IN this Story, re­corded by the Euangelist, there is mentiō made of two Sisters, two Actions, & a two-fold Censure vpon both, by our Sauiour; The Sisters, Martha and Mary: the Actions, [Page 2] Martha troubled her selfe about many things; Mary sate at Iesus feete, and heard his preaching: whereupon Martha was displea­sed that Mary did not helpe her: But Christ answers, that Martha was troubled about many things, whereas one was needfull, and that Mary had chosen the better part, which should not bee taken away from her. Christ loued them both, and they both shew their loue to Christ: Martha in enter­taining him, Mary in hearing him: For as Caluin saith: Laude digna Marthae hospitalitas: Mar­tha is praise-worthy for her hos­pitality; but in that she busied herselfe aboue measure, and did not with Mary, choose the better part, therefore Christ blames her. Non Dominus opus reprehen­dit, sed munus distinxit, saith S. Aug. Se [...] 27. de ver­bis Dom. Augustine: The Lord doth [Page 3] not blame her worke, but doth distinguish of both their offi­ces: Nec Martha in bono ministe­rio reprehenditur, sed Maria quòd meliorem partem sibi elegerit ante­fertur, saith S. Ambros. i [...]. Luc. Ambrose vpon this place: Neither is Martha blamed in her good seruice, but Mary is preferred, because shee chose the better part. Martha in domum suam recepit Saluatorem in terris: Maria potiùs cogitat quem­admodùm suscipiatur ab eo in do­mo, non manufacta, sed aeterna in coelis saith S. Bernard de assump. Mariae Ser. 3. Bernard: Martha receiues her Sauiour into her house vpon earth: Mary rather thinkes how she may bee recei­ued by him in a house 2 Co. 5.1 Not made with hands, but eternall in the Heauens. The one is busie in entertaining Christ into her house, the other is carefull to receiue him into her heart. And [Page 4] this Christ preferres before the other: That Mary had chosen the better part, which shall not be ta­ken away from her.

Some, by Martha and Mary, vnderstand the Actiue and Con­templatiue life; that they must be as sisters, both dwelling in one house, both lodging in one heart: or that they are the two Wings of the Soule, by which it soares vp from earth to Heauen. And why may we not apply them to the Body and the Soule of euery faithfull Christian? both beloued of Christ, both entertaining him: two sisters v­nited in life, and separated only by death: The Body (the elder sister) is troubled about many things, as delicate feeding, warme Clothing, dayly Sustentation, Mat. 6.23. Continuall recreation: where­as the Soule (Mary) thinkes one [Page 5] thing necessary: To sit at Christs feet, and to heare his preaching. Martha (the Body) is here pre­sented to our eies: Mary (her blessed Soule) rests at the feet of Iesus Christ, which sits at the right hand of God in heauen.

But leauing Allegories, let vs fall vpon the literal sence, which is Christs approbation of Ma­ries choice, and leauing to com­pare Martha with Mary, let vs compare Mary with Mary; this Mary before our eies, with Mary in the text: one commended by God, the other no lesse cōmen­dable before God; as Christ vouch safeth with his owne mouth to cōmend the one: so the tongue of an Angell were but sufficient to praise the other: For as the Philosophers say: Excellens ob­iectum corr umpit sensum: The brightnesse of the obiect doth [Page 6] weaken the sense: So my mouth is too rude to speake the praises of so excellent a creature: when I haue said all I can, I shall say too little. Momus may well ac­cuse me of speaking too rude­ly, or too sparingly, but not of flattery.

I feare nothing but sinking, while I wade into the depth of her vertues: Therefore, with Math. 14.30.31. Peter vpon the water, I will take Christ by the hand, and from Christs mouth speake Ma­ries commendation: I come not to extoll flesh and bloud, but to describe those graces God had endowed her withall, and not onely from report (for I haue conuersed with her almost these foure yeares, and was present with her the most part of her sicknesse) and sure I am, out of mine owne experience, that [Page 7] Mary with Mary hath chosen the better part, which shall not be ta­ken away from her.

