No : the thing of which Martha complained was, that when there were household concerns which called for her sister's attention, she was attending to the concerns of her soul. This was what she blamed ; and what our Lord commended. Let me not however be misunderstood, as saying that any person is at liberty to neglect his worldly business ; for an attention to that, in its place, is necessary for every living man : but it must not be suffered to interfere with the more important interests of the soul. On the contrary, where the two duties come in competition with each other, that must invariably be deferred. We blame not Martha for performing the rights of hospitality towards the Lord Jesus and his friends : but her care about this was excessive, and unseasonable too ; inasmuch as, through her anxiety about this minor concern, she lost an opportunity for the benefit of her soul : and our Lord informs her that this was wrong. This, then, is the comparative view of the subject. The one thing needful is, to feel the paramount importance of eternal things, and to have the things of time and sense entirely subordinated to the concerns of the soul.]
Having explained the one thing needful, I will now, II. Commend it to your choice —
Mary had chosen it, as I wish you also to do. And that I may induce you to choose it, I will set before you,
1. The importance of it —
[This is " needful," more needful than any other thing under heaven. It is altogether needful both to your safety and happiness. Suppose you are ever so little engaged in worldly business, you may go to heaven : whatever relates to the world may be done for you : but no one can act for you in relation to the soul : if all the people in the universe were to unite their efforts, they could not supply your lack of services in the concerns of your soul. They must be attended to by yourself: and without the strictest possible attention to them, you never can secure heaven, never can be approved of your God. Nor can you be happy without this. You may be happy in the want of earthly things, even if you were as destitute as Lazarus himself: but can you be happy without the favour of God? without an interest in the Saviour? without a renewed heart? without a title to heaven ? No, you cannot: you cannot know what peace is: you cannot look forward with comfort to a dying hour : you cannot contemplate, with any kind of satisfaction, the terrors of a future judgment, or the realities of an eternal state. Then, if without an attention to the one thing needful you can be neither safe nor happy, is it wise to neglect the concerns of your soul? It is well said, What shall it profit a