man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall he give in exchange for his soul ? Methinks I have already said enough to engage you on the side of Mary, and to impress on you the necessity of following her example. Remember, this is " the one thing needful ;" and, in this view, the only thing that is needful.]
2. The excellency of it —
[Two things our Lord speaks in commendation of it : first, it is good; " Mary has chosen the good part:" and next, it is permanent ; " It shall never be taken away from her."
Consider now these two points. First, it is good. Worldly labours, I grant, are good in their place, as means to some end: but there is nothing intrinsically good in any worldly office whatever. But spiritual exercises are good, irrespective of any end whatever. The love of God is good : the love of Christ is good : the love of holiness in all its branches, is good. The world may cry out against these things as they will, and load them with every opprobrious name : but they are good. They are reputed good by God, who expressly calls them so ; and by angels, who know it by sweet experience ; and by all the saints that ever lived, and who chose them on this very account. Yes, in the estimation of the ungodly too, even by the very men who hate and despise them, they are good : for it is in consequence of this conviction, that in their hearts they vene- rate a holy man, and wish to " die the death of the righteous," though they cannot be prevailed upon to live his life. What does every man feel on his dying bed ? He may not feel any great desire to serve God ; but he feels a secret wish that he had served him: and that clearly shews what his judgment of this subject is. As for those who are gone into the eternal world, ask one of them what he now thinks of the one thing needful ? There would be no difference of opinion between one that should come from heaven, and one who should come from hell : they would be equally decisive in their judgment, though, alas ! with widely different feelings : and the very instant any one of you shall open his eyes in the eternal world, I will venture to say, he, if suffered to come back and deliver his sentiments, would speak more strongly and more decidedly upon it, than I ever have done, or ever can do. Will any of you, then, be so mad as to go on seeking the poor contemptible vanities of this world, in pre- ference to vvhat, by all in heaven, earth, and hell, is acknow- ledged as supremely good ?
But consider, also, its permanency: "If you choose this good part, it shall never be taken away from yon." Can this be said of earthly things ? Possess crowns and kingdoms, if you will : experience proves, that, by popular commotion or