way to feelings which, for a time, quite overpowered her. It is true that if, as is probable, the death and resurrection of Lazarus took place at a later period than the circumstance related in the passage before us, Martha may be supposed to have improved considerably in every Christian grace by that time; yet much that is commendable appears in her conduct on the present occasion. We have already noticed the excellent spirit she manifested in receiving Jesus with his attendants into her house. Now we see the care she took to have every thing in good order; and there can be no doubt that in all the trouble she took, she was influenced chiefly by love and respect to Christ. To a certain extent, then, her conduct here was good, and worthy of imitation. But there was here also something that was culpable; for she was not contented with serving, but was cumbered with serving, and with much serving. She was too ambitious to provide a great feast; in which, if she was not influenced, in some degree, by vanity, she at least mistook or forgot the character of Christ, as if he had been one who would have been gratified by show and luxury. By this conduct, she also deprived herself of reaping benefit from the Saviour's instructions. Surely, less care might have sufficed, especially if, as there is reason to suppose from the respect in which the family was held, she had servants to execute her directions. Besides, she was not contented to be cumbered, and deprived of privileges herself alone, but she desired to have her sister cumbered and deprived also; for she came to Jesus, "and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her, therefore, that she help me." Thus it sometimes happens that those who are much more worldly than Martha was, groundlessly accuse their pious friends of neglecting their temporal affairs. It is quite true that pious persons should give no just cause for any such imputation, but should, on the contrary, be most conscientiously attentive to the business of life, and thus cut off occasion of speaking reproachfully of them. At the same time, it often happens that the dislike of worldly friends and acquaintances to genuine religion causes them to speak of the interference of religious duties with worldly concerns, where there is no interference, and to impute neglect of business where there is no such neglect. What use could there be for Mary also being deprived of this opportunity? Surely it was enough that Martha was absent to take the management of the house. Besides, with all the regard

1

Martha undoubtedly had for Christ, this was spoken very indiscreetly: it was, in fact, a reflection on him as being careless, and as paying no attention to her comfort. It was something like the conduct of the disciples who came to Christ, and awoke him, during the storm, saying, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" Let us beware of the impiety of ascribing forgetfulness, or want of kindness, to him who is ever ready to help us, and who is far more concerned for our welfare than we are ourselves.

This interference brought on Martha her Lord's decided, though gentle, rebuke; for "he answered and said unto her," addressing her kindly, yet solemnly, twice by name, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things." The great variety of preparations she was making, filled her with anxiety, fretted her, and put her out of humour. "Butone thing is needful." There are some respectable authorities* for understanding our Lord as saying that only one dish was necessary. The meaning, however, commonly affixed to the clause, is not only more important in itself, but more directly suggested by the context: for, the " one thing needful," is contrasted with the "many things," not only in number, but in kind, and was what Martha was, for the time, in some degree neglecting for the sake of these many things; and what could that be but the salvation of her soul? And this is exactly the conclusion to which we are led by the sequel, in which our Lord says, "And Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her;" evidently meaning that Mary was, by her conduct at the time, showing, in a peculiarly striking way, that she had chosen for her part, or portion, spiritual and eternal blessings-in other words, grace and glory, or religion as the means, and heaven as the end. Dr Doddridge thus happily paraphrases these two verses: "And Jesus, in reply, said to her, O Martha, Martha, thou art over anxious, and disturbed with restless agitation of spirit, about many things which are not worth so much solicitude, and might well have been spared on such an occasion as this. But let me tell thee, my dear friend, that there is one thing absolutely necessary, and of infinitely greater importance than any of these domestic and secular cares; even the care to have the soul instructed in the saving knowledge of the way that leads to eternal life, and to secure a title to it; and Mary is wisely attending to that: therefore, instead of reproving her, I must rather *Theophylact, Basil, Dr Ad. Clark, &c.

declare, that she has chosen what may eminently be called the good part, which, as it shall not be finally taken away from her, I would not now hinder her from pursuing, but rather invite thee to join with her in her attention to it, though the circumstances of our intended meal should not be so exactly adjusted as thy fond friendship could desire."

Such are the history and the general meaning of this very simple, but very beautiful and instructive occurrence. Let me now, as proposed, in the second place, expand the view here given of religion, or the salvation of the soul, as the one thing needful, and the good part which shall not be taken

away.

