leave this perishable frame. Think of your brother's thoughts, his fears, his hopes. And remember this is the end of all men; it must be soon your own.

Who shall say, which of those whom I now address shall have come to that end ere another year comes round, and again the rest assemble in the house of God? Who shall say, how many of you now hear for the last time the voice of God's warning in the church? When I consider how many of you never visit this place except on this occasion, I speak as though I felt it were my last opportunity. I speak as one who must hereafter meet you all at the judgment seat of Christ, and in his name, and for your eternal good, I warn you: Lay to heart the end of all men. Lay to heart the death you have to die. Lay to heart the death Christ died for you. Lay to heart that through his death you might live for ever. Consider Consider yourselves as now alive through Him, as having through Him a new life to live of holiness and love. Spend the life you now live as his devoted servants; "not

in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof." (Rom. 13. 13, 14.) The time is short. The Lord is nigh at hand. The wants which you will then feel are many; a Saviour from sin, and from condemnation, a righteousness not your own, a sentence of pardon, a crown of glory. Oh, make provision for these things now! Oh, be thankful to belong to that friendly society, of which all true Christians are the members, and of which Christ is Himself the Head! Be enrolled in the communion of his saints. Be your names written in his book of life. His word is sure. His promise never fails. He will heal your sickness. He will relieve your wants. He will make the house of mourning better to you than the house of feasting. And the very grave and gate of death He will make to you the entrance into eternal life.

SERMON VI.

BEFORE A FEMALE FRIENDLY SOCIETY.

THE ONE THING NEEDFUL.

LUKE 10. 41, 42.

"And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things; but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

THE history of Martha and Mary, though full of instruction to us all, affords the most striking lesson to those who are of the same sex as these two disciples of our Lord. It warns you most profitably, Christian sisters, against one of your most besetting sins. It instructs you very plainly in the most important of all your duties. The sin against which it warns you, is the giving too much of your at

tention, too much of your thoughts, too much of your hearts, to the daily business of this transitory life. The duty in which it instructs you is this, that you should choose in preference the one thing needful, namely, to sit at the feet of Jesus, hearing his word.

For thus runs this history: "It came to pass as they went, that he entered into a certain village; and a certain woman, named Martha, received him into her house. And she had a sister, called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving." (Ver. 38-40.) Here we already see the different disposition, taste, and habits, of these two sisters. With Jesus for their guest, the one bethinks herself how she may best improve his visit to the edifying of her immortal soul. The other bestirs herself with unseasonable zeal to minister to their visitor entertainment for the perishable body. In these circumstances we may discover the main points to be observed in the character of either party; the fault, and the

excellency, which are insisted on by our Saviour, in the text. May the Holy Spirit enable us to refuse the evil, and to choose the good; to dislike as well as avoid what Christ has here condemned; to love as well as do what He has here approved of!

For what then is Martha blamed? Not for ministering to the hospitable entertainment of her guest. This was her proper office. This was a duty appropriate to her sex; one which must by no means be neglected by those, who would follow the example set them by the holy women of old. It was not her serving, it was her much serving; it was her being cumbered with much serving; it was her paying more attention to it than was due; this was Martha's fault. It was her being so engrossed with her worldly work, as to neglect the invaluable opportunity of religious instruction; and not only to neglect it herself, but also to grudge her sister's enjoying it; this it was that made Martha's part not good but bad, this it was which exposed her to the reproof of Christ. For thus the history goes on: