Verses on Various Occasions · Chapter
LXXXVIII: The Good Samaritan explained
The speaker praises the Church of Rome for its comforting rituals and sanctuaries that soothe the heart and calm passion, likening its care to that of a Good Samaritan.
What happens
The speaker praises the Church of Rome for its comforting rituals and sanctuaries that soothe the heart and calm passion, likening its care to that of a Good Samaritan. Amidst weariness and doubt, the Church offers a refuge where the solitary find friendship and resignation replaces uncertainty.
Themes in this chapter
The Church and Tradition
The Church of Rome is portrayed as a nurturing institution that provides spiritual solace and a structured path to peace.
Suffering and Humility
The speaker's wounds and weariness are tended by a foe, illustrating humility in receiving help and the transformation of suffering through grace.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The speaker expresses personal longing and weariness, finding solace in the Church of Rome.
- Straight a stranger
The foe who tends the speaker's wounds with oil and wine, embodying the Good Samaritan.
Key passages
“Oh that thy creed were sound! 9 For thou dost soothe the heart, thou Church of Rome, By thy unwearied watch and varied round Of service, in thy Saviour’s holy home.”
I wish your beliefs were correct, because you comfort the heart, Church of Rome, through your tireless vigilance and diverse rituals of worship in Christ's sacred house.
The speaker admires the Church's pastoral care despite doctrinal reservations.
“I almost fainted from the long delay That tangles me within this languid bay, When comes a foe, my wounds with oil and wine to tend.”
I was nearly overcome by the prolonged waiting that ensnares me in this sluggish harbor, when an enemy arrives to dress my wounds with oil and wine.
The unexpected aid from a foe echoes the parable of the Good Samaritan, emphasizing grace from an unlikely source.