And yet this devout Soul could not escape the envy , murmur , nor censure of her Sister : A complaint we finde put up here against her .

Quicquid est pulchrum sequitur Momus . 't is the fate of the choicest beauties to be , though chaste , suspected , and of the delicatest blossoms to be nipt by an unkind frost : And this is the hap that befals the most conscientious of Gods Servants , to have their best deeds blasted with some unkinde breath ; and their honest intentions traduced by some sinister construction . Be the thing never so good in it self , or done never to so good an e●d , yet ill-will will fasten a rusty tooth in it , that it may rankle at least into a scar or deformity .

Charon in Lucian was conducted by Mercury to a place whence he might see all the world at once , and being asked by the god what he had observed , he wittily answered , That the Cities of the world seemed to him like so many Bee-hives , and the People as so many Bees , of which every one had his weapon , and that they did nothing but quarrel and sting one another . Of which sting , not any one feels the point and venome more , than the best of men : Grand offences slide by unobserved , while that which is commendable in heaven , is planet-struck on earth .

Who could conceive that any man could be so envious , as to pick a quarrel with a brother for serving his God ? and yet this was the ground of the hatred that Cain bore to innocent Abel , Gen. 4.4 , 5. That fire fell from heaven to consume the Sacrifice ; that thereby God testified his acceptance of it ; that Cain's offering was rejected was no fault of Abels , it lay not in his power either to endear his own , or to bring dis-esteem to his brothers gift ; and yet the flame of anger that arose from hence was so great that , it could be quenched with no other stream than that of blood , the blood of a brother , the blood of a pious , innocent brother .

The Courtiers at Babylon were angry with Daniel ; Dan . 6.4 , 5. resolved they were either to remove or destroy him ; this put them to pry into his actions ; but so faithful they found him in what he was intrusted , that it was not possible for ill-will it self to pick occasion or fault against him : Rather than fail of an accusation , his piety and devotion shall be brought against him ; crime enough it shall prove to cast him into the Lions den , that he makes his petition to God three times a day .

Dead flies cause the oyntment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour ; Eccles . 10.1 . and male-content apprehensions will fly-blow the sweetest graces and performances . And of this , no one of Gods devoted had more lamentable experience than this poor woman : At three several times she shews three several vertues , and for these three she is three times repined at .

1. At Simons house , she testifies her repentance with a flood of salt tears , Luke 7.39 . and the Pharisee did what he could to disgrace her .

2. Mark 14.3 , 4. Not long before our Saviours death she shews her love and bountiful heart , brings her box of Spicknard , breaks it and anoints Christ's head ; yet some there were that disdained , grudged at it , and molested her ; To what purpose is this waste ? saith Judas .

3. In this place she manifests her devotion by sitting at Christs feet , and hearing him preach ; and Martha her own sister brings a complaint against her . Poor soul ! nothing that she can do can give content ; nor her tears , not her love , nor her box , nor her thanks , nor her bounty , nor her devotion can please all ; something is still awry in their conce●t , or as it should not be .

A foul disheartning this , and enough to cool any good and pious duty in her and in us too , 2 Cor . 6.8 . were it not that our way lyes to heaven through honor and dishonor ; were it not by good report and bad report we are necessitated to enter thither . In a word , were it not that we had an Advocate to speak for us ; the self-same that Mary had . Be it a Pharisee , be it a Judas , be it a Sister that will repine and traduce what 's well ; yet we serve a good Lord that will justifie and answer for us . So he did for her here , and so he will do for her and his hereafter .

Bern . Ser . 3. de Assump . Behold Maries prerogative : The straitlaced Pharisee grumbles at her ; Christs own Disciples molest her ; now her own sister Martha steps up with a complaint against her . Plaut . Ubique Maria tacet , & pro ea loquitur Christus ; Mary is at all silent , but Christ speaks for her : He was Invocatus , invited for a guest , but he becomes Advocatus , an Advocate to plead for her against her querulous Sister . The elder appeals to him as to a Judge , at ex judice fit advocatus ; Of a Judge he becomes an Advocate , and enters a plea for the younger .

By this he give an essay what he would be for all his at the great Tribunal ; appear , intercede , and speak for us , when we think not of it . Does any man sin , 1 Joh . 2.1 . and yet with Mary grieve , and mourn , and weep for that sin ? the comfort is , he hath an Advocate , Jesus Christ the righteous , one at the right hand of God to make intercession : And when the case is not so good , that it for it self can be justified , upon our repentance and reliance on him , he will blot out the imperfection and guilt with his own blood . This is the answer our Advocate will make for us in a tolerable case . But when the action is good and justifiable , such as Maries was , never let the venome of an ill tongue discourage any ; Matth . 10.19 . in such a case take no thought what to answer ; for an Advocate we have in the presence of that great Judge of quick and dead , and our cause can take no harm ; Exod . 14.14 . he that here answered for Mary , will then answer for you , hold you your peace . And so I come to the answer he made , and first in relation to Martha , or as it was {αβγδ} , a Reprehension .

