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Assyria, and settled them in different towns. At the same time he brought people from Babylon, and other parts of his own land, and placed them in the cities of Samaria, where they became intermixed with some of the remainder of the Israelites, who had not been taken into captivity. These people were heathens, who did not fear the Lord; "therefore the Lord sent lions among them and slew them." Upon this the people were much alarmed, and the king of Assyria hearing of their state, and supposing that the God of Israel was offended with them, sent down an Israelite priest "to teach them how they should fear the Lord." In this manner they obtained some knowledge of the true God; but they still kept up a good deal of their former idolatry, "fearing the Lord," yet at the same time "serving their graven images, both their children, and their children's children." Such were the people of Samaria, and as such, objects of hatred to the Jews, who would have no kindly intercourse with them. You remember how this feeling had been greatly increased by the ill will which the Samaritans showed towards the Jews on their return from their captivity, and the great hindrance that they caused them in the work which they had so much at heart, the restoring of the Temple.

E. Thank you, Mamma, for this account of the Samaritans; I remember that you 'told me some of this before, though not all, I think; but I do not yet quite understand whether Samaria was a city or a country. I remember an account of that dreadful famine in the city of Samaria, when it was besieged by Benhadad king of Syria in the time of Elisha, and you were saying just now that it was taken by Shal

maneser, and yet we have been talking now of a country, and of the cities of Samaria.

M. Because Samaria was a province of Palestine, containing other towns also, though it took its name from its chief city, the city of Samaria, which was once the capital of the kingdom of Israel, that is, of the ten tribes. It was built on a pleasant and fruitful hill, about a day's journey from Jerusalem; and the kings of Israel, one after another, did all they could to make it one of the strongest, finest, and richest cities possible. It was here that Ahab built his palace of ivory; and we learn from the prophet Amos, that the place was sunk in luxury and effeminacy. An old Jewish writer tells us, that "it was on a mountain and well fortified; had springs, well-watered land, gardens, paradises, vineyards, and olive yards." Shalmaneser, you know, spent three years in besieging it; and when at last he did take it, he reduced it to a heap of stones. In the course of years it was partly rebuilt; but Herod the Great was the first person who restored it in any degree to its former splendour. It is now only a small and poor village, though many traces may be found of the magnificent buildings which once adorned it.

You will now, I think, quite understand that the Samaritans were not Israelites; though we shall see that they worshipped the Lord and had some expectations of the Messiah.

In passing through Samaria our Lord came to the town of Sychar, anciently called Shechem, near to the place where the bones of Joseph were buried. It was a parcel of ground which Jacob had given to his beloved son Joseph, as a token that his descendants, 2

namely the tribe of Ephraim, should afterwards inherit this part of the country; and this was in fact most wonderfully fulfilled, when Joshua divided the land of Canaan between the different tribes, as you may see by looking at the map. Here Jacob himself had formerly dwelt, and had bought a field, where he had spread his tent: and there was still a spring of water called Jacob's well. It lies in the direct road from Jerusalem, at a little distance from the town of Sychar or Sichem, now called Napolese.

The names of Jacob and Joseph had made this a sacred spot, and long had it been held in high esteem: but the blessed Jesus was about to make it more dear and hallowed than it had ever been before, and to shed a fragrance around its memory which should last to all generations.

See John iii. 22—36, iv. 1—6.

THIRTEENTH SUNDAY EVENING.

THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA.

M. We left the history of our blessed Lord last Sunday evening, just as He had approached the well of Jacob; and we read that Jesus being wearied with His journey, sat down to rest beside this well. The way had already been long, and He arrived at this refreshing spot during the hottest season of the day, "the weary hour of noon."

Now you know that, in taking upon Him our flesh, our blessed Lord had submitted to all the toils and

hardships of poverty; therefore were all His journeyings performed on foot.

E. Yes, and I know you have often told me that the Lord Jesus took upon Him" our weaknesses" too; therefore, I suppose, He often felt pain and

weariness?

M. And what wonderful condescension there was in this! What encouragement and comfort does it contain for all who are called upon to toil and suffer here below. They do not suffer alone: there is One who knows and understands all they feel. One who has Himself drunk out of the same cup; tasted with His own lips the portion which they have to drink ; borne Himself pain, and sorrow, and weariness; felt the misery of hunger and thirst; known, in fact, all that human beings can suffer; and known it of His own accord, for this very purpose, that, having known all, He might be able to pity all! That, looking back to His own sufferings, He might feel for those of His poor followers, and might comfort, and help, and support all who look to Him for succour.

But in resting by the side of Jacob's well during the heat of the day, our blessed Lord was not merely seeking refreshment for His own wearied body. No, He had an object in view, which to Him was of infinitely greater value; the rest, relief, and refreshment of a poor sinner's soul. Nay, who shall say whether this was not the Saviour's one great object, when He drew near that spot, and sat down alone by the side of that well?-Be this however as it may, we find, as we follow the sacred story, that our Lord had not rested long there, before a woman of Samaria came thither to draw water, and Jesus said unto her, "Give

me to drink ;" for His disciples were not with Him, but had gone into the city to buy food. There is reason from the story to believe, that this poor woman had been a very sinful person; and we find from the answer she had made our Lord, that her wicked life had hardened her heart, as wickedness generally does, and dried up those feelings of kindness and compassion, which would otherwise, as a matter of course, have led her to pity and relieve a weary traveller'. Instead of granting our Lord's request, this unhappy creature mocked at His distress, and tauntingly replied, "How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me which am a woman of Samaria ?"

E. Oh, Mamma, how sad that was! to be sure she could not tell that it was Jesus; but she ought not, because her country and His were enemies to one another, to have refused a little water to any wearied

man.

M. No, my love, she ought not; and perhaps there were many other women from that same city who would not have thought of refusing so small a kindness to a Jewish traveller: but, as I said before, her wicked life had probably hardened her heart, and made her cold and selfish, and careless of the sufferings of others. Poor wretched creature! she little thought to whom she addressed those hard, unfeeling words! But though she knew not the friend and Saviour of sinners, He knew her: yea, had known and followed her through all her sad and guilty life; and at the very moment when she was mocking at His distress, and refusing to relieve it, He was preparing

1 Burkitt.

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