dead on the road. He then tells us of a priest and a Levite, who, one after the other, came travelling that way, and saw the poor wounded man, but gave him no he^/ Both were men, who from their of&ce and profes- sion, ought to have been ready and willing to do good to one in distress. But both, in succession, were too selfish, or too unfeeling to offer the slightest assistance. They doubtless reasoned with themselves, that they knew nothing of the wounded traveller, — that he had perhaps got into trouble by his own misconduct, — that they had no time to stop to help him, — and that they had enough to do to mind their own business, without troubling themselves with strangers. And the result was, that one after the other, they both " passed by on the other side."
We have in this striking description, an exact picture of what is continually going on in the world. Selfishness is the leading characteristic of the great majority of man- kind. That cheap charity which costs nothing more than a trifling subscription or contribution, is common enough. But that self-sacrificing kindness of heart, which cares not what trouble is entailed, so long as good can be done, is a grace which is rarely met with. There are still thousands in trouble who can find no friend or helper. And there are still hundreds of '' priests and Levites " who see them, but " pass by on the other side."
Let us beware of expecting much from the kindness of man. If we do, we shall certainly be disappointed. The longer we live the more clearly we shall see that few people care for others except from interested motives, and that unselfish, disinterested, pure brotherly love> is as scarce as diamonds and rubies. How thankful we
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