In the words obserue in gene­rall two things.

• 1. The person approued.
• 2. Her wisedome for which Christ approues her.

The person commended, Ma­ry; her wisedome for which she is commended: That shee did choose the better part, which shall not be taken from her.

In her wisedome two things.

• 1. The Action.
• 2. The Obiect.

The action, That shee did choose; the obiect, the better part, which should not be taken from her.

In the Obiect two things.

• 1. The Excellency.
• 2. The Perpetuity.

The excellency, that it was Better: The perpetuity, It should [Page 8] neuer be taken from her.

In each of these, three things shall be handled.

• 1. Maries Commendation.
• 2. Maries Imitation.
• 3. Our Application.

Maries Commendation: laid downe in the Text: That shee did choose the better part, which shall not be taken, &c.

Maries Imitation: the same with the Text: That shee like­wise hath chosen the better part, which shall not, &c,

Our Application: taught from the Text, That wee also make choice of the better part, which shall not &c. That so wee may make these two Maries our ex­amples, to follow in the way to Heauen, that thereby wee may find fauour with God and men, That with Mary we may liue in Gods feare, and with Mary die [Page 9] in Gods fauour: of these in their order, and first of the person approued.

The person approued is na­med by Christ Mary: we finde but three Maries spoken of in the Gospell, and all for good: Mary, the mother of Iesus, Mary Magdalene, which (as most affirme) is this Mary in my Text: and Mary, the mother of Iames and Ioses. One beares Christ in her wombe, the other washes his feete with her teares, and wipes them with the haire of her head, Her Commen­dation. and here sits at Christs feete: the third, with the two other, stand by his crosse, when he is crucified, and seeke him in his graue after hee was buried. Wee finde not so ma­ny vertuous woemen of any o­ther name in Scripture, not that the name makes them the [Page 10] holier, but that their vertues make the remembrance of their names blessed, I could stand vpon the letters of the name if it were so profitable, Maria. (M) standing vpon three bases or feete, M to signifie their stedfast faith in the blessed Trinity, one God and three persons: A (a) an interiection of sorrowing, their repentance: R (r) with two bran­ches like a tree, the sweete fruite of their vertue and holinesse: I (i) the least of the letters, Their great humility: A (a) the first letter in the Alphabet, and the last in the name, Their charity; the cheifest of all vertues, because it 1. Cor. 13 13. 2 Maries imitation. Luk. 11.27.28. continues last.

This Mary paralels the other Maries; She bore Christ, though not in her wombe, yet (which is more) in her heart: often shee washed his feete with the teares [Page 11] of repentance: stood at his Crosse, to the washing away of her sinnes in his bloud: often she sought him in his graue, to the mortifying of her sinnes: and daily sought him at the right hand of God in Heauen, for the pardon of her sinnes; we shall finde more vertues in her life, then letters in her name. Mary by interpretation is as much as Stella maris, the Starre of the Sea, which standing immouea­ble in the midst of heauen, doth direct the Mariners. As the Starres are fixed in the volume of the heauens, so Mary in my Text, is a fixed Starre in the vo­lume of Gods written booke: A direction for all Christians to the Hauen of happinesse. Though this Mary presented to our eies, be not in Gods written booke, yet in the Lambs booke of [Page 12] life, her name is written in Hea­uen. A Star, for purity of heart: A Starre, for the shining light of life and conuersation, A fix­ed Starre, for her heart was fix­ed vpon the Lord, yet neuer moued backward, nor neuer stood still, but as (The Sunne in the firmament) reioyced to runne her course.

3 Our Application.For our Application: Let vs become shining Starres, grace our names with vertues, that with Mary, the memoriall of our names may bee blessed.

