compaffionate tempers baffle all little reafonings about them. True charity, in the apoftle's defcription, as it is kind, and is not easily provoked, fo it manifefted this character for we find when he came where he was, and beheld his distress,—all the unfriendly paffions, which at another time might have rofe within him, now utterly forfook him and fled : when he faw his misfortunes - he forgot his enmity towards the man,

dropped

all the prejudices which education had planted against him, and in the room of them, all that was good and compaffionate was fuffered to speak in his behalf.

In benevolent natures the impulse to pity is fo fudden, that like inftruments of mufic which only obey the touch the objects which are fitted to excite fuch impreffions work fo inftantaneous an effect, that you would think the will was

fcarce

fcarce concerned, and that the mind was altogether paffive in the fympathy which her own goodness has excited. The truth is, - the foul is generally in fuch cafes fo bufily taken up and wholly engroffed by the object of pity, that fhe does not attend to her own operations, or take leifure to examine the principles upon which the acts. So that the Samaritan, though the moment he faw him he had compaffion on him, yet fudden as the emotion is reprefented, you are not to imagine that it was mechanical, but that there was a fettled principle of humanity and goodness which operated within him, and influenced not only the firft impulfe of kindness, but the continuation of it throughout the reft of so engaging a behaviour. And because it is a pleasure to look into a good mind, and trace out as far as one is able what

VOL. I.

F

paffles

paffes within it on fuch occafions, I fhall beg leave for a moment, to ftate an account of what was likely to pass in his, and in what manner fo distressful a case would neceffarily work upon fuch a difpofition.

As he approached the place where the unfortunate man lay, the inftant he beheld him, no doubt fome fuch train of reflections as this would rife in his mind. "Good God! what a fpectacle of mifery do I behold a man ftripped of "his raiment-wounded

lying languifhing before me upon the ground just ready to expire, without the "comfort of a friend to fupport him in "his laft agonies, or the profpect of a "hand to clofe his eyes when his pains 66 are over. But perhaps my concern "fhould leffen when I reflect on the re

"lations

1

"lations in which we ftand to each other "-that he is a Jew and I a Samaritan. cc But are we not still both men ?

-

partakers of the fame nature- and fubject to the fame evils? let me change conditions with him for a 66 moment and confider, had his lot "befallen me as I journeyed in the way, "what measure I fhould have expected at his hands. Should I wish when "he beheld me wounded and half-dead, "that he should fhut up his bowels of "compaffion from me, and double the "weight of my miferies by paffing by "and leaving them unpitied?. But I am a ftranger to the man-be it fo,"but I am no ftranger to his condition "misfortunes are of no particular "tribe or nation, but belong to us all, "and have a general claim upon us, "without diftinction of climate, country

66

or religion. Befides, though I am

แ

a stranger

'tis no fault of his

"that I do not know him, and there"fore unequitable he should fuffer by "it: Had I known him, poffibly "I fhould have had caufe to love and "pity him the morefor aught I

know, he is fome one of uncommon "merit, whofe life is rendered still more precious, as the lives and happiness "of others may be involved in it: per

haps at this inftant that he lies here "forfaken, in all this mifery, a whole "virtuous family is joyfully looking for "his return, and affectionately count

་་

ing the hours of his delay. Oh! did

they know what evil hath befallen him --how would they fly to fuccour "him. Let me then haften to fupply "thofe tender offices of binding up his "wounds, and carrying him to a place

"of