at once set about some
work for God, and will keep at it 365 days in the year, then a good
deal will be accomplished. Let us so live that it may be truthfully
said of us: We have done what we could.

CHAPTER VIII.

"WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?"

You have no doubt frequently read the story of the good Samaritan. In
this parable Christ brings before us four men. He draws the picture so
vividly that the world will never forget it. Too often when we read
the Scripture narratives they do not come home to our hearts, and it
is not long before we forget the lesson that the Master would have us
to learn and to remember.

We find that when Christ was on the earth there was a class of people
who gathered round Him and were continually finding fault with
everything He said and did. We read that on this occasion a lawyer
came asking Him what he could do to inherit eternal life. Our Lord
told him to keep the commandments--to love the Lord with all his
heart, and his neighbor as himself. The lawyer then wanted to know who
was his neighbor. In this narrative Christ told him who his neighbor
was, and what it was to love him.

It seems to me that we have been a long while in finding out who is
our neighbor. I think in the parable of the good Samaritan Christ has
taught us very clearly that any man or woman who is in need of our
love and our help--whether temporal or spiritual--is our neighbor. If
we can render them any service we are to do it in the name of our
Master.

Here we have brought before us two men, each of whom passed by one who
was in great need--one who had fallen among the thieves, who had been
stripped, wounded, and left there to die. The first that came down
that road from Jerusalem to Jericho was a priest. As he went along the
highway he heard a cry of distress, and he looked to see who was the
unfortunate man. He could see that the poor sufferer was a Jew; it may
be that he had seen him in the temple on the Sabbath day. But then he
was not in his own parish now. His work was in the temple, and it was
over for the present. He was a professional man, and he had gone
through all that was required of him.

He was in a great hurry to get down to Jericho. It may be they were
going to open a new synagogue there, and he was to dedicate it. A very
important business, and of course he could not stop to help this poor,
wounded, fallen man. So he passed on. It may be, as he went along, he
reasoned with himself somewhat i