Page:Everlasting love of God, and Mary's good choice.pdf/16

 Scriptures, and ſhall be ſo richly rewarded at the last day. These godly fathers, Abraham and Lot, entertained angels in their houses, in the habit of ſtrangers, Gen. xviii. xix. So we may daily entertain Christ Jesus, in the habit of a poor man, of a blind man, of a lame man; and whatsoever is done to any of those that are his members, he doth account thereof as it were done to himself.

Now, as this virtue of hospitality is commendable in all ſorts of persons, ſo it is our ſpecial concern, and more especially commended unto ministers, who are expressly commanded by the Apostle Paul, among other things, to be given to hospitality, 1 Tim. iii. 2. Unto the Levites, in the time of the law, the Lord appointed cities of refuge, Numb. xxxv. to ſignify thereby, that the minister's house ſhould be the poor man's harbour, and his ſtore their treasury. But the true ministers in these our days, have no cities of refuge for others, because they have none for themselves; they have not to relieve the wants of others, for they have not to relieve their own necessities.

Now, when Martha had once entertained Christ, as he was man, into her house, Mary began to entertain him, as