the living." And what crowns the excellence of this portion is, that it is never taken away* from those who become possessed of it. Of how short duration, at the very utmost, is the portion of the men of the world who "have their portion in this life!" Frequently, it forsakes them, even during their life-time; at all events, they leave it behind them when they die. "Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever;" but all is evanescent. Though such a man be made rich, and the glory of his house increased, "when he dieth, he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him" into the grave. Whosoever hath an interest in this good part, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundantly; "but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have." When God shall say to the fool—that is, to the ungodly man-"This night thy soul shall be required of thee;" then whose shall those things be which he hath provided? Nor are the people of God any more secure of retaining a worldly portion. They may be stripped of all that in their outward possessions and connexions is naturally desirable; but having chosen the good part, that is, a lasting portion, enables them to rejoice under the heaviest losses. This enables them to say, with Job, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Of whatever else they may be deprived, they cannot be deprived of this portion. "Your hearts shall rejoice," says Jesus to his own, "and your joy no man taketh from you." And, instead of being losers, they are great gainers by death; for they have treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust can corrupt, and where thieves cannot break through to steal: there they have an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. It is the language of each of them: "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth

* Hierocles, in his Commentary on the Golden Verses of Pythagoras, says, that if we are possessed of the virtuous habit, it is not in the power of any man, however anxious, to deprive us of it, 'Ovx iσri ini Ty Bovλομένῳ ταυτης ἡμας ἀποστησαι. Cicero says: "If a happy life can be lost it cannot be happy;" and again, "While all other things are uncertain, fading, and movable, virtue alone is fixed with very deep roots, so that she can never by any violence be overthrown, or removed from her place." Si amitti vita beata potest, beata esse non potest. Quanquam omnia alia incerta sunt, caduca, mobilia, virtus est una altissimis defixa radicibus: quæ nunquam ulla vi labefactari potest, nunquam dimoveri loco."-De Fin. lib. ii. et Philip. iv.

whom I desire beside thee. My heart and flesh shall fail, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever." Blessed are the people who are in such a caseblessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Theirs is a good part indeed, for everything needful is, and eternally shall be, theirs. "All things are theirs, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are theirs, for they are Christ's, and Christ is God's."

And now, in the third place, as to the more express improvement of the subject:

1. This passage suggests important cautions as to domestic, and all worldly affairs. Even pious persons are far from being beyond the need of admonition on this point; nay, some of them stand very much in need of it. The difficulty here is to pursue the proper medium-to pay sufficient attention to these matters, and yet not to carry that attention to an excessive and hurtful length. It would, no doubt, have been wrong to have neglected to make suitable preparation to entertain the Saviour and his attendants on this occasion; but it seems as if that could have been accomplished by Martha, without her being so cumbered and careful, and troubled about many things; and it was wrong to propose to deprive her sister of the privilege she so highly valued. On the one hand, then, let all needful attention be paid by the pious mistresses of families to have every thing in their houses in a judicious, orderly, and comfortable state, according to the station of life in which they are placed; and let them conscientiously avoid all indolent, careless, and slovenly habits, as they would avoid bringing a scandal on their profession, and prejudicing the worldly against it. In describing the virtuous woman, Solomon says, "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness." On the other hand, this care must not be carried to excess; it must not be the chief business; it ought to be managed so as not to interfere with, but to promote, the one thing needful. One breach of duty, in consequence of excessive domestic care, occurs when it is the means of preventing secret and family worship altogether, or of impeding their regular and calm exercise; and this is very similar to the situation to which Martha now reduced herself. Another sinful error, in this respect, is that of giving or requiring from servants, more time and attention to the preparation of food, and to other family concerns, on the

