St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-11

swered and said unto her. Martha,
Martha, thou art anxious and troubled
about many things; but one thing is
needful; for Mary hath chosen the good
part. which shall not be taken away
from her."
After a preliminary discussion of the
natureOf true piety, which he described
as no lOng-faeed, whining spinSter. be-
grudging everybody the sweets OF lite"
DR.. IngerSoil spoke as follows: Upon
certain day. long centuries ago. the
hot Indian sun beat upon the heads OF
little band who were toiling up the
wild gorge from Jericho toward Jerus-
aiem. The chief of the travellers
was the center of listening attention
and of reverence. He itwas of whom
now living author, as skilled and brave
with the pen as thirty years ago he was
with the sword, has written, Never
soldier but would have laughed at him
in encounter, never woman VINO
would not have coniidcd in him at sight.
never child that would not. with quick
instinct, have given him its hand and
whole artleSS trust; nor might any one
have said he was hot beautiful" They
enter Bethany, about two miles east OF
Jerusalem. His companions pass on.
aul the Master turns To the door OF
mouse which bears no mark of wealth
anu distinction. 1t is the home OF LaZi-
rus and vi his sisters. Mary anu Martha.
Here de was always welcome guest.
lie loved Them and they loved Him. vi
eacff one of them is this said in the
Gospels. The knock of the Master at the
40 II was promptly answered, and
wnen his voice was known he received
Instant admission. 1t was Martha who
rtlcn ptsI "a
prompt one OF the household. She had
quick eyes, which told what was with
out as we'll as within, and she mad, too,
a genial, frank temperament which she
had never clouded with, false pride.
Both of these sisters were exceedingly
glad Jesus had come to their home, but
they showed their pleasure in very diff
ferent ways. Mary was meditative,
devout, eager 10 be taught the things OF
the Kingdom. She sat at Jesus feet,
looked up into His face and caught His
record is made of anything which she
ever did in an active way. Once,
when love mounted on the wings
of alteration, she broke an ala
baster box of precious ointment on
the head of Christ. Martha believed in
welcome of hospitality. Fer quick
feet flew about The house as she sought
to make all things ready. She was
right in having spirit of welcome
which should flavor the kitchen, SAVIOR
the guest chamber. brighten the recep-
ton room and breathe its cheer in the
dining room. We cannot tell what
Jesus would have said to Martha If
| she had not become cenSorlouS. She
condemned Mary and SD praised her
SELL She seemed 10 have no consIdera-
ton for the FITNESS OF things" Would
| 1t have been civil if they had left their
guest alone Tor hours? Would it have
been hospitality? Is there nothing to
be received from guest, especially
| such guest? Did he care more Tor
vlctualS than for sympathy aud the
privilege Of preaching the kingdom?
! But the root OF the difficulty with
Martha is her superficial view of
things. She is not to be blamed for
being true to her temperament. She
was born d worker. 1t is her
| proper sphere of activity. But, because
she Was born eXecutriX. must she for
| ever see nothing but dishes and dresses
| and chairs and bread? Might she not
have opened her eyes and made them
| Keen to see through things and far be-
yond them? Would it have taken her
any longer if she had decided to "set
the table to the glory OF GodP' Martha's
| able, ever 50 cOmunendable, but she does
not appear TO advantage when she opens
side light and reveals that she is
| bounding her thoughts ana desires by
the hoSpltable home walls Mary may
have been given to pondering, but, such
a chance as this Such guest! She
was filling her heart with incentives,
and we venture to believe that from
that good day on the fountain became a
stream which flowed III the channels
through which she was best fitted to do
good.
There be women in almost every wide
awake church who wear themselves out
With incessant activity. They seem
conscious OF duty only and along the
line OF their strongest faculties, and
when they get tired they break out into
anXieties. and sometimes into com.
plants. They are like dynamos which
generate and wires which carry toe
much electricity. They crack and
sparkle aud blaze at every joint and al
every touch of the trolley wheel. IL
their nervousness and anxiety they
sometimes forget to be civil. Are there
any mothers here, this evening? Are
there some of you, excellent women
with great desire to do good, who love
good people and are eager for every
: good cause TO prosper, who carry you
| lives upon too sensitive lines?
Jesus was not adverse to activity
, What he desires is, that our activities
, shall have noble aims; because the,
shall be going somewhere, because w
are gong somewhere. A nature clothes
with strong spiritua! feelings may no
do so many striking deeds, but becaus
character is shaped out of impershabl
realities may surpass a more demonstra
} tive life. There are millions of insect
that ny and buzz from sunrise to Sunse
through every summer day. They ar
/ paragons of activity but they are nc
5 paragons of usefulness. Ashouse fly
t continually nimble and voracious wher
f it ought not to be? But the honey be
L keeps to its work and to its place.
3 too, buzzes. but not so very much whe
. it is at work. 1t is busy in building
master builder) and then in filling tn
: home with honey enough for itself an
for US.