St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-12-25


perhaps 1 need none, for you yourself
may be able from your own heart to
supply one. Have you ever hated
any one with your whole heart? Can
you think of some one now against
whom you have cherished long and
bitter i'll will? Then you have the
application of this parallel of our
Lords in your own hand, for, for such
men as you and me, for men with
hearts full of hatred and ill-will that
will not die, hearts like yours and
mine, for such our Lord spoke this
parable: who is my neighbour"
asked the lawyer, willing to excuse
himself. Every man." replied
Christ, "to whom you have the oppor-
tunity to show kindness, even though
he be of all men the man whom you
most bitterly hate. That man it is
whose name is in the mind of God
when he says to you: Thou shalt
love thy neighbor" But, Master"
my heart cries out, who then can be
saved? For this is impossible; this is
more than heart or flesh can attain
to-" YES" says Christ, with man
it is impossible, but not with God; for
with God all things are possible" And
so this parable brings me back, as
every parable brings me, to the foun-
tain opened for sin and for uncleanli-
ness. Must overlook and forget and
rise superior to unkindness and
taunts and to prejudice and ill-will
as this Samaritan did? Then can I
only cry: Create in me a clean
heart, o God, and renew a right spirit
within me-" To him must I go who
can take from me my hating and hate
full spirit and can give to me heart
purified by his grace, filled with his
own spirit
simply cannot tell you, and need
not try, the thoughts that passed
through that wounded mans half-con-
scious mind as he found himself cared
for and helped by Samaritan. I have
read of white man who on a certain
occasion had driven a hungry Indian
from his cabin door with harsh words,
and who, months afterWard, lost in a
distant part of the forest, stumbled
weak and spent, upon this very In
dams tent. There he was taken in
and cared for, and when able to walk
was conducted by easy stages back to
within sight of his home. One needs
hardly to ask which of these two was
nearer to the kingdom of Heaven. Nor
need one ask which of the three men
of our Lords story, the priest with his
broad phylacteries and his many pray
ers, the LeVite with his sacrifices and
his temple Offices, Or the Samaritan
whom they in their orthodoxy called
an unbelieving dog and an outcast,
was nearest to that kingdom.
Inspiring Object Lesson.
The picture of that Samaritan tax.
ing off his cloak that he might wrap
the naked man in it, setting him on
his own mule and supporting him
there as comfortably as he might,
while the mule hobbled down the road
that leads to Jericho, is picture for
you and me to hang in imagination's
gallery and oftentimes study until
we learn its inspiring lesson But
think not, I beseech you, that it is
only to those wounded by poverty
that you can bring help. There are
wounded spirits, there are broken
hearts. 1t may not be yours to give
money; give them the oil Of kindness
and the wine of cheer
l heard by few days ago of a
young woman, a domestic in home,
who loved her Saviour and whose
heart he had filled with a love for her
fellow-men. Opportunities for serY-
ice such as the world recognizes were
few, but every night she was accus-
toned to gather the daily papers after
they had been thrown aside Taking
these to her room she used to cut
from them the list of death notices,
and laying these before her she knelt
and in prayer commended those in sor-
row to the gracious help of her
Father in Heaven. She did not know
them, but they were in sorrow, and in
the only way she could she ministered
to them. We are not judges, but I
much mistake if in the eyes of him
who judges not as man judges, such
services as that does not rank high up
above the princely gifts that attract
the attention of the world Let US
seek to be ministers of Christ. To-
day let us hang that picture Of the
Samaritan who showed mercy, in our
hearts, and let US hear our Masters
voice as he says: go, and do thou
likewise"