Lord's-day, than is necessary. Conscientious attention should be paid to this, in order that all may have leisure for religious exercises at home, and that no members of the family may be detained, or absent themselves, from any of the ordinary diets of public worship, without such reason as comes fairly under the designation of necessity or mercy. She is the commendable mistress of a family, who keeps every thing in good order, without depriving herself or household of leisure to use the means of grace; and who shows hospitality without grudging, yet without vanity or extravagance. And he is the commendable man of business, who, while he is "not slothful in business," is, at the same time, "fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." Excessive and hurtful care is by no means confined to household matters it characterizes many a man in the whole of his occupation, and accompanies him to his farm, or to his merchandise. Let it be held as a bounden duty that every man should pay attention to his own lawful business; for the Psalmist, among other characteristics of "a good man," mentions that "he will guide his affairs with discretion:" but let it also be ever remembered that there is something of still more importance, even the salvation of the soul, and that whatever may be the calls which are made on a man's time and attention, he must not be so cumbered and troubled by them, as to neglect the one thing needful, but must have a mind composed and ready to turn to God, and pursue all earthly objects in subserviency to religion. Let all who have any regard for their souls, practically attend to the following warnings and directions. "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." "Take no thought," no excessive, distrustful, and sinful thought, "saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (for after all these things do the Gentiles seek) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." "Labour not," that is, comparatively, "for the meat that perisheth, but for that which endureth unto everlasting life."- "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God; and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

2. Improve this passage as a test of your state and character. Inquire whether you be living as really, and habitually, and practically, feeling that the only thing worth while of living for is the salvation of your souls. Enter into your thoughts, review your lives, and say in what direction has your care chiefly lain? If you are conscious that you are chargeable with gross neglect of the means of salvation, your case is quite clear. But it is not enough to have paid some slight and heartless attention to these means, and to have done some, or even many things according to the letter of the law: all this and more may be true, and yet it may be said, "One thing thou lackest." Ask yourselves, What has had the chief place in your thoughts-the world and its cares, or Christ and his salvation? It is quite possible for you to know this: nay, many of you must know it, and do know it, if you would only confess it, and follow out your conviction. Ask of God what you are chiefly seeking-ask it of the Word of God, ask it of your own consciences. Happy are those of you who, amid all your imperfections, are yet following after salvation as the one thing needful, and have chosen the good part which shall never be taken away from you. Is not each of you ready to say with Jeremiah, "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him?" Be admonished to prosecute still more zealously this first of objects, this one thing. Count not yourselves to have apprehended; but this one thing do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. It is to be feared, however, that there are many of you who are not minding the things which belong to your peace: let me, then,

3. Beseech you to consider the folly, guilt, and danger of neglecting the one thing needful, and the good portion. Make the supposition as favourable as possible; but, however profitable and gratifying in other respects, your labour may have been, as it has not been directed towards the one thing needful, and the good part, there is no solid, no lasting advantage, or pleasure, in it: "For, what is a man profited, if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or, what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" You have positively lost your time and your trouble; and, for any good ultimately to result from your toil, you may be said to have been mere idlers. The very

pains you have taken in reference to religion are lost, because you have not been hearty in it. Nay, you are not only losing your time and labour, but you are busied in ruining yourselves for ever. You are adding sin to sin; you are laying plans (strange to tell!) to impoverish yourselves! and you are heaping up mountains of difficulties in the way of your true happiness. How foolish, and how sinful! You are neglecting your souls, from your leading too busy a life. No doubt, some of you have been heard to plead the great press of business, as an excuse for such negligence. But it is no sufficient excuse; it is neither satisfactory to reason now, nor will it be sustained at the bar of God at last. How dangerous, too, such neglect, and such a choice! If you find yourselves at last without the one thing, the only thing needful to your safety, how inevitable must be your ruin! You must at last have one of two portions; if you have not the good part, or portion, you must have the bad. "Upon the wicked God shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup" they "shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Remember, too, that your disappointment and ruin will be the same, whether you are successful in your worldly schemes or not. It is neither success nor failure as to worldly prosperity, but the mind's bent, that marks the character.

Lastly, Let me earnestly urge you all to make Mary's choice. Martha did not neglect this, it is true; but Mary was peculiarly distinguished for it, and therefore, it is usually called Mary's choice. The Lord is now saying to you, "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve;" he is "setting before you life and death, the blessing and the curse;" see, then, that, in his strength, you choose him for your God and portion, and with him, life and the blessing. Seek after this good part, in the diligent use of the private and public means of grace, especially, in waiting on God in his sanctuary. Say, with David, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple." Seek this good part, too, in the way of the belief of the gospel. Remember that you can obtain it only by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ-only by being justified in his righteousness, and renewed by his Spirit. "If I wash thee not," says he, "thou hast no part with me." By receiving him,