Middletown transcript., 1899-07-29
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVoR.
rupic For the Week Beginning July
3O-Comment by Rev. 8. HI. Doyle.

Tupic For the Week Beginning July
3O-Comment by Rev. 8. III. Doyle.
ToPIo.-That good part-Luke <, 8s42
A home scene in the life of Christ is
presented to us in the topical reference.
Christ, with his disciples, is in the ia
vorite home Of Mary, Martha and Laz-
arus. Martha, probably being the older
Of the two sisters, serves. Mary sits at
the feet of Jesus and listens to his word.
All does not 60 well with Martha. She
complains to Jesus that Mary does not
help her. But Christ commends Mary
for her choice to sit at His feet, and
chides Martha, not because she was in
terested in the entertainment of Him
and His friends, but because of her over
anxiety in reference to things of minor
Importance, because she attached more
importance to caring for the temporal
wants Of her friends than she did to
caring for the spiritual wants of her.
self.
The good part that Mary chose was
to sit at the feet of Jesus to hear His
word, as He spoke to the disciples OF
perhaps to herself. She cared not SO
much for the feeding Of the body as for
the feeding of her own soul. And well
might Christ commend her for her
choice. Would that we might all choose
to sit at the feet Of Jesus, where we
can have our souls feed upon the bread
of life rather than to have our affec-
tions centered upon the world, trying
in vain to feed the soul upon the husks
which nourish not. The good part
chosen by Mary in receiving the Saviour
was undivided devotion to His word,
the feeding on the bread Of life which
cometh by hearing In the highest sense
the good part is the spiritual reception
of Christ Himself This should be the
choice Of all Christ should be our first
choice. "Seek ye first the kingdom Of
God"
Mary's part was good because it was
eternal It was "that good part which
shall not be taken away from her. "
The good parts of this world soon pass
away from us or we from them. The
superiority. therefore, Of an eternal good
should be apparent to all, and we
should, If governed by reason and good
Judgment, be easily influenced to Glove
not the world, neither the things that
are in the world" because "the world
passeth away and the lust thereof, but
he that doeth the will of God abideth
forever" More than that, temporal en-
joyment Of the world often leads tc
eternal pain and suffering. How fool
ish to sacrifice the soul for the body,
eternity for timel
What win il gain the thing seek,
dream, breath, froth of feeting ioy7
Who buys minutes mirth to wall week
Or sells eternity to get toyf
For one sweet grape who will the vine destroy
Or what fond beggar, but to touch the crown,
Would with the scepter straight be stricker
downf
Therefore let us choose eternal, moi
temporal, good.
"You must choose between your
pleasures and your sight" said ply
sician to a devotee Of sensual pleasure.
t'Then," he replied, farewell, sweet
sightl'' And how many are making
such wretched choicel The response
bility of choice is tremendous. Thinh
of being able to choose between Goo
and self, the soul and the body, Christ
and the world, heaven and hell, eterni'
ty and timel May God help us, like
Mary, to choose the good part which
can never be taken away from us.
Bible Readings. s.-Gen. xiii, 1-1S
Josh. xxfv, 14-1S; Ruth j, 16, II;
Kings iii, 5-15; xviii, 81; Ps., xvii,
4; lxxxiv, 10; Prov. xvi, 16; xxi, /
Math. vi, "a; Mark vi, 1928; Phil
iv, 8, o; I Thess. v, 81; Heb. xi, 24-26