"Grieved; for he had great possessions." And what was the word which thus struck and shocked him so grievously? It was this; it was that " JESUS beholding him, loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven, and come, take up the Cross, and follow ME." And this was the word which made him sad; this the saying at which he went away grieved.

Is not the contrast a melancholy one? Is it not sad and startling to see one running into a SAVIOUR'S Love, and, in a moment, going away grieved? Nor does it appear that this young man was what people might call gay and thoughtless, a mere light-hearted worldling, caring for nothing but the things of this life. Very far from it. Most assuredly he was one who, in these days, would pass for a man of exemplary character, a very pattern for imitation. For, surely, great

must have been the earnestness which forced him to come running, and, kneeling at the SAVIOUR'S Feet, to ask, "Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" And that great was his earnestness we know

by the manner in which our SAVIOUR treated him. Jesus said unto him, “Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered, and said unto HIM, Master, all these things have I observed from my youth." And it was true, in the main, that he had observed and done them. It was not an empty boast, it was the candid declaration of an anxious inquirer after eternal life, that, with all his faults and his failings, he had tried to live as one who wished to "inherit eternal life.' This, we see, was the case, for, upon this answer which was given, HE WHO" knew what was in man, did not rebuke and reject him, as proud and self-satisfied, but, we are expressly told, “JEsus beholding him, loved him." He stood, and fixed upon him His Look of condescending approbation and affection, of tender love and compassion, of direction and strength. A Look which told him that he had gone no little distance on the good way; that he was not far from the kingdom of Heaven. Yea, that he had come nigh, even to the door, and

1 S. John ii. 25.

had but to knock, and it should be opened unto him. "One thing thou lackest go thy way: sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven and come, take up the Cross, and follow ME. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved, for he had great possessions."

It grieved him to part with his LORD, and it grieved him to part with his possessions: but the LORD had spoken, and he could not remain any more as he had been. The time had come; He must make his choice. "Choose you, this day, whom you will serve. And he chose.

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grieved - yet he chose. away."

He was sad and

And he "went

"And JESUS looked round about, and saith unto His disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of GOD! And the disciples were astonished at His words. But JESUS answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of GOD! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than 1 Josh. xxiv. 15.

for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of GOD. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And JESUS, looking upon them, saith, With men it is impossible, but not with GOD; for with GoD all things are possible."

It was thus our blessed LORD spake to His disciples, after this young man had gone away. He would not that they should lose the effects of so sad and striking a warning: and so HE bade them turn their eyes inwards, into their own hearts, and examine themselves, lest "wherein they judged another, they should condemn themselves, judging, and doing the same things." And what HE said unto them, HE saith unto all To us, in these days, comes the same warning Voice, telling us how hardly shall the rich gain an entrance into Heaven, and demanding of us, "Will ye also go away?"

And you will go away from CHRIST, if you go away from CHRIST's work, and that work is to spread the Gospel throughout the world; if you go away from His Church, when it calls upon you to spread His Church abroad.

1 Rom. ii. 1.

2 S. John vi. 67.

For the Word of God Itself has declared to us, in express terms, that "the Church is the Body of CHRIST."" If, then, there be any truth in so plain a declaration of the Sacred Word, when It thus assures us that "the Church is the Body of CHRIST," why need I stop to prove to you, that if you turn away from the demands of extending CHRIST'S Church, you turn away from CHRIST'S Body? You will have "come running," and knelt down to HIM, and you will have "gone away grieved."

The object to which I refer in these remarks is, as most of you are aware, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign parts. It is in aid of the funds of this Society that, to-day, God vouchsafes to accept our contributions, if we give them aright. Let us, then, give with fearfulness, for we are sinners; let us give with bountifulness, for we are giving unto God.

"But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of THEE, and of THINE Own have we given THEE.. O LORD our GOD, all this store that we have

1 Eph. i. 23; Col. i. 24.