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tentively to his instructions. The former, SERM. vexed that the whole business of the house fell on her, called out to our Saviour, complaining of her sister's apparent idleness, and requested that he would order her to come and assist; but Jesus answered-"Martha, Martha, thou art careful and "troubled about many things; but one

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thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen "that good part, which shall not be taken "away from her." The employment, therefore, of Mary, was the one thing needful; and that was-listening to the words of the divine teacher, doubtless with a sincere purpose of following his instructions; she was learning the way of life; or, in other words, she was taking care of her eternal salvation.

This, then, is the one thing needful—the care of our eternal salvation; and, in comparison with this, every thing else is of no importance. In what then does this care

SERM. of our salvation consist ?-what conduct XVIII. must we observe to attain it?-what must we do to be saved?-We must, with Mary, be earnestly attentive to know what our duty is, and, when known, we must be resolutely disposed to practise it. The knowledge of their duty may be easily attained by all men; the scriptures are open to every one; in them are contained the conditions on which we may claim eternal life; in them all the virtues which we are to "cultivate, and all the sins which we are to avoid, are enumerated: the commandments of God are there laid down in so plain and simple a manner, that we cannot mistake them, except by design; we have but sincerely to endeavour, and we shall be sure to understand them.

But here, perhaps, it may be said that, for want of education, these scriptures are in a degree shut up from not a few among you, you would be willing to study them,

but

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but you have it not in your power; this is SER M. certainly a misfortune, but it is not without remedy-for the instruction of the unlearned in their duty, and for confirming those in it to whom it is already known, one day in every week is dedicated to the service of religion:-as the sabbath returns, all have an opportunity of assembling together at least once in the day to worship their God, to hear the holy scriptures read, and to have explained and enforced upon them some Christian grace or moral virtue.

With this advantage, added to what their own conscience tells them of what is right and wrong, none need be ignorant of what it so much concerns them to know; none need ever to be in doubt what they ought to do, or what to avoid, in order to the obtaining of the kingdom of heaven.

But then it is necessary that a proper use of this advantage should be made-that

SER M. we should suffer nothing to prevent us from

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assembling together as often as the sabbath returns, and when we are assembled, that we should dismiss all thoughts of worldly affairs from our minds, and be seriously and earnestly attentive to what we are about. I am not unacquainted with the excuse with which some of you satisfy yourselves in the neglect of this important duty-some say, they have been working hard six days in the week, and stand in need of rest on the seventh.

But what! is there any labour in coming to church? in kneeling for a short time, worshipping our Maker, and to sit for a still shorter, listening to his holy word? Is there any labour in returning thanks for his kindness during the past week, and in begging a continuance of it in future?---You spend six days in the week, and very properly do you spend them, in providing for yourselves and your families; and will

you

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you not spend a small part of one day in SERM. providing for your eternal salvation?What folly is this! The things of this world are but of short continuance,-those of the next are for ever and ever! It is as if a man should be extremely industrious to make himself happy for a single minute, and be entirely indifferent as to what became of him the rest of his life. Let us not, for shame, make this excuse, and be too idle to spend one hour in the worshipping God on a day which is particularly, both by religion and the laws of our country, dedicated to his service. Others pretend they cannot assist at the morning service, they are so much taken up with their household affairs;-such was not the conduct of Mary, which received the commendations of our Redeemer; she neglected even to assist in preparing for the entertainment of so divine a guest; she preferred listening to his instructions, and chose, as our Lord

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