Page:Cry to the whole earth; a sermon preached by the Reverend Mr. John Welch.pdf/12

 The reputation of Martha's name, argueth the vehemency and earneſtneſs of this admonition. The Lord, he is fain to be very earneſt, and importunate with us, before he can reclaim us. So when God ſpake to Abraham, he calls him twice by name, Gen xxii. Chriſt he called Peter thrice by name, John xxi. to cauſe him make his three-fold confeſſion, for ſatisfaction of his threefold denial: and when the Lord ſpake unto Samuel, he called him for ſeveral times by name, Sam. iii. before he anſwered. For ſuch is the great mercy of God, that he is even content to admoniſh us as often of our duty; and again, ſuch is the dullneſs and perverſeneſs of our crooked naturcsnatures [sic], that we cannot be gained by our firſt admonitions, but the Lord muſt call us both often and earneſtly, before we will hearken unto him.

There are two things in this ſpeech of Chriſt's to be obſerved; the firſt is his modeſt reprehenſion of Martha's immoderate care: The other is, his friendly defence of Mary's choice. Although Martha was very careful to entertain Chriſt in the beſt manner, yet if he perceive any thing in her, that is worthy of reprehenſion, he will not ſtick to tell her of it, he will not ſoothe her in her ſaying, nor ſoothe her in her own conceit, for all the trouble and coſt that ſhe beſtowed upon him. If we ſhould be invited to ſome man's table, and kindly entertained thereat, it would be unkindly taken, if we ſhould find fault with any miſorder: But for as much as all Chriſt's actions are the only inſtructions of chriſtians, therefore every chriſtian man, but eſpecially preachers to whom it more particularly appertaineth, muſt learn by this example how to behave themſelves when they are invited to great feaſts, namely to ſpeak to the conſcience freely, when they ſhall ſee a fault. The beſt