Religion, or attention to the soul's salvation, is here said, first, to be the one thing needful. It is one thing. Though consisting of various graces, and pursued in the use of various means, still there is a unity in itself, and a unity in all who embrace it. There is no harmony in those pursuits which relate exclusively to the world. They are constantly jarring; and the prosecution of one favourite object, is almost sure to interfere with another. But as to true religion, all is consistent, and progress in any one grace causes progress in every other. In reference to this, believers are said to be "all one in Christ Jesus;" and Paul says to them, "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Further, the care of the soul is not only "one thing," but is the one thing by way of eminence; that is, it is, or ought to be, the great business of life; it is a concern in comparison of which all other concerns, however important, are trifling. It is the one thing needful—that is, necessary. Various things are, indeed, necessary in a lower sense, and for inferior ends. Food and raiment are called necessaries of life; and, of course, various labours are to be undergone to procure them. There are many things desirable, too, which are not necessary, even in the lower sense, such as riches, honour, and health. But the welfare of the soul must be viewed, by all who form a proper estimate of the real and relative value of things, as necessary in the highest sense of the word-as necessary to their safety and happiness, as necessary beyond comparison, above every thing else. Riches are desirable in common estimation, and may be turned to good account, but they

are not necessary to a man's happiness; for the believer, though poor in this world's goods, is "rich in faith, and an heir of the kingdom;" and " the law of God's mouth is better to him than thousands of gold and silver." Honour is desirable, but not necessary, even in the lower sense; for he who is unjustly despised by men, may be precious, honourable, and beloved in God's sight now, and crowned with glory, honour, and immortality hereafter. Even those things which are called the necessaries of life, are by no means necessary in the strongest sense of the word; for, though they are generally given to God's people, some believers have been, for good reasons, destitute of them, and yet were patient, nay, joyful, at the time; and surely, those things are seen by them not to have been necessary, now that they are in glory. Paul said that he had been "in perils" often, "in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness;" but he spake of these deprivations with triumph when he was on earth, and now they are all forgotten by him, or remembered only to enhance the blessedness of his eternity. Let certain things be called necessaries, if men please, but let them remember that the time is coming when, even in the lowest sense, they shall be necessaries no more. "Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats, but God shall destroy both it and them." The bread of life is necessary in a far higher sense than the bread that perisheth. "I have meat to eat that ye know not of," said Christ. "I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food," said Job. Health of body is very desirable, as being that without which other merely earthly sources of pleasure are unavailing; but, it is not necessary: for, on the contrary, its deprivation has often proved one of the greatest of blessings to the soul, and while the body has been decaying, the inward man has been renewing day by day, and that spiritual health has been establishing which is a preparation for the country in which the inhabitant shall never say, "I am sick." Nay, highly desirable as is life itself, temporal life, it is not necessary to happy existence. Were it so, the possibility of continued happiness would be cut off from men, for very soon they must all die. There is another kind of life, however, which is necessary to happiness-the new life, which is begun on earth, and perfected in heaven. This is the one thing needful. This life of holiness is necessary to our ultimate safety and happiness; for "without holiness no man shall see the

Lord." An interest in Christ by faith, accompanied with the regenerating and sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, is so necessary, that, without it, all other advantages are but of momentary and trifling importance; and with it, all disadvantages are light, and will soon come to an end. Those who have this have all that is necessary; they have enough: they are safe and happy, "by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report, as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold they live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."

But, the salvation of the soul, or an interest in the blessings of the gospel, is here further described as "the good part that shall not be taken away." It is the "part,” that is, the portion, or inheritance, or possession of believers. The Lord said to Aaron, as representing the Levites,* "Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance." But, in the most important, that is, the spiritual sense, the Levites were the representatives of all true believers, who have God for their portion, and who find in him all that is necessary for time and for eternity. As for all unbelieving and unconverted men, who are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity, it may be said of them, as it was of Simon the sorcerer, that they have "neither part nor lot in this matter." The part of Christ's people is indeed a good part or portion. Have not they a good part who are "partakers of the heavenly calling""partakers of the divine nature," "partakers of God's holiness," "partakers of Christ," "partakers of the Holy Ghost;" and all this as rendering them "meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light?" Surely, every one of them may say, "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places: yea, I have a goodly heritage." This part, or portion, believers are said to have chosen-God having first chosen them, they are enabled to choose him. They voluntarily and heartily fix on him and spiritual blessings as their portion. "Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever," says the Psalmist, "for they are the rejoicing of my heart.""I cried unto the Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge, and my portion in the land of * Numb. xviii, 20.