The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-09-12

A SERG0N PREACHED IN THE UNITARIAN
CHURCH AT kEGKUK, ON SUNDAY, AUG.
%, 1860, By l.. WHIINEI.

CHURCH AT KEGKUK, ON SUNDAY, AUG.
/ Is, 1860, By l.. WHIINEl.
1 Which. now, II these three thinkest thou was
/ ncighbor unto him that fell among thieves
And be said, he that showed mercy on him.
Then said Jesus unto him, 40 and do thou likewise.
/ LUKE X 36~7.
| And so we should all have answered just
as this lawyer did. But whether he or we
| would have acted the part Of the good Sa
msrisan, or of the Priest or Levite, hope
the present discourse will help usall to know
/ better.
! Ii seems plain case ough when we look
| at 1t as between friend and friend. But this
| is thought to be not such a case. Ii is
thaught that Jesus had this trav eler journey
| ing from Jerusalem to Jericho to apprlse US
| that he was jew; and selected the Samaritan
| as bis ueighbor because there was mortal
| enmity between the jews and Samaritans.-
| Ii was, il seems, an old, settled enmiiy OF
| religion and of race, insomuch that the
Jews would have no dealing with the Sauna
| ritans, Shat on one occasion Chrst's own
| disciples would have called down fire from
| Heaven to destroy one OF their villages. So
we are not to look upon this good Samaritan
as moved simply by a common impulse OF
| our nature in view OF human suffering.
| All men share this feeling, and we even
extend 1t to the suffering brute. No: this
! is sterner duty. Here, to be sure, IL a hu
| man being fallen and in distress; but he lie no
| friend OF this Samaritan-he belongs to
hated race. he old prejudice OF pride and
creed say, "do not notice him." or, "spit
upon the Jewish dog aod pass on" Only
religion and humanity pull at the heart
strings for mercy. And they prevail And
| - -. net Oh
prejudioes and epmities and sefshness that
our compassion rises into the dignity of
Christian mercy. And it is only by some
such test that we learn how exceeding
broad 10 this law of love to our neighbor,
and what it is to love him as ourselves. 1t
is in this broad, practical sense that it is
said All the law is fulfilled in ono word,
thou shalt love thy neighbor as myself" and
in which our Lord sums up all human duty
| in love TO God and love to our neighbor.
Ii can be in no narrow, selfish spirit Of
mere good peighborhood, or the mutual re-
gard and love of friends "For, IL we love
them that love us, what reward have we?
/ Do not even the publicHns the same 2" No:
here ic case where nothing but poor, fall
en-, naked humanity pleads for the faffllment
! of this Law OF love: friendship, race, re-
/ ligion, ~ail else is against it. But how beau
tifully it triumph. over all.
| ''But O certain Samaritan as he journeyed
came where he was and when he saw him
he had compassion 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 cara of him. !"
| How very much this seems like another YER
sion of this same law of religion and hu-
manity: 81 was hungry, and We gave me
meat; thirsty, and ye gave me drink naked,
and ye clothed me; | was stranger, and We
took me in sick and in prison, and We came
unto me. And inasmuch as ye did it unto
one of the least OF these, my brethren, We
did il unto me.'
! La this good Sam srtan we have the prac-
| teal application Of this Christian law of
! love, 50 that none need repeat the question
foI all time, Who is my neighbour For
every human being is cur neighbor ; and
only the more as he is distressed and wronged
aud forsaksn, and needs our help. Indeed,
this Parable of the Good Samaritan seems
| intended 10 present the true state Of the
heart toward the human brotherhood. And
| have thought the two other characters, the
! Priest aud Levite, might be intended to rep.
1 resent other possible attitudes of the human
heart toward our wronged and sufferiu q
j
certain Priest that way; and when he saw him
/ be passed by on the other side. And likewise
IA Levite when he was at the place came and
looked ON him and passed by on the other
/ side.o
We cannot, of course, read the secret
! thoughts these men had as they looked upon
this human brother 10 bis distress, or the
secret motive that moved them TO pass by on
4 IA Laan ~
lectures to account for their strange nhu.
manity-so strange that all with one consent
condemn it-that none think it possible that
they could be thus guilty. Some have no
ferred it TO eowardice, as this man had
probably fallen in dangerous PASS infested
BY robbers. Theodure Parker once suid Of
this Priest and Levite, that "they were
probably in hurry to get to Jerusalem ia
season Tor prayer meetlng," which 10 only
has sharp way OF saying that the forms and
4 dey0uons OF religion are often exalted
above It's most sacred and pressing duties 70
our fellow men. But az We can only Judge
OF their thoughts and motives by their con-
duet, We may take them as the legitimate
progenitors OF large class Of mortais who,
go they get on we'll themselves, and their IN
terests prosper, are quite resigned that 9th.
ers should suffer wrong; and of another
class who don't care, particularly, whether
they suffer or not. We have, then, in this
parable. the representatives OF three classes,
found everywhere where humanity is cast
down and distressed and forsake en-, viz: tbos q
who are quite willing that the wrong should
be done, those who don't care whether it is
! done or not, and those who have compassion
J on the sufferer and would extend this law of
! love TO our neighbor to every wronged and
suffering human being. And this is no far.
} fetched distinction, having DO foundation in
the facts OF human life and society, and in
the every day attitude Of our moral nature
For whatever you may think was the motive
Of this Jewish Priest, do you think he could
see this poor, safsring brother lying there,