession of soft words and friendly
acts, in all those who constitute the adloin-
ing cluster and endcaring circle. The in
ducements to such n course Of conduct are
many and powerful. Self enjoyment prompts
) to the performance of these heavenly olii-
ces, and richly rewards the disnterested
lover of his neighborS.
"Whon kindness is to others shown,
Imparting bliss we form our own;
The soft sensations rising there,
Repay with interest all our care
AS caravan of poor, feeble, and benight-
ed wanderers, born to ills, and beset, at
every step, with dangers and disasters
r passing short pilgrimage through this
worlds wilderness to the Holy Ci,y-let us
feel our impotence and mutual depend
ence-indulge no estrnngements-with
! ~ chonrip~