Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-06-15
MON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE Is, Is4a.

/ keep company, Or come unto one Of another
nation, carrying it further than the law
did, and adbering more especially to the
tradition Of the Elders, making it very Grim
inal. But, he says, aGod has showed me
that should not call any man common or
mclean" And how exceedingly were the
unbelieving Jews alarmed when they first
heard that Peter had admitted Cornelius
and his friends, uncircumcised Gen,iles, TO
Christian baptism and church communion,
without being required TO receive the rite of
circumcision, and to observe the law of
! Moses. The Jews carried their prejudices
SO far as to deny the Offices of humanity,
and 10 think themselves under no obligation
to perform them to those who were not of
their own nation and religion. The cause
Eof this narrowness of sentiment among the
Jews was, that God had singled them out
from among other nations and taken them
to be his peculiar people, -had given them
/ laws, and they considered these laws, even
such as were of moral nature, as belong
ing only 10 their community, and to be OBJ
served only towards one another, and all
the rest accused. Our blessed Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ, opposed this senti-
ment, though he did not oppose the law !,
but merely The selfish gloss Of the Rabbin,
for the law never cherished, nor did it ever
allow any such hatred as was apparent in
the Jew. / am aware that some professedly
4 Christian writers have seemed willing to
concede that the Jewish gloss was really
founded on the spirit Of the Old Testament,
and have. represented the doctrine Of Glove
to enemies" as peculiar to the gospel dis
I pensation. That it is more clearly taught
and powerfully enforced BY our Savior, than
it had been before, is allowed; but the idea
J Of his opposing his doctrine to that Of Mo-
lsses is inadmissible, for this had been to
Destroy the law" and to render the New
Testament at variance with the Old.
/ Our blessed Lord, in the plainest manner,
teaches who is intended by our neig hbor, in
an answer to an inquisitise Pharisee, about
the great commandment in the law. He
informs him that the second Commandment
4 Of the law is, Ito love our neighbor as our.
i selves" Upon this the Pharisee pertls
asks, awho is my neighbour" Mark the
i wisdom of our Lord in his instructive reply
There was, says he, certain Jew, who
J, travelled in the great road from Jerusalem
to Jericho, and unhappiiy fellamong thieves
/ who wounded, stripped him, and left hin
| almost dead. And there passed by two IN
: kind persons,of his own nation and religion
| the one Priest and the other Levite, bu
they offered him no assistance or relief
After some time, person OF another nation
whom the Jews perfectly hated, certain
J, Samaritan came that way. And the Sauna
ritan came where this object Of distres.
was, he saw he was Jew, and his enemy
. but he had bowels of compassion on him
and afforded him the most benevolent AMI
charitable assistance in his er,-bindins
up his wounds, placing him on his owr
means of conveyance, carrying him to
place of entertainment where every accom-
mediation aud provision could be made 70
him, defraying all his expenses, and givins
; strict orders for his future provision--be
coming himself responsible aud accounta
!. BILE for whatever expenses or charges Nigh
! accrue. Our Lord now appeals to the mar
: row and hardened bosom of the Pharisee
: enquiring, which ofihese,the Priest, Levitt
or abhorred Samaritan, thinkest thou wa
aeighbor 10 him, who fell among thieves2
? Which Of them according to common sens,
/ and the common feelings of humanity, an
> the law of Goo, ought to be styled neighbo
: to the wretch in DISTRESS
! This was home application, and all th
bigotry of Jew, and the contracted preju
: dices Of Pharisee could not prevent th
J buildings Of reason. The Priest and th
!. Leyite might excuse themselves by sayin
!. that they were not sure that the unfortunal
:. man was a Jew But The Samaritan
81 touched with the sight Of man in distress
i simply, without enquiring who or what b
= was. And now the appeal is made to u
"A Pharisee, and his reply with reluctance
= extorted from him, .he that showed mere
= on him. The compassionate Savior pas
g es over all notice of the unfeeiing and Of
81 duraie heart, aud says, go thou and
II likewise.n As he had breathed forth th
!, wish, 90 that thou ooaIdst be neishbe
ba or possess and exercise the heart Of nelg
n ber.n Now this beautiful illustration BY @
ho Lord proves 70 US VARIOUS lhlngs 1ssPeea'