the tender emotions of pity and deep concern. So that when one confiders this friendly part of our nature, without looking farther, one would think it impoffible for man to look upon mifery without finding himself, in fome measure, attached to the intereft of him who fuffers it. I fay, one would think it impoffible for there are fome tempers-how shall I describe them?-formed either of fuch impenetrable matter, or wrought up by habitual selfishness to fuch an utter infenfibility of what becomes of the fortunes of their fellow creatures, as if they were not partakers of the fame nature, or had no lot or connexion at all with the species.

Of this character our SAVIOUR produces two difgraceful inftances, in the behaviour of a príeft and a Levite, whom in this account he reprefents as coming to the place where the unhappy man was;-both paffing by without either ftretching forth a hand to affist, or uttering a word to comfort him in his distress.

And by chance there came down a certain prieft!-merciful God! that a teacher of thy religion should ever want humanity-or that a man,

a man, whose head might be thought full of the one, should have a heart void of the other! -This, however, was the case before us-and though in theory one would scarce fufpect that the leaft pretence to religion, and an open difregard to fo main a part of it, could ever meet together in one perfon;-yet in fact it is no fictitious character.

Look into the world-how often do you behold a fordid wretch, whofe strait heart is open to no man's affliction, taking shelter behind an appearance of piety, and putting on the garb of religion, which none but the merciful and compaffionate have a title to wear. Take notice with what fanctity he goes, to the end of his days, in the fame selfish tract in which he at first fet out-turning neither to the right hand nor to the left-but plods on

pores all his life long upon the ground, as if afraid to look up, left peradventure he should see aught which might turn him one moment out of that straight line where intereft is carrying him;—or if, by chance, he ftumbles upon a hapless object of distress, which threatens fuch a difafter to him-like the man here represented, devoutly passing by on

the other fide, as if unwilling to trust himself to the impreffions of nature, or hazard the inconveniencies which pity might lead him into upon the occafion.

There is but one ftroke wanting in this picture of an unmerciful man, to render the character utterly odious, and that our SAVIOUR gives it in the following inftance he relates upon it. And likewife, fays he, a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked at him. It was not a transient oversight, the hasty or illadvised neglect of an unconfidering humour, with which the beft difpofed are sometimes overtaken, and led on beyond the point where otherwise they would have wished to stop.No! on the contrary, it had all the aggravation of a deliberate act of infenfibility, proceeding from a hard heart. When he was at the place, he came, and looked at him,—confidered his misfortunes, gave time for reason and nature to have awoke-faw the imminent danger he was in-and the preffing neceffity of immediate help, which fo violent a cafe called aloud for;-and after all-turned afide, and unmercifully left him to all the diftreffes of his condition.

In all unmerciful actions, the worft of men pay this compliment, at least, to humanity, as to endeavour to wear as much of the appearance of it as the cafe will well let them ;

fo that in the hardest acts a man fhall be guilty of, he has fome motives, true or falfe, always ready to offer, either to fatisfy himself or the world, and, God knows, too often to impose both upon the one and the other. And therefore it would be no hard matter here to give a probable guefs at what paffed in the Levite's mind in the prefent cafe, and fhew, was it necessary, by what kind of casuistry he fettled the matter with his confcience as he paffed by, and guarded all the paffages to his heart against the inroads which pity might attempt to make upon the occafion.-But it js painful to dwell long upon this disagreeable part of the ftory; I therefore haften to the concluding incident of it, which is fo amiable, that one cannot easily be too copious in reflections upon it. And behold, fays our SAVIOUR, a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was; and when he faw him, he had compaffion on him and went to himbound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine -let

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-set him upon his own beaft, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. I suppose it will be scarce neceffary here to remind you, that the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans an old religious grudge the worst of all grudges! had wrought fuch a diflike between both people, that they held themselves mutually discharged not only from all offices of friendship and kindness, but even from the most common acts of courtesy and good manners. This operated fo ftrongly in our SAVIOUR's time, that the woman of Samaria seemed astonished that he, being a Jew, should ask water of her who was a Samaritan :—so that, with fuch a prepoffeffion, however distressful the cafe of the unfortunate man was, and how reasonably foever he might plead for pity from another man, there was little aid or confolation to be looked for from fo unpromising a quarter. Alas! after I have been twice passed by, neglected by men of my own nation and religion, bound by fo many ties to affift me, left bere friendless and unpitied both by a priest and a Levite, men whofe profeffion and fuperior advantages of knowledge could not leave them in the dark in what manner they should discharge this debt which my condition claims after this -what