Aug. Ser . 27. de verbis Dei . Quid autem putamus nos reprehensum ministerium Marthae ? Shall we think that our Lord found fault with Martha's service ? as if the care of her house , or her diligence for his and his followers kinde entertainment had been ill taken by him ? Prov. 31.13 , 15 , 19 , 20. Grant but that , and then let Solomons good Huswife let her wool and her flax alone ; never let her set her hands to the spindle , nor her singers to the distaff : Let her keep her bed , and give a portion to her maids who will . Neither let any care be taken what hospitality be kept , who wants bread , who clothes . Vacant opera misericordiae , uni instetur scientiae ; Farewel then all works of mercy , and let men only hear Sermons .

Jer . 15.19 . In this case then , we must have our eyes in our bead , and separate the precious from the vile ; a difference there must be betwixt that which was commendable in Martha , and what to be disliked . It was not her Good-housewifery our Saviour dislikes , nor yet her kinde heart . Our Saviour saith not Martha , Mar●ha , thou hast chosen the evil part : But that which displeaseth him was ,

1. That whereas there is One thing more needful than all the rest , she by setting her minde on Multa , many things , was too cold in the pursuit of that One .

2. Then that whereas she might have been contented with less , she was over-careful , even to distraction in the provision of more . Her judgement in preferring earthly food before heavenly ; and her care and distraction about that was ill taken .

Two things we are to learn from hence .

First , The one commanded , and to be supposed in the Text ; viz. diligence in the works of our vocation ; for this is well enough compatible with Religion ; nay very often commanded and practised in Scripture by the religions . Gods command is , in the sweat of thy brows thou shalt eat thy bread ; Gen. 3.19 . Ephes . 4.28 . the Apostles command is , Let him labor and work with his hands . All the Saints of God in one way or other have been laborers ; not one drone is to be found among them : Bodies we have , and these bodies call for food and raiment ; when we put off these , we may put off our toil and care ; till then necessaeria est Marthae {αβγδ} , Martha's part is necessary , and must be acted .

Secondly , But the other is forbidden , and here disliked ; it is {αβγδ} , it is {αβγδ} , anxiety , perturbation , distraction of the minde . Matth . 6.25 . This our Saviour prohibits before , {αβγδ} ; take no thought , divide not your minde about it , and here condemns in Martha , as one of a dubious and divided soul ; Martha , Martha , {αβγδ} , Thou may'st be thoughtful , and art troubled .

Indicatur turbidae opera sollicitudo ; Beza . the sollicitude of a troublesom work is here intimated ; and I add , interdicitur , interdicted : It was the burden that God laid upon man , In the sweat of thy brows , Gen. 3.19 . not in the pain and labor of thy heart , thou shalt eat thy bread . It is then an unwise part , I could say worse of it , to make the burden heavier than God hath made it .

This was Martha's fault ; about she went , and many things she found to do ; and was it any wonder then she should be troubled ? for tolle unum & turba est ; upon the remove from one thing there will be trouble ; the soul , Luke 12.29 . {αβγδ} , will be in a thoughtful suspence , hanging as it were betwixt two , as not knowing to which to lean . Just . Mart . {αβγδ} . Pythagoras set an infamous mark upon Two , because it divides and parts from One . For where unity is not preserved , there a multitude begins , and still the further , the more division ; and the more division , the more distraction . The minde while fixed on one object , is but One ; when it is presented with many , multiplies , as do the objects , and not resolving on which to settle , cannot properly be said to retain unity with it self . Hence it is that such a pendulous person becomes like Plinyes Amphysbaena , a worm with two heads , Plan . lib . 8. c . 23. one at one end of the body , and the other at the other , one of which tugging this way , and the other that , both contend so long till they rend the poor creature asunder .

Maries choyce of One thing made her but One woman , whereas Martha was divided : our Saviour doubles her name , ingeminates Martha , Martha , as if she had been no more One but two creatures .

It pleaseth the Father of gifts to bestow upon us many things , many endowments against nakedness , and many ornaments for comliness , many nourishments to fill us , and many dainties to de ight us , and these may be received , and used , so they be not longed for as the Israelit●s Quails , Exod . 16.12 . nor pursued with anxiety and trouble .

A Grace doth well for these , but not a Prayer ; and if nor a prayer , than surely not vexation , not distraction . When God opens his bowels , and gives with a liberal and plentiful hand , receive this plurality of good things and be thankful . The rich man in the Gospel boasted of the one , but left out the other ; he gloried of his plurima bona , many goods , Luke 12.19 . but he forgot his thanks ; that was one of his faults . The receit of many good things with thanks I am not against , but against the prayer clearly ; for we may ask only that which we have a promise to receive ; and Gods promise extends no farther than to provide for every servant of his , food and raiment , that is , a competency of necessaries for this life . 1 Tim . 6.8 . Christ's command also is our warrant to pray for thus much , and no more ; Give us this day our daily bread ; that is , day by day those things which are necessary for the remainder of our life . Matth . 6.11 . I hope by this time I shall not need to say much to disswade the trouble ; for certainly let it be confessed the petition for these is unlawful , and then the disquiet and anxiety can never be justified ; if men may not sue to heaven for them , they never may with distraction of soul pursue them , Matth . 6.25 . never vex their hearts , {αβγδ} , about Multa .