Luke x. 41, 42. 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.
IT is a generally prevailing notion, that religion should be confined to the Church and the closet, and not be brought forward as a topic of conversation in company. But our Lord's conduct completely refutes this absurd idea; and shews, that we ought to improve our intercourse with men, by causing our light to shine before them, and by endeavouring to instil the knowledge of religion into their minds. If it be objected, "that his office was peculiar, and that there- fore we ought not to imitate him in this respect," behold, the history before us introduces us to him in the house of a friend, where he had occasion to deter- mine this very point in reference to the women whom he was visiting : one of them was applauded by him for embracing the opportunity afforded her to obtain religious instruction ; and the other was reproved for the neglect of it ; and that too at a time when such neglect would have been as excusable as it could be under any circumstances whatever.
To elucidate this subject, we shall,
I. Compare the characters of Martha and Mary —
We may first notice wherein they zvere agreed — [We are assured that both of them were Disciples of our Lord. We could not, indeed, ascertain this from the circum- stance of his visit to them ; (for he sometimes associated with proud Pharisees, and notorious sinners ;) but we know it from the strong and mutual affection that subsisted between them. We presume, therefore, that both of them believed in him as the Messiah : both of them looked to him as the fountain and foundation of all their hopes: both of them confessed his name, and were willing to bear his cross : and lastly, both of them desired to make his will the rule of their conduct.]
We may next consider wherein they differed — [There are very different degrees of piety, where the same