the house of these pious women, Mary took her seat at the feet of the divine teacher, in order to receive instruction; while Martha, suffering herself to be over-anxious in making provision, complained of her sister's neglect, in not rendering her assistance. It was on this occasion that Christ gave to Martha that memorable admonition, so worthy of attention from the human family in general: " Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things. But one thing is needful.

And Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her."

of his clothes and money, but so dangerously at a certain time, Jesus was entertained at wounded him, that they left him almost expiring on the ground. By chance a priest came that way, and saw the poor wretch weltering in his blood: but the sight did not affect him, he passed along unconcerned. Next came a Levite, as void of tenderness and humanity as the priest. At last the groans of the poor wretch stirred up the curiosity of a Samaritan to see the cause, which he no sooner discovered, but, moved with compassion, he went to him, raised his head, recalled his fainting spirits, and closed his gaping wounds with healing balsams; then mounting him on his own beast he gently conveyed the man to the first inn, where at A great part of the gospel records, which his own cost he entertained him while he staid yet remain to be noticed, consist in a detail with him, and at his departure promised the of the discourses delivered by Christ to his host to be at whatever further expense should disciples, together with reproofs to the hypobe incurred." Our blessed Saviour apply-critical scribes and Pharisees, and a number ing this parable to the lawyer, asked him which he thought was neighbor to the poor traveller. The lawyer replied, "Undoubtedly he that was kind, and careful of him.” Then says he to the lawyer," Go thou and do likewise.” Hereby plainly intimating, that no distance of country or religion destroyed the true notion of neighborhood, but every person with whom we converse in peace and charity is that neighbor, whom we are to love as

ourselves.

Two sisters, Martha and Mary, who make a considerable figure in the sacred history, now present themselves to our notice. While, ness through which this road passed had acquired the name of the bloody way. The monks however have restricted this name, or rather that of the Valley of Abdonim" (blood), to a small round, grassy valley, which they have fixed upon as the place where the supposed facts of this parable took place. That the region is well suited for a scene of robbery and murder will appear by the following, from Mr. Buckingham:

"The whole of this road from Jerusalem to Jericho is held to be the most dangerous about Palestine; and, indeed, in this portion of it, the very aspect of the scenery is sufficient, on the one hand, to tempt to robbery and murder, and on the other, to occasion a dread of it in those who pass that way. It was partly to prevent any accident happening to us at this early stage of our journey, and partly perhaps to calm our fears on that score, that a messenger had been. despatched by our guides to an encampment of their tribe near, desiring them to send an escort to meet us at this place. We were met here accordingly by a band of about twenty persons, on foot, all armed with matchlocks, and presenting the most ferocious and robber-like appearance that could be imagined. The effect of this was heightened by the shouts which they sent forth

of interesting parables. A brief notice of the most remarkable of these objects, as we pass on, is all that the limits of our history will allow.

In answer to the request of his disciples, we find our Lord giving them instructions on the subject of prayer, and encouraging them to the exercise of this sacred privilege. When a certain Pharisee, with whom Jesus dined, found fault because he did not use the ceremony of the elders, by first washing, he took occasion to expose the vain pretences and hypocrisy of these people, who, while they were superstitiously nice in small matfrom hill to hill, and which were re-echoed through all the valleys; while the bold projecting crags of rock, and the dark shadows in which every thing was buried below, the towering height of the cliffs above, and the forbidding desolation which everywhere reigned around, presented a picture that was quite in harmony throughout all its parts. It made us feel most forcibly the propriety of its being chosen as the scene of the dreadful tale of compassion which we had so often admired for its doctrine, independently of its local beauty. In these gloomy solitudes, pillage, wounds, and death would be accompanied with double terror from the frightful aspect of every thing around. Here the unfeeling act of passing by a fellowcreature in distress, as the priest and Levite are said to have done, strikes one with horror, as an act almost more than inhuman. And here, too, the compassion of the Good Samaritan is doubly virtuous, from the purity of the motive which must have led to it, in a spot where no eyes were fixed on him to draw forth the performance of any duty, and from the courage which was necessary to admit of a man's exposing himself, by such delay, to the risk of a similar fate to that from which he was cadeavoring to rescue a fellow-creature.'

A certain man is represented as having two sons; the younger of whom, having received his portion, went into a distant country, where he wasted his substance with riotous living." Reduced by poverty and famine to a state of wretchedness, he became a keeper of swine, to a citizen of that country; but happily, in this situation, "he came to himself," and took the resolution to try once This miracle, though attested in the clearmore the kindness of a father. Accordingly, est manner, had no effect toward removing he returned, with a humble and penitent❘ the prejudice and enmity of the Pharisees.

It was wrought on the sabbath day, and pay attention is the resurrection of Lazathis, in their esteem, afforded some pretext rus. This man was the brother of Martha for opposition. They accused Jesus of and Mary, who have been already introduced profaning the sabbath, and cast the man to our notice. Of this little family (who (who had now become his disciple) out of resided in the town of Bethany), it is testithe synagogue. This opposition became fied, that they were all beloved of Jesus. still more violent, when Christ, in a discourse Yet Lazarus, though loved of his Lord, was held with the Jews, in the porch of the sick, and eventually died of his illness. In temple, declared, "I and my Father are the mean time a message from the two sisters one. They even took up stones to stone had reached the Saviour, mentioning the him ; "but he escaped out of their hands, sickness of his friend; but continuing some and went again beyond Jordan, where time where he was, he did not reach the many resorted to him, and believed on him. house of mourning till four days after the death and burial of Lazarus.

We must not omit to mention here, among other instances of his goodness, the gracious regard shown to helpless infancy, by the Redeemer; who, when some persons present brought young children to him, that they might share in his favor, " took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them." Then, departing thence, he went on to some other place which he had designed to visit.

This circumstance, however, offered no difficulty to him who was "the Resurrection and the Life." Accompanied by a train of mourners, and the sisters of the deceased, with whom he wept on this occasion, he came to the sepulchre; and the stone which covered the mouth being removed, Jesus, after addressing his heavenly Father, “cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth!" His word was attended with life-giving power: the grave resigned its prisoner; and he

In the way, he was accosted by a young ruler, who, in an earnest manner, desired to know what he should do to inherit eternal that was dead came forth," bound with life. The result of the conversation showed, grave-clothes, and his head wrapped with a that this amiable youth, with all his morality, napkin. "Loose him," said Christ, "and was incapable of renouncing the world for let him go.' Christ, and Jesus improved the serious occasion, by delivering a general caution against setting the heart on the perishing riches of this world; assuring his disciples, that those who had forsaken all for him, should, in some sense, be great gainers, even in this life; and that in the world to come, they should have life everlasting.

The next event to which we shall here

From that day forth, the Jews, convinced of his miraculous power, but still cherishing their enmity against him, "took counsel together to put him to death." On this account "Jesus walked no more openly among the Jews," till the time appointed for his suffering; but went, with his disciples, into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim.

* JERUSALEM. "Beautiful for situation, Zion," to the heart of every devout Israelite: the joy of the whole the whole earth, was Mount for thither "the tribes of the Lord went up