Wisedome as ( Augustine saith) consisteth cheifly in Choosing and Refusing: In choosing the Good, and Refusing the Euill: The first thing in her wisedome is, Elegit; The Action: Shee hath chosen; But how was it in Maries power to choose the better part? Howsoe­uer in ciuill actions we haue [Page 13] Free-will, to choose or refuse, yet as the same actions are good, we haue no ability at all in our selues. Of our selues wee are not able to thinke one good thought: saith the Apostle:, [...] Her com­mendation Power we haue to thinke, but no power to thinke that which is good: To come to Church, to heare the word, is a Ciuill Action; we haue power to come, or not to come, but to come with a desire and loue to the word, to glorifie God for the sauing of our soules, by Nature we haue no power at all. Therefore in that Mary chooseth, it is Actus Natu­rae, an act of Nature; but in that shee chooseth the better part, it is Actus Gratiae, an act of Grace: He that commends her for her choice, gaue her power to choose the beter part. Elegit, as one saith, (id est) Deus volentem trahit, & [Page 14] coronat sua dona in nobis, vt dica­mur fecisse & elegisse nos, quae ip­se in nobis est operatus. She hath chosen (that is) God drew her being made willing, and he doth crowne his giftes in vs, that we may be said to haue done, and to haue chosen those things, which he himselfe hath wrought in vs. Vnlesse God did first choose vs, we should neuer choose him: Yee haue not chosen mee, but I haue chosen you, saith Christ.

1. Ioh. 4.19 We loue him, because he loued vs first, saith his Apostle. For euen as the heat of the Sunne falling vpon our body encreaseth our heat: so the feeling of Gods loue towards vs, makes vs loue God againe; His election of vs, makes vs elect and choose him. The word in the Originall is [...] hath chosen: that she did [Page 15] not embrace the pleasures of this world all her life, and made choice of the better part, at her death; they that do deferre it so long, it is to be feared, it will be too late: for Sera poenitentia nòn est vera poenitentia: Late repen­tance is seldome true repen­tance; but Elegit, Shee hath cho­sen.

So this Mary being a chosen and elect vessell of God, 2 Maries imi­tation. sancti­fied from the Wombe, by Gods grace did choose the better part: not at her Death, but all the time of her pilgrimage, shee led an Angelicall and holy life. This Good part was her Treasure all her Life, and at her Death (as you shall heare) shee had the comfort of it.

For our application; 3 Our appli­cation. let vs not wallow in the pleasure of sinne all our life, and thinke it [Page 16] shall bee in our power at our Death, to choose the better part: but with this Mary let euery one of vs prepare & prouide for the time to come, & be sure that we can say euery one to his owne soule, Elegi: I haue chosen the better part, which shal not be taken away from mee.

And now I come to the Ob­iect, the Center and heart of the body of my Text: The better part: That as Martha was trou­bled about many things, she had chosen the better part, &c. Christ here vseth a metaphor taken from heires that diuide their inheri­tance: for amongst the Romans, and other Nations, as Seneca saith, there was a custome, that the eldest child must diuide the inheritance into as equall parts as he could, and then the yon­gest did first choose: So Mar­tha [Page 17] and Mary (being sisters) they diuide Christ as an inheritance, betweene them: Martha diui­ding, as being the eldest, 1 Her com­mendati­on. and Mary did choose, as beeing the yongest: And she chose the better part, &c. Now the part that she did choose, is, that shee sate at Christs feet, and heard his preach­ing: sought her saluation, neg­lected all, in regard of this: estee­ming it no profit to gaine the whole world, and to loose her soule. It is said by some, that she neuer looked man in the face, after her conuersion, but Christ: And this we may note, that she neuer came vnto Christ, but she fell downe at his feet: When she annointed him: Luk. 7.38. Iohn. 11.32 Iohn. 12.3. Mat. 28.9. When she besought him for her brother Lazarus: At the supper in Bethania: After his Resurrection: And now when she heard him preach. And herein appeared her [Page 18] great humility.

2 Maries imi­tation.But this Mary hath not fal­len at Christs feet fiue times, but all the daies of her life: how she loued the Temple of God, the House of Praier? She considered that one thing was needfull: though she had but a weake bo­dy, yet shee respected neither health, nor life, so she might sit at Christs feet, & heare his word. How oftē did she fall at Christs feet to pray vnto him? Shee praied, not three times a day, with Daniel, but Continually. I haue often obserued her, that all the time she was not imployed in houshold businesse, she spent it in meditation and praier; and if at any time she vsed ordinary recreation, to beare her Hus­band and his freinds company, her affections were so wholly set vpon heauenly things, as she [Page 19] often vsed this gracious and sanctified speech: This is a pas­sing away of the time, but no redee­ming of the time. And such a care she had to prepare her selfe for an other world, to haue oyle in her lampe, when the Bridegrome came, as she was still afraid, lest God should take her away when she was so imployed: Her whole care and desire was (with Mary) to sit at Christs feet, to heare God speaking vnto her, or else to speake vnto God by praier: And the oftner she fell downe and kist her Sauiours feet, the more desirous she was: The oft­ner she heard the word, the oft­ner she praied: the more ardent and strong her desires were, the more Gods graces were en­creased in her. And as it is said, that when Anthaeus wrestled with Hercules, the oftner hee [Page 20] fell to the ground, receiuing strength thereby, hee became more valiant in fight: So the oftner she fell downe at the feet of her Sauiour, and wrestled with God, the more strength she re­ceiued against the assaults of sin and Sathan, and rose vp more rich in grace then before.

3 Our appli­cation.For our application: Let vs learne to humble our selues at the feet of Iesus Christ, and then we shall profit by his word to the sauing of our soules: and our prai­ers shall be heard, as the Apo­stle saith: Cast downe your selues before God, and he will lift you vp, The higher men intend to build, the lower they lay the Foundati­on: So God will neuer exalt thee, except thou beest first humbled, and fall downe at his feet: Christ himselfe was not exalted, Phil. 2. but by Humiliation: the [Page 21] lowest Vallies are most fruitfull: God resisteth the proud, and giueth grace to the Humble: yet few imi­tate Mary herein, they will set Christ at their feet, Treade the bloud of the Lambe vnder their feet: But they will not fall downe at the feet of Christ, and (with Mary) choose the better part, &c.

Now let vs come to the Ex­cellency of this Obiect, in that he calles it [...]: The good part. Augustine he turnes it meliorem partem: the better part: The word in the originall is the Positiue, but I vnderstand the wordes to bee spoken Com­paratiuely, that Christ com­pares Maries part with Mar­tha's, and that the Positiue is ei­ther put for the Comparatiue, as some translate it, meliorem, the better part, or else for the Su­perlatiue, as others translate it, [Page 22] Optimam, the best part, as Mat. 18.8. where the word is in the originall [...]: It is good for thee; and yet the Positiue is there put for the Comparatiue: It is better for thee, &c. as we translate it: So here it is called the good part, which is better then Mar­tha's, and also the best: for they haue the best part that haue the Lord for their portion. 1 Maries commen­dation. This good part is that Summum bonum, the cheife good, euen Christ Iesus and his merites, in comparison of which, Phil. 3.8. all things else are but Dongue: for hauing Christ she had all things; no graces which did belong to the comfort, or sauing of her soule, could bee wanting vnto her: for She did choose to heare the word, which is the power of God to saluation, to euery one that beleeueth, which wrought grace in her heart, [Page 23] which is crowned with glory in heauen. 2 Maries imi­tation.

