The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-04-30

IL AOuI
lie and mine? Come. Let us wander
down it little while to-day. Perhaps
when we come back we shall know our.
selves the better.
L. matters little if you be priest or lie.
vite or Samaritan, you have all iourneyed
this way. Do you remember how fair the
day aeemed at morning when you started
upor that road. You were bound to the
city On business or on pleasure bent The
flowers nodded to you along the way and
the wild, rocky wooded way appealed to
you and thrilled your heart with its
beauty. and you were at peace with the
world-and with God, you thought. You
dreaded not danger that might lurk.
You knew not, thought not, of any that
could come to YOU that day.
The song birds chorpsed all about you
and YOU lifted your eyes to the heaven
above You and felt JOY in the clear depths
of blue, with an underlying satisfaction in
your own self and the success you wero
making of your life.
Then all suddenly you came to the turn
in the road--you remember-where tho
path leads abruptly up over the rocky hill.
side. or by a shorter cut down into tho
wood below. where all is cool and green
and dark. sand as the sun was mounting
high and the climb a steep one YOU chosd
the wooded road and turned your horse's
head in that direction. And just as tho
shut out heavens blue YOU caught sight
OF some one lying bruised and bleeding
ahead of YOU in the shadows of the road.
You started and drew rein at once. pom.
derlng what it might mean, and looked
stealtnily from side to side. Where dan.
ger Rad befallen one man, danger might
also tefaTl YOU. Whether the thieves wers
only armed with laughter and sneer-
those weapons cut to the vitals sometimes,
you know-or whether there was actual
physical harm, ! know not, tits enough
that YOU and God know. Was it fear that
held you from going on, or was it the
urgency OF your business. the necessity for
haste, that impelled you to turn away from
the sufferer you might have helped! For
you turned away. you remember. and went
by on the other side OF the ravine, the up.
per road. whence you could look down and
see the man lying half dead. You remem.
Der that you tried to shut your eyes to
keep the bright sunshine out-and the
sight of him you did not help. Oh, it mat.
ters not, you know, that he ought to have
been well armed when travelling that road
and not have got into scrape like this.
1our conscience tells You loudly now as
you pass through this way again and sec
the place where he lay and wonder what
good Samaritan, If any, helped him away,
that you should have been brave and kind
and you were not.
=, ioH nave NOT even the excuse OF the
samaritan, for he might have said: "The
dying one is a jew. | am not. Other
Jews will come along this road and dis.
cover him before long. 1t is their business
to look out for their own No. you have
not that excuse. for you claim to belong
to the chosen family OF God. Every man
in your creed, is a brother Even better
Tor your peace OF mind be it if you ran
away for fear
The EXpositor's Bible says. speaking OF
the priest and l.evlte who passed by on
the other side:' 1T is lust possible tina,
they do not deserve all the censure which
the. critics and the centuries have given.
1t Is easy for Us to condemn their action
as, selfish. heartless, but let Us put our.
selves in their place, alone in the lonely
pass, with this proof of an imminent dan.
ger, sprung suddenly upon lis. and it is pos.
slDe that we ourselves should not have
been quite so brave a. by our safe firesdes
we Imagine ourselves to be. The fact is il
needed something more than sympathy To
make them turn aside and hefriend tho
wounded man; it needed physical courage.
and that of the highest kind. and. Til.
wanting, sympathy itself would not be
sufficient. The heart may long to help,
even when the feet We're fastening away. ;"
ANA so II you have turned away there
may. be lower reasons for it than the mere
panic of alright
Bnt the Masters words were 'T.ove your
neighbor as yourself Ii yourself had been
lying there wounded-or one YOU loved a;
yourself - how quickly would you have
thrown to the, winds your fears and hast.
ened down to help!
TO the Jewish mind 'neighbor' was
simply. jew spelt large" says DIR. Bur
ton. And to-day, have you any more di
vine idea OF the word than had they? Oh
when YOU go this Jericho road again, be
ware for at any turn you may have a
chance to act the good Samaritan's part.