well; for good, both in kind and measure; well, so as our care be free from distraction, from distrust; from distraction, that it hinder us not from the necessary duties of our general calling; from distrust, that we misdoubt not God's providence, while we employ our own. We cannot care for thee, unless we thus care for ourselves, for our's.

Alas! how much care do I see everywhere, but how few Marthas! Her care was for our Saviour's entertainment; ours for ourselves. One finds perplexities in his estate, which he desires to extricate; another beats his brain for the raising of his house; one busies his thoughts about the doubtful condition, as he thinks, of the times, and casts in his anxious head the imaginary events of all things, opposing his hopes to his fears: another studies how to avoid the cross blows of an adversary. "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things." Foolish men, why do we set our hearts upon the rack, and need not? Why will we endure to bend under that burden, which more able shoulders have offered to undertake for our ease?

Thou hast bidden us, O God, to cast our cares upon thee with promise to care for us. We do gladly unload ourselves upon thee: O let our care be to depend upon thee, as thine is to provide for us.

Whether Martha be pitied or taxed for her sedulity, I am sure Mary is praised for her devotion: "One thing is necessary." Not by way of negation, as if nothing were

necessary but this; but by way of comparison, as that nothing is so necessary as this. Earthly occasions must vail to spiritual. Of those three main grounds of all our actions, necessity, convenience, pleasure, each transcends other: convenience carries it away from pleasure, necessity from convenience, and one degree of necessity from another. The degrees are according to the conditions of the things necessary. The condition of these spiritual necessaries is, that without them we cannot live eternally. So much difference, then, as there is betwixt temporary and eternal, so much there must needs be betwixt the necessity of these bodily actions and these spiritual: both are necessary in their kinds; neither must here be an opposition, but a subordination. The body and soul must be friends, not rivals; we may not so ply the Christian, that we neglect the man.

O the vanity of those men, who, neglecting that one thing necessary, affect many things superfluous! Nothing is needless with worldly minds but this one, which is only necessary, the care of their souls. How justly do they lose that they cared not for, while they over care for that which is neither worthy nor possible to be kept!

Neither is Mary's business more allowed than herself: "She hath chosen the good part." It was not forced upon her, but taken up by her election. Martha might have sat still as well as she: she might stirred about as well as MarMary's will made this choice,

have tha.

not without the inclination of him who both gave this will and commends it. That will was before renewed no marvel if it choose the good; though this were not in a case of good and evil, but of good and better. We have still this holy freedom, through the inoperation of him that hath freed us. Happy are we, if we can improve this liberty to the best advantage of our souls.

The stability or perpetuity of good adds much to the praise of it. Martha's part was soon gone; the thank and use of a little outward hospitality cannot long last: "but Mary's shall not be taken away from her." The act of her hearing was transient, the fruit permanent; she now hears that which will stick by her for ever. What couldst thou hear, O holy Mary, from those sacred lips, which we hear not still? That heavenly

doctrine is never but the same, not more subject to change than the author of it. It is not impossible that the exercise of the gospel should be taken from us; but the benefit and virtue of it is as inseparable from our souls as their being. In the hardest times that shall stick closest to us, and till death, in death, after death, shall make us happy.HALL.

HYMN.

Beset with snares on every hand,
In life's uncertain path I stand;
Saviour divine, diffuse thy light,
To guide my doubtful footsteps right.

Engage this roving, treacherous, heart
To fix on Mary's better part:
To scorn the trifles of a day,
For joys that none can take away.

Then, let the wildest storms arise,
Let tempests mingle earth and skies,
No fatal shipwreck shall I fear,
But all my treasure with me bear.
If thou, my Saviour, still be nigh,
Cheerful I live, and joyful die ;
Secure, when mortal comforts flee,
To find ten thousand worlds in thee.
Doddridge.

§ CXCI.

CHAP. XI. 1—13.

Christ teacheth to pray, and that instantly: assuring that God so will give us good things.

AND it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, "Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

3 Give us day by day our daily bread.

4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend and shall go unto him at mid

C

9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he *offer him a scorpion?

13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him.

a Matt. vi. 9.- Or, for the day.—|| Or, out of his way.

0

24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house

whence I came out.

25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.

26 Then goeth he,and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and "the last state of that man is worse than the first.

27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain

up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.

28 But he said, Yea 'rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

e Mat. ix. 32; & xii. 22.-f Mat. ix. 34; & xii. 24.+ Gr. Beelzebul, and so ver. 18, 19.-g Mat. xii. 38; & xvi. 1.- Mat. xii. 25. Mark iii. 24.-i John ii. 25.-A Ex. viii. 19.- Mat. xii. 29. Mark iii. 27.-m Is. liii. 12. Col. ii. 15.-n Mat. xii. 30.-o Mat. xii. 43.-p John v 14. Heb. vi. 4; & x. 26. 2 Pet. ii. 20.-g ch. i. 28-48.r Mat. vii. 21. ch. viii. 21. Jam. i. 25.

See § XLII.

Matthew XII. 22-30.

And § XLIII.

Matthew XII. 43-50.

§ CXCIII.

CHAP. XI. 29-36. Christ preacheth to the people.

8

29 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

30 For as 'Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

31 "The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation,

2

34 The light of the body is the eye; therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.

35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

8 Mat. xii. 88, 39.- Jonah i. 17; & ii. 10.-u I Kin. x. 1.- Jonah iii. 5.-y Mat. v. 15. Mark iv. 21. ch. viii. 16.-See Mat. v. 15.-2 Mat. vi. 22.-† Gr. a candle by it's bright shining.

See § XLIII.

Matthew XII. 28-42.

And Matthew V. 15 in § XV.

Matthew VI. 22, 23 in § XXI.

§ CXCIV.

CHAP XI. 37-54.

Christ reprehendeth the outward shew of holiness in the Pharisees, Scribes, and Lawyers.

37 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.

a

38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.

39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward

part is full of ravening and wickedness.

40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?

41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto