Unhappy youth ! How much better had it been for him, if he had been born in a low estate ! What a curse to him were his riches, which stood between him and the Saviour of the world ! Who is not ready to weep over him, when he re- flects upon the fatal effects of that decision ? Who that sees that hopeful character turning his back upon his Divine In- structor, giving up all hopes of heaven, and determinately preferring a present portion, does not tremble, lest he himself should be left to make the same foolish choice?]
Infer —
1. How dangerous is the state of many, who yet think themselves safe !
[If we had seen that youth (regardless of the follies which persons of his age and condition too generally prosecute) coming in so respectful a manner to the despised Nazarene; "kneeling before him" with profoundest reverence; addressing him in such terms, and such an emphatic way, as to intimate that he thought Jesus to be more than human ; if we had seen him declaring confidently, that, to the best of his knowledge, he had persevered in an uniform obedience to all the command- ments, and was ready to fulfil any duty that could be pointed out to him; above all, if we had seen Jesus himself struck with his amiable deportment, and " loving him" for his excellent cpualities ; who amongst us would not have been disposed to envy that youth his prospects of immortality and glory? Yet, behold, he came short of heaven ! There was " one thing he lacked ;" and for that one thing (as far as we are informed) he perished for ever. O that the moral, the sober, the amiable (of both sexes), would consider this, and take warning from his example! The thing he lacked, was, a determination to forsake all for Christ. And is not this lacking in many amongst ourselves? Are there not manv, whom, for their amiable qualities, one cannot but love, who yet, if they must part with all, or Christ, would hold fast their present portion ? O, beloved, let this matter be duly weighed ; and never imagine that you are in the way to heaven, till you can " count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus."]
2. How awful is the condition of those who have no concern for their souls !
[Multitudes there are, in this and every other place, whose lives have been far from moral ; who, instead of having kept all the commandments from their earliest infancy, have violated them in many flagrant instances; and who never came to Jesus with an unfeigned desire to receive instruction about the way to heaven. What then must be their state ? We