The one Thing needful.

A

ER MON

Preached before the DUKE.

LUKE X. 41, 42.

And Jefus anfwered, and faid unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and troubled about many Things: But one Thing is needful; and Mary hath chofen that good Part, which fhall not be taken from her.

T

HE Characters of the two Serm. Perfons that are mentioned V. in my Text, may be gathered from the Circumstances related of them. The Story is this. G

VOL. I.

Our

SERM. Our Saviour, it feems, in the Course of V. his Travels from one Place to another, had just entered into a Village, which was called Bethany, where he was courteously received and entertained, in the House of a Woman, whofe Name was Martha. This Martha had a Sifter, whofe Name was Mary; the fame Perfon, of whom we are told in the Gofpel of St. John, that having purchased a Box of Ointment of Spikenard, very precious, the anointed the Feet of Jefus with it, and wiped them with her own Hair. Our Saviour, who never loft an Opportunity to do Good, instead of attending to his own Refreshment, as it was natural at fuch a Time to do, was difcourfing to his Difciples, and entertaining them, no doubt, with fomething, which was well worth their Hearing. Mary perceived this, and being willing to improve by the Inftruction of fo good a Teacher, fate down at his Feet, and heard him. Martha, in the mean Time, who per

haps

haps was as well pleased with this VifitSERM, which her Lord had made her, was V. expreffing her Respect to him in a dif-ferent Way, by preparing things proper to entertain him; and miffing her Sifter, whose Help the expected, and which could never be more necessary, than it was then, the interrupts our Saviour in the midst of his Difcourfe, with what she thought a very reasonable Complaint. Lord, doft thou not care, that my Sifter bath left me to ferve alone? Bid her therefore, that she help me. Το which our Saviour replies in my Text, Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful; and Mary bath chofen that good Part, which shall not be taken away from her. In which Words he does not feem directly to disapprove of the Part which Martha chofe. For fome Body must have done what Martha did, or our Saviour must have wanted that neceffary Refreshment, for the Sake of which he came. Nor is his Answer to

SERM. be understood, as refpecting only what V. had happened at that Time in particular, but as extending to the Characters of the two Perfons here mentioned, with respect to their whole Conduct and Behaviour. Martha was a Perfon of an active Temper, diligent and industrious in the Management of her Affairs, and what we call a very prudent Woman. Mary, on the other Hand, was lefs addicted to Business, and more given to Contemplation and Prayer, to the hearing of God's Word, and to fuch Acts of Piety, as are more apt to recommend us to the Favour of God, than the good Opinion and Esteem of Men. Something like this may eafily be collected from the little, that is faid of them in fome other Places; but efpecially from the Anfwer, which our Saviour here makes, and which feems to have relpect to the whole Government of their Lives, in which we may fuppose there was as much Difference at other Times, as in this Inftance there

appears

appears to be. The Meaning therefore SER M. of the Words is this. Martha, Mar- V. tha, thou art careful and troubled a-~~ bout many Things, i. e. I perceive thou art very much concerned about the Management of thy worldly Buliness. I fee, that in this, and I know, that in other Inftances, thou art apt to be full of Care: for which I do not blame thee; but I would not have thee think, that this ought to be thy only Study; that the Cares of this World should employ thy whole Thoughts, and shut out all other Business. For one thing is needful; one thing is ftill wanting: I need not tell thee, what it is I mean: For Mary hath chofen it; and a good Part it is; and it shall not be taken away from her, i. e. She fhall not be disturbed in the Exercise of it now, on Account of this Complaint of thine; nor indeed fhall the ever lofe it. It is on this Account, as well as on many others, a much better Part, than what thou haft chofen, inafmuch as it will never