terpretation.* Afk the man of the world either in bufinefs, or in any profeffion, what is the one thing needful? he will tell you at once. Indeed moft people, if we may judge from their practice, make the one thing needful to be whatever best suits their own inlinations. Of fuch cafuifts however we make no enquiries. It is very plain, that by the one thing needful, our Saviour meant the care of our fouls, which Martha was taught to confider as preferable to every other care; and which ought to take place of every other confideration. importance of the precept lies in the implied meaning of the expreffion. Literally the care of her foul could not be the one, or only thing needful; as every one is under a neceffity of taking care of his body alfo: but a comparifon reduces this latter care to nothing. The Our great conteft indeed in this world lies between the many things of it, and the one thing needful. The world attacks our fenfes. It draws up before us, its pleasures and vanities: and its great argument is, Here, take, and ufe : touch, tafte, and handle. * Bifhop PEARCE is very unhappy in his explanation of the phrafe. He makes the one thing needful to be only one difh of meat. handle. These things are prefent. What you get here, it cries, are certainties. Every thing here is real and fubftantial. They are all fitted to your fenfes; and your fenfes to them. Thus the generality of men are drawn in. Like their parent of old, they tafle the forbidden fruit, and perifh. In the mean time, the one thing needful addreffes us in another manner. It has nothing to prefent to our fenfes. Nay it tells us plainly, that eye hath not feen, nor ear heard the worth, and value of the things it offers—that is, we are not to judge of them by our senses; but muft look into eternity with the eye of faith. The natural eye is weak in comparison of the eye of faith. But faith can conceive a thousand years to be as one day: and one day as a thousand years. In a matter of fenfe, we comprehend fuch an idea. We are clearly convinced, that with regard to the quantity of water in the ocean, for inftance, one drop is as a thoufand drops; and a thousand drops as one-that is, the difference is fo extremely great between the ocean, and any quantity of water, we can pour into it, that whether it be one drop, or whether it be a thousand, it makes no kind of difference. All this we readily conceive from our fenfes. Of the dif ference ference between time, and eternity, it is true, we have not fo diftin&t an idea: yet, through faith, we may be as cafily, and truly convinced, that a thoufand years are to eternity as one day; and one day as a thousand years. Both portions of time are fo trifling with regard to eternity, fuch mere drops of water in the ocean, that it does not fignify with which you compare it. And as it is with regard to eternity, fo is it with regard to all the other promises of God. So that the great conclufion, from the whole, is, the one thing needful, or the care of our immortal fouls, when compared with the things of this world, does not bear the most diftant idea of proportion. Happy is he, who can fee through all the deceits. of this world-who can ftrip them of what they feem to be, and confider them as what they really are; and paying no more attention to them than they deferve-that is, no more than the neceffities of life require, is neither careful, nor troubled about gaining, or keeping, or lofing them: but in the full affurance of faith, trufting in his maker, and bleffed Redeemer, attends principally to the one thing needful.This is the man, who takes that true inftruction from this portion of the facred ftory ftory that was intended; and chufes that good part, which, through endless time, fhall never be taken from him. SERMON SERMON XLIV. 1 PETER V, 7. CASTING ALL YOUR CARE UPON HIM, FOR HE CARETH FOR YOU. WHEN HEN we are born into the world, naked and helpless, we are in danger from every thing around us; and without the care of our parents, utterly unable to fubfift. But God Almighty hath given the parent kind affections towards the child; and the child alfo fuch affections, as lead to confidence in the parent. The one looks up tenderly for fupport; which the other as tenderly affords. Thus far the child knows no protector, but its parent. It cafts all its care upon him, knowing, that he careth for it. It's pa rent |