by a due and frequent receiving of this holy sacrament, our souls would be as much strengthened and refreshed by the body and blood of Christ, as our bodies are by bread and wine. And we should receive such constant supplies of grace and virtue from Him, whereby we should be enabled not only to avoid the sins and follies of this lower world, but always to live above it, and to have our conversation in heaven. In short, by our frequent conversing with our blessed Lord at His table here below, we shall be always fit and ready to go to Him, and converse with Him in His kingdom above, where we shall have no more need of sacraments, but shall see Him face to face, and praise and adore Him for evermore."-BISHOP BEVERIDGE. WHAT AM I GOING TO CHURCH FOR? I'm going to Church to join in prayer, To ask of Him a contrite heart, MARTHA AND MARY. LUKE X. 40. A. M. S. THE short account given of Martha and Mary, supplies us with a lesson which may be profitable to us, whatever may be our condition in life. It teaches us the great mistake we are in when we so give our minds and thoughts to the business of this world as to lead us to neglect that one thing needful, the preparation of the soul for its everlasting state. The history of these two sisters shows us, that our Lord considers that to be true wisdom which makes its spiritual good its first care. Jesus was a guest in the house of these sisters. Mary saw the blessed opportunity which was afforded her of gaining divine instruction; " she sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.". Happy indeed are they, who thus humbly seek instruction by sitting at the feet of Jesus, and hearing his word. We cannot do this now, in a strictly literal sense: but we may in spirit;-we may learn the words of Jesus by attending public worship, and hearing his word read or preached. Our Church service is full of Scripture; and, even though there be no sermon preached, we hear the word of God in the Psalms and Hymns, which make a part of the service,-in the Epistles and Gospels appointed for Sunday and certain other days; and in the Lessons, which are always read.We may learn the words of Christ by reading the services at home, reading them with prayer, and meditating upon them, so that we may be thus led to praise the Lord for his goodness and mercy to us, and we may learn to seek the salvation set forth in the Gospel,-and to accept, with grateful hearts, the merciful offer of par don through Christ-and earnestly to pray for the help of God's Spirit to fit and prepare our souls for the blessedness of heaven. But, to receive the word to our profit, we must receive it with humility:-we must sit, like Mary, at Jesus' feet, i. e. we must humbly and earnestly look to him for instruction and for salvation. But Martha was cumbered about much serving." She was busy in her household affairs, anxious to afford such accommodation, and show such hospitality, as she thought might be grateful to her guest. In this we may, perhaps, see nothing that is wrong. But our Lord saw that she was more eager to gratify her wish of proving her hospitality, than she was to profit by the opportunity afforded her of learning the lessons of heavenly wisdom from Him. Though what she did was not, in itself, wrong; her error was in neglecting what was of much more consequence, her spiritual good,-the" one thing needful," -neglecting this for the sake of what was only a worldly and secondary duty.-This lesson applies to a fearful number of us. We acknowledge, perhaps, that religion is the first thing; but the question is, do we make it so?-do we seek first the kingdom of God and his righte ousness, and trust that He will provide us a sufficiency of needful things, by blessing our fair endeavours and our upright reasonable exertions? We must be in dustrious, but we need not be cumbered and full of anxious care about worldly things. But some persons think, if they avoid all great crimes, dishonesty, profaneness, drunkenness, and other such daring offences against God's laws, that then they are safe. But God requires us to give him our first regard, to love him, and to serve him, with all our hearts, and minds, and souls, and strength. Much more then is required, as our preparation for heaven, than merely abstaining from great and daring crimes :-there must be a preparation of the soul by the Holy Spirit. Martha had committed no crime in attending to her house affairs, but her sin was in being cumbered about them-in giving more heed to them than to the counsels of Christ. The guests in the parable, who were invited to the marriage supper were not committing crimes, when one attended to his farm, another to his merchandise, another to his wife. None of these things, in themselves, were sins: but they became sins when they so occupied the minds of those who were engaged in them as to prevent them from keeping a more important engagement which they had made-and they were consequently shut out from the marriage feast. And so, though it is right for every one to attend to the duties of his station in this life, yet, if he prefers his worldly gains and occupations to his religious progress, he is in no state of preparation to meet his God, or to partake of the marriage supper of the Lamb. Seek then, my readers, your soul's preparation, as the only thing needful, and all other things "shall be added unto you."-Seek that your sins may be forgiven, -seek this through your Saviour's merits,-and, being pardoned, you will then be able to serve God with a quiet mind,a mind peaceful and tranquil, reposing in the all-sufficient merits of your Saviour,-confident that there is pardon,-complete pardon through Him,—for His" blood cleanseth from all sins." To serve God with a quiet mind is the greatest of all blessings;-to be at peace with Him through Jesus Christ. There is indeed. a quiet, a peace, which is full of danger,—a false security, arising from indifference and careless contempt of religion. But we are taught to pray that we may serve God 1838.] THE PARTING SIGH. 45 with a quiet mind;-serve him :-here is active exertion ;-we are taught to pray for quietness-but it is godly quietness:-holiness with peace; that we may not be cumbered about worldly things, which will all soon be over; but that our great desire may be for that good part which shall not be taken away from us. V. THE PARTING SIGH. "One gentle sigh their fetters break.” Why should he whose falt'ring tongue Was the body not at rest, Or was it some secret sin, Or did nature claim her power, Some have thought, ere breaks life's chain, Knows alike the conscious breast Of all those it cherished best; Crime's dark stain, and sorrow's shock, Ask not, if it be so, why Heaves the soul that parting sigh? O, then, ask no longer why Friend from friend no more shall sever 2, Dark seems all that seemed most bright3 God hath dried each weeping eye; THE TIME OF ANXIETY. OH Thou, that cheerest the wounded heart, Thy comforts to my soul impart, I dread the trying hour;-but Thou And to the sad and care-worn brow, Speak peace and happiness. Grant, Lord, this prayer ;-let thy right hand, Conduct me through this troubled land, Forgive all sins;-bid me confide Through Him, the victim crucified, F. M. K. F. M. K LIFE A JOURNEY. How worthy is heaven that your life should be wholly spent as a journey towards it! To what better purpose can you spend your life, whether you respect your duty 1 Referring to Stanzas two and three. 2 Stanza five. 3 Stanza four. 4 Stanza six. |