The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1877-10-18

Which of these three, said Jesus, was
ncighbor TO him that fell among thieves?
This question implies that neither of the
three was neighbor to the mar till some
thing had been undertaken for his relief;
and that he who did undertake it, did
then become his neighbor. Thus it II
from within n man himself that n%eighbor-
hood comes, yet not from within such an
n as shows mercy. He is my neiphbor,
who needing me, is indee helped by ne;
so that | am his ncighbor before he is
mine. Thus am sent to the depths of
of my own heart to identify any man AZ
my ~ncighbor. Have | compassion?
Have ! a controlling sense Of human
interest? Have | the feeling and the
energy to do what | may for Others? The
question who il my %ncighbor, is
such IN one as must be solved from
within. Who is mine is answered by
whose am l.. If | am his neighb0r
then have | Deighbor and this, al
though the mar whom thus | have made
my neighbOr may not realize it for him-
self, may be conscious OF no such feeling
toward me. And thus we Notice with
what heavenly skill Jesus stated the
question-not "To which OF the three
was that poor sufferer neighbour" but
" Which of the three was neighbor to
him." for thus the answer to the ques-
ton in the first Of these two forms is
driven back upon us by the question in
this second form, in the most direct and
selEscarching way. and grows bright as
by Il flash of lightning with the true ex-
PLANTATION and is now forever thrown back
on every repeater OF it in the revealing
light OF intuition and conviction, of con
science and consciousness. Hence, love
itself IL the maker OF neighborh0od, and
therein is the fulfilling Of the law. 1t is
the felt fellowship of manhood, which is
neighborhood, 1t is a mighty sense OF
human interest meta sentiment merely,
butt a deep conviction ; not .'alone an
emotion, but a principle; Il tcllow-feeling,
II sympathy, vigorous and acting, not
only self-rratiiicd within, but self,assert.
ing without a lively s~cnsihility, a
thorough purpose and busy
hand, all standing next to a mans
needs, AMI knocking at every human
heart according AS opportunity ~ given,
thereby unfolding out of itself the very
law Of God, while in the act of oheying
it. What il neighborhood but kindness,
that is, the feeling of kind, the ~realiza-
ton of the human kin; therefore, the
true feeling of great realities, and itself
an imperishable reality, and the sunshine
of the affections, and the comprehensive
sweep OF ones appreciation of things, and
Il positive sense of one sweet harmony
in the grand circle of human relations?
What is neighborhood but our service
of the personal God, our dwelling in
love, the rejoicing with them that do
rejoice and the weeping with them that
weep, the suffering long, the envying
not, the not behaving unseemly, the not
seeking its own, the going about doing
good? What is it but the sowing of the
seeds of light, to spring up into u harvest
of splendors? And how sublime is it,
good will! The mountains, and the riy
ors, and the oceans, are none of its
boundaries; human want is the wide
world of its interests, and human reliet
and human good the living embodiment
of itsclf.-ChicdgD ADDenL.