dom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God!

Even with this modification of His words-His disciples were still in amazement-they said 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!

We have now to consider the application of this history to ourselves.

And first, there is the lesson which the latter part of the passage contains for those who have abundance of this world's goods.

There perhaps never was made so plain, as our Lord makes it here, that sore evil, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt! The one hindrance to this young man's joining Christ and being saved by Christ, was his money he had great possessions! He was not a man whose wealth had tempted him to vice, or to self-indulgence. The fact that our Lord loved him, his eagerness too in coming to Christ, would shew that he had good qualities in him-was not without religion—not without a wish to serve God. And yet amiable as he was, orderly in his life, and anxious about the life to come, he was unable to enter into God's kingdom. He could not lay aside his wealth, and become poor, no, though it were in order to his being exceeding rich!

Surely such an example must carry with it a grave warning. Surely not only they who are already rich, but they who are struggling to become rich, will do well to have before their eyes the figure of this young ruler,

stopped at the gate of God's kingdom, turned back just at the entrance because he was encumbered with his money.

If he could have thrown that burden down, if he could have obeyed Christ, and "shaken the superflux " of his wealth to others, made distribution of it to the poor and needy, he might have got through. But seeing he resolved in his heart to keep it, it was impossible. Sooner-as our Lord said-sooner might a camel have crept through a needle's eye, than a man in his condition -one who trusted in his riches, have entered into the kingdom of God!

Mind, brethren, it is not said either here or elsewhere in the Bible, that a rich man cannot be saved-but only a rich man who trusts in his riches. And though it be very hard for a rich man to give up trusting in his riches, yet by God's grace this may, and has often ere now, been done. Abraham the friend of God was a rich man -Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man, and many others who have obtained a good report in Scripture, were rich There is a way by which wealth, however great loses its dangers, by which, instead of a hindrance it becomes a help, prepares for its possessor, when he dies, a reception into the everlasting habitations.

men.

But let us make another application of this young man's history.

There are many obstacles besides money, to our entering God's kingdom. Intellectual power, when not rightly regulated, is an obstacle. The preaching of the Gospel appeared foolishness to the acute and lettered Greek. Men, many men, alas! in our own day have gone away

sorrowful from Christ, because they could not bow the head and worship Him! because they have been unable to satisfy their reason on such high doctrines as the Incarnation and the Atonement.

Again, sin in its countless form, is a bar to others. What numbers are there in every congregation, some no doubt in this, who but for one bosom sin, had long since been joined to Christ; who for years have been hovering at the door of His kingdom, and for years been hindered from getting further!

I need not specify particular sins-each knows the plague of his own heart. Each knows what the cord is that keeps him back from Christ. But I ask you, brethren, if it is not so? I ask you, is not your own experience the experience of the young man whose story is before us? When called to come after Him, called by His voice speaking in your conscience-called by your ministers in their addresses to you from this place, to leave all and follow Him-to leave the sin that does so easily beset you to give it up once and for all-have you not, though it may be the moment before anxious above all things to be the Lord's servant, yet at that word leave all hesitated-and finally gone back: gone away from your Saviour, not without sorrow, because He would not save you in your sins, would not leave you at peace in that possession ?

But I must hasten to one more, and what seems to me the most useful application of this subject—and that is, its warning to the young.

For surely my younger hearers it is your condition

which is here treated of. Here as in a mirror, may you see what is the mind of Christ toward you, and what, too often, is your mind towards Christ.

For observe, first of all, how truly this young ruler with his warm-hearted action, and eager questioning of our Lord, is the type of youth in all times, the type especially of religious youth. Like him, when a sense of God's love in your redemption, has first been awakened in you, you come to Jesus running-your words are like his-Good Master what shall I do? Nothing, you then think you will not do so that you may prove yourselves His disciples-so that you may stay with Christ and have Him for your portion. And so far well-that youthful zeal, that forwardness in confessing Him, that desire to cast in your lot with Him, cannot be unpleasing to the Saviour. Jesus beholding one such young person, one willingly offering himself, one sincere candidate for the Christian life, loveth him-He does not object to you because you are young. He does not send you back to wait. His word rather is to you-Let no man despise thy youth-continue in My love-Be thou, young as thou art, an example to the believers!

But though the Lord does not reject you, He proves you. He sets before you by His ministers, and in His word, the real difficulties of a Christian course-the denial of self-the following after holiness-the bringing of the carnal will into subjection to His law-the necessity of living soberly, righteously, and godly—and that while they are yet young. He does not seek to inveigle you into His service, under false pretences. He does

not say, you shall find it all ease and pleasure to walk with Him—but He says to you, again and again in His Gospel-If a man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up the cross and follow Me.

Can we wonder if such words sometimes throw a damp upon your hearts-can we wonder, if being what you are, you are sad at that saying, and go away from Christ sorrowing?

The Lord sees the change in you-He sees those whom He had loved, those who had given some proof that they loved Him, preparing to desert Him-unable to meet the terms proposed to them, unable to endure hardness as good soldiers of the cross; and He says of you not in anger but in sorrow-How hardly shall they that have riches— and in your case, youth itself is this-enter into the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a young man to enter into the kingdom of God!

Such appears to be the application of this history to the young-to the young who have reached the age when religious feelings are commonly awakened in them, and a profession of religion is expected from them.

Hence its usefulness to those, who have lately been confirmed, or who may be going to be confirmed.

Do ponder it well, my brethen.-Do think of this young man in the Gospel, I will not say, as a type of yourselves, but as a warning to you.

You, like him, are glad and ready to approach Christ. You would, I am sure, in your present state of feelings, do many things to please Christ, to prove that you are sincere in coming forward to confess Him. But see that