But let vs leaue Mary in our Text, and behold what rich gra­ces this good part wrought in the breast of this our Mary; which appeared both in her life, and at her death. First, for her piety towards God; She was truly religious, her Profession was not Hypocriticall, nor Verball, but she feared God with her heart: For her conuersation in the world; it was Pure and vnspotted: so as Enuy might carpe, but malice could not condemne: she was of wonderfull meeke and quiet spirit, which afore God is a thing much set by, and as they that knew her had experience of it: so especially her Husband, with whom shee liued for the space of 33 yeares, and I haue heard him often say: That in [Page 24] all that time he neuer receiued an vnkinde word frō her mouth, or cause of discontent; where also wee may behold Her great wisedome in Houshold go­uernment: And moreouer, so great was her loue vnto her Hus­band, as she expressed it in her exceeding great loue, and care of his owne kindred: for shee loued him in them, as appea­red both in her life, and at her death. Her greatest and last care vpon earth was, that seeing God had giuen him no children by her, he would be a father in prouiding for them, which were left vnto her, as to a mother. Againe, for her modesty and grauity shee was matchlesse: In her attire she condemned the monstrous pride of this age, which is a­mongst woemen, 1 Pet. 3.3. as the Apostle enioines vertuous wommen: [Page 25] Her apparell was not outward in broidred haire, or gold put about, or in putting on of appa­rel, but the Hid man of her heart was vncorrupt. Her cariage generally towards all was so milde, so wise, so discreet, so lo­uing, as it pleased all, wrought an admiration in the eies of all at her death, caused great la­mentation in the hearts of all, drew teares from the eies of all; Her name by her Fa­ther was Winhall. and lastly did Win-all that knew her. And as all shall misse her, so especially the poore: for shee was so charitable, as if she were made of the bowels of mercy & compassion: full of pittie to­wards the distressed, full of mer­cy towards the needy: her poore neighbours shal haue cause dai­ly to bewaile her death: For she stretched out her hand to the poore, Pro. 31.20 and put forth her hand to the [Page 26] needy: And what shee had, shee bestowed it not vpō vaine toies, but laid it vpon the backes of the poore members of Christ, in clothing the naked, and fee­ding the hungry; She was a Nurse to the Fatherlesse Chil­dren, eies to the blinde, feet to the lame; the blessing of them that were ready to perish, came vpon her. Thus in her life shee chose the better part, laid vp her treasure in heauen, a good foundatiō for the time to come, that when Christ shall giue the last Sentence, shee shall heare these comfortable words: Come thou blessed of my Father, inherite the kingdome prepared for thee: For what thou hast done vnto one of these, thou hast done vnto me. And when God summoned her with sicknesse to leaue this world, and with the New-yeare [Page 27] to set her heart in order for a new world, though her whole life were a meditation of death, her whole life a preparation for death; yet out of her great hu­mility, shee confest her great vnworthinesse at the feet of her Sauiour, that she was an Vnpro­fitable seruant: and being taught by the Spirit of God, that none shall bee saued, but such as con­tinue to the end, she still prayed vnto our Sauiour for perseue­rance: and (which is worthy to bee obserued) though through the whole course of her life, her soule was still powred out in praier vnto her God, yet shee found by experience, that when the body is weake with sicknes, the heart is not so fit for praier. Let vs heare her words, which she vttered vnto two reuerend Diuines, M ^r Chark. M ^r Paget. and often repeated to [Page 28] vs that were present with her in time of her sicknesse: Let none deferr their preparation, nor their praiers vnto the bed of their sicke­nesse: for then the mind is too much troubled with the greife of the body, to be imployed as they ought in spirituall exercises: Yet she was strong in faith, and had strong consolations, and stil did cast her hope (the sure and sted­fast anchor of her soule) vpon Christ Iesus, the fore-runner in heauen: and often shee desired in her praiers that Death might not be bitter vnto her, to shake her faith, or remoue her affecti­ons from her God, but that she might haue an easie passage; And behold the Lords mercy; all that day before shee depar­ted (though her memory was good, & her senses perfect) yet she said she felt no paine, and so [Page 29] could not bee perswaded that Death was so neare. But she left the world with no more striuing or greife, then if shee had beene cast into a slumber, or fallen a­sleepe, as Saint Hierome saith of Iohn the Euangelist: Quòd fuit à dolore mortis extraneus: That hee was freed from the sor­rowes of Death: and as it is written of HENOCH That wal­king with God he was taken away. So though her body must re­maine in the dust, vntill the last resurrection, yet her death was so easy, that it seemed rather to be a Change, then a Death; rather a Blessed Assumption, then a Vio­lent dissolution: Now she found to her endlesse comfort, that with Mary She had chosen the bet­ter part, which should not be taken away from her. 3 Our Applicati­on.

