e
promptings of natural instinct among his neighbours for the soothing of
his sorrows; the warm skilful hand of intelligent and affectionate
brotherhood will raise him up and minister to his wants. Lazarus,
instead of having only a dog to lick his sores, will be compassed about
with human affections, and all his wants supplied. As a diseased,
miserable, neglected lazar world felt the coming of Christ, the poor and
destitute of the world's inhabitants will know when a loving, hopeful
Christian comes within reach. Who touched me? might the huge world have
said, if it had possessed intelligence, when God became man and dwelt
among us. Who touched me? will the outcasts on the earth begin to cry as
they awaken to consciousness, when a revived Church has visited them in
their prison, and brought to them the bread of life.

XXVII.

UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS.

"Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences
will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better
for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast
into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee,
rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass
against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn
again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. And the
apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said,
If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this
sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted
in the sea; and it should obey you. But which of you, having a
servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when
he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not
rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird
thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward
thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did
the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when
ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We
are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to
do."--LUKE xvii. 1-10.

We are accustomed to observe a connection, more or less intimate,
between the parable and the history that precedes it. Generally, some
recent event, or some q