hopes he must have entertained, the habits he must have formed, the change proposed to him must have been irksome and arduous in the extreme. To exchange wealth for poverty, ease for trouble, homage for contempt, this was hard indeed for flesh and blood ; nor could any thing but Almighty grace qualify him for such a work.
' Yet, though difficult, the command was not unreasonable. From whom had he received his wealth ; or, who but God, had made him to differ ? And had not God a right to recall what he had only lent ? Had he any cause to complain, if God, who for a time had elevated him above his fellow-creatures, should afterwards reduce him to a level with them ? Had not God as much right to disperse his wealth among the poor, as he before had to accumulate it upon one single man ? Besides, when the sacrifice, which he was called to make, would contribute so much to the comfort of his fellow-creatures ; and when it would ultimately return with a rich and abundant recompence into his own bosom ; was it to be deemed unreasonable ? Is it not what every merchant in the universe is glad to do, to sacrifice the temporary possession of his treasure, in the hope and pro- spect of far richer treasures in return ?
Nor was it singular. This youth gloried in being a descen- dant of Abraham, who was called out from his country and kindred, to go, he knew not whither ; to subsist, he knew not how. With this fact he was well acquainted ; and he knew that Abraham never found reason to repent of his self-denying obedience. Moreover, he had at this moment before his eyes persons who had obeyed a similar call, and who could say, " Lo, we have left all, and followed thee." And, in fact, though we are not all called to precisely the same act of obedience, we are all called to manifest that spirit, which would ensure the peformance of that act, if in the course of Providence we were called to it. Thus also, in the latter part of the injunction, there was nothing unreasonable, or singular. He came to our Lord for instruction ; and our Lord bade him to become a stated attendant on his ministry. He would, doubtless, in the execution of this duty, have a cross to bear : but had not all his Disciples the same cross ? and had not Jesus a far heavier cross than any, or than all together ? yea, had he not come from heaven on purpose to bear it for them ? Was it unreasonable then that the disciple should be as the master, and the servant as his lord ?
If he was really desirous of obtaining salvation, there was nothing in the injunction given him, which did not deserve a cheerful and unreserved compliance.]
But we shall have still clearer views of this subject, if we consider,