Let vs all for our application [Page 30] learne of a woman of the wea­ker sex: especially woemen, imi­tate her in her Piety, in her meek­nesse of spirit, in her obedience to her Husband, her Modesty, her Grauity, Mildnesse of Nature, in her Charity; Imitate her in her Life, that you may be like her in her Death; Imitate her in her Grace, that you may be partaker of her Glory: Make choyce of this part, which shall neuer be taken from you.

As it is good, so it is perpetu­all: Many excellent earthly blessings are bestowed vpon mā by God: Sed pereunt cum pere­unte, they perish with the vsing, either they will leaue vs, or wee must leaue them, but whosoeuer doth inherite this part, shall keepe it without feare of loo­sing: 1 Maries commen­dation. Non auferetur, It shall not be taken from them. Mary con­sidered [Page 31] that all things vnder the Sunne are vanity, and therefore shee made choyce of the better part, which shall neuer be taken from her. 2 Maries imi­tation.

So this Mary had many out­ward blessings, which flesh and bloud might haue reioyced in; Shee was well descended, but she considered that of all other vanities, Honour is but a vayne title: For her person, a comely and graue Matron; but shee re­mēbred what Salomons Mother saith: That fauour is deceitfull, Pro. 31.30. and beauty vanity, but the woman that feareth the Lord, shee shall be praysed. She liued very com­fortably with a louing and kind Husband; yet shee knew that once they must part. God blessed her with plenty in the world; but shee knew that riches are vncertaine: For long life [Page 30] [...] [Page 31] [...] [Page 32] that she knew by her owne ex­perience, that longa vita, est lon­ga agritudo, long life is a long sickenesse, the things that were vantage vnto her, shee accoun­ted losse for Christs sake; as she said the same day she departed, Shee would not change her estate, in that shee was remouing out of the body to the Lord, for all the world.

3 Our Ap­plication.For our application let vs imitate her happy choice, set our affections on things that are aboue, and not on things that are on the earth, weane our selues from the loue of these worldly vanities, which at last wee must loose or leaue, and set our selues to attaine this good part, which shall neuer bee taken from vs: To haue Christ dwell in our hearts in this world, that wee may dwell with him in the [Page 33] world to come, where is true Nobility, in that wee shall bee Heires & Co-heires with Christ: where is true Honour, in that we shall bee crowned with the crown of righteousnesse: where is true Beauty, Mat. 13.43. in that we shine as the Sun for euermore: where we shall haue long life, euen life euerlasting: where we shall haue true Riches, an immortall inheri­tance reserued for vs in the Hea­uens: where for the Company of our dearest freinds whom wee loue best, Psal. 16.11. we shall enioy the company of holy Angels, blessed Saints, euen the presence of God, Where is ful­nesse of ioy & at whose right hand there are pleasures for euermore: where we shall haue more com­fort & happines in one day, thē, possibly we could haue in ten thousand vpon earth, if the world should make vs her Mini­ons: [Page 34] and (which is worth all) we shall enioy them with a Non au­ferentur, neuer to bee taken from vs. Let vs then cast downe our selues at Christs feet, that wee may with Mary haue euer­lasting ioy in the kingdome of hea­uen. Let vs with this Mary liue like Saints in this world, that with Mary and the rest of the Saints wee may be glorified in the world to come: Which the Lord grant vnto vs all for Christ Iesus sake, that sits at the right hand of God in heauen, to whom with the holy Ghost, one God, and three persons be ascribed all Honour, Glory, Power, praise, Dominion, and Thanks-giuing of vs, and all creatures, now and euermore. Amen.