the events of war, you may soon be hurled from your emi- nence, into a state of bondage and misery. But of common possessions how soon may you be bereaved, by fraud, or violence, or inundation, or fire ! And how soon must you, at all events, be deprived of them by death ! But if you have sought for eternal happiness, who shall deprive you of that ? God will not ; and no other can. What can men do ? All that they can do, is, to kill the body : they cannot touch the soul. And devils, what can they do ? They can tempt, but they cannot force you to any single act. They could not even enter into the swine, without leave : how, then, shall they destroy a child of God? Your final enjoyment of the blessings you seek is secured to you by covenant and by oath : and whilst others, at death, lose all their possessions, you at death come into the fullest possible enjoyment of yours, an enjoyment that shall endure through all eternity.
Need I then say more ? Surely, there can be but one com- mon sentiment amongst you all. Would to God that there might be one determination also, a determination to devote yourselves unreservedly to God, and to mind from henceforth the one thing needful !
Think not, however, that this can be done without great and abiding efforts. For the ungodly world will surely cry out against you, as acting a most absurd part, and as carried away by a heated imagination. Yes, and even good people of a worldly cast, notwithstanding they be amongst your nearest and dearest relatives, will, like Martha, complain of you as carrying matters too far. And no doubt your minister also will come in for his share of the blame : for even Christ him- self was blamed, and that by a pious person also, for encourag- ing Mary in an extravagant attention to her spiritual interests, to the neglect of her worldly business : " Lord, carest thou not that my sister has left me to serve alone ? Bid her, therefore, that she help me :" for I cannot but consider you as encourag- ing her to carry matters to excess. As for me, brethren, I am willing to bear my share of the blame : it is no pain to me to bear what my Lord and Saviour bore before me. But be not ye discouraged. You see in Mary what you have to expect. You see, however, on the other hand, what approbation she met with from the Lord himself. And that sufficed for her. Let it also suffice for you. Only approve yourself to him, and you need not mind any thing that man can either say or do. It is decidedly " the good part" which I recommend to you; and therefore " choose it," and follow it, and adhere to it, under all circumstances. Never will you repent of this line of conduct* Sit now, with unwearied perseverance, at the feet of Jesus ; and you shall, ere long, receive his applauding testimony, and be seated with him on his throne of glory to all eternity.]