3. But the life of being is higher than the life of doing. Perhaps we can quite see that the heavenly mind, and the pure soul, and the inner life which is true quite through, and which, the nearer we approach it, only shines with a purer and more unearthly light, is higher, is better, is more God-hke, than any service that we can render. Perhaps when we compare the two, we are able to prefer in our judgment the Christian saint to the Christian hero, the highest of those who have attained to the life of inward holiness to the highest of those whose chief excellence is in their active service. Yet in our ordinary life, in our hopes and wishes for ourselves, in our judgment of our own conduct, the lower often supplants the higher.
^ We know full well that unless the fire of Christian self- surrender be within, all that we can see without is but hollow
i W. L. Watkinson, The Gates of Davm. 280-
ST. LUKE X. 42 227
and dead, at the very best a mere part of the machinery of the world, having no more true spiritual value than the revolution of the earth on its axis. But what we are slow to know is that the inner fire, even when it has no outer service to set in motion, even when it bums alone, simply for the sake of burning, in the presence of the Lord, is still doing its appointed service, is still a power in the world of spirits, still preaches and teaches, and inspires and upholds, and is a channel of grace connecting earth and heaven, while it seems to be so still and so unemployed. Such lives are fountains of holiness, and nothing else has equal value.^
^ As for matters of Huswifery, when God puts them upon you, it would bee sin either to refuse them or perform them negligently, and therefore the ignorance of them is a great shame and Danger for women that intend Marriage. But to seek these kinds of Businesses for pleasure, and to make them your delights, and to pride yourselves for your care and curiositie in them, is a great vanitie and Folly at the best, and to neglect better things and more necessarie by pretence of being imployed in these things is surely though a common Practize, yet a peice of sinfull Hypo- crisie. Doe them therefore when God puts them upon you, and doe them carefully and well, and God shall reward you, however the things themselves bee but meane, accepting them at your hands as if they were greater matters, when they are done and undergone out of Obedience to His Command. But let your Delight bee onely in the better part.^
" 0 Sister 1 leave you thus undone
The bidding of the Lord; Or call you this a welcome? Eun
And deck with me the board." Thus Martha spake: but spake to one Who answ^ered not a word: For she kept ever singing,
"There is no joy so sweet, As musing upon one we love And sitting at His feet ! "
^ ** 0 sister ! must my hands alone
His board and bath prepare ? His eyes are on you ! raise your own : He'll find a welcome there ! "
* Archbishop Temple, Rugby Sermons, ii. 160.
• Mary Ferrar.
xl
228 THE ONE THING NEEDFUL
Thus spake again, in loftier tone, That Hebrew woman fair.
But Mary still kept singing, "There is no joy so sweet, As musing upon Him we love And resting at His feet."^
III.
First Things First.
1. " One thing is needful." According to some commentators, the reference is to Martha's unnecessary preparations, and the meaning is: "A single dish is sufficient." But our Lord has a deeper purpose than to give a lesson on simplicity of diet, and the phrase has passed into popular and universal use in a purely religious sense.
The saying of our Lord may be read thus : " Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things ; few things are needful, or one." Or, paraphrasing the words, we might take the Saviour's statement to be this : " You do wrong to be thus encumbered, divided between this care and that. I appreciate the motive, I commend the aim; yet I cannot but blame the method. You are forgetting in your ministrations to Me what others forget in their provisionings for themselves — that the real requirements of existence are few, few for the purpose of life's maintenance, and few for the purpose of life's fulness. Given certain great general elements, certain great general treasures, you have all that is really necessary ; the heart that possesses them will be happy, the lot that includes them will be safe. Nay," continues the Saviour, " I will go further. Did I say man wants few things ? It would be truer to say he really wants only one thing. But that is the thing that ensures all, binds all, sums all, surpasses all — namely, the knowing, the loving, and the following of Me."
(1) One thing is needful even for worldly success, — This saying of our Lord may be viewed with perfect truth as giving the law of success in earthly things. The way to get on in this