ars
to me that our Saviour spoke literal truth, and meant to be
understood as so speaking, when he used such expressions as
these--"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth", and, "Sell
all that thou hast":--

1. Because he commanded the young man to do so;

2. Because he commended the poor widow for doing so;

3. Because the Apostles and all who believed at Jerusalem, did
so, by selling their goods, houses, and lands:

4. Because without this Dedication, it is impossible to receive
the command,--"Love thy neighbour as thyself":

5. Because, while it obviously tends to the general extension of
Christ's Kingdom upon earth, it does also, in an equal measure
contribute to the happiness and usefulness of the individual, by
extirpating carefulness and sloth, and causing to grow in
abundance[17] the peaceable fruits of righteousness and love.

Should I be asked, what I understand by giving up all for Christ, my
reply would be that I believe this surrender to be made, when any
individual, following whatever lawful vocation he may, labours and
contrives therein, with all the assiduity and indefatigable diligence
of which he is capable, to accomplish the known--the recorded will of
his Lord and Saviour. If that will requires that he should labour for
the souls, as well as the bodies of men; that he should strive to
make his fellows happy in time, and in eternity; that he should
impart to them the knowledge of Him who is "the way, the truth, and
the life"; he will labour with time, talents, means, and prayers, for
the attainment of these ends, as diligently as others labour from
motives of simple covetousness, or with a view of making provision
against future contingencies for themselves or for their families. If
any object to selling "houses or lands" it remains for themselves to
distinguish[18] between the motives, which induce them to retain
their property, and those which induced the "young man" to retain
his. If they retain it from any private affection unsupported by the
word of truth, and if it is not their own full conviction--that, in
so doing, they are pursuing the path most directly tending to fulfil
the mind of Christ; neither the myriads of those who embrace their
views and follow their plans, nor the learning and authority by which
they are supported, will prove them to be wise, or true, or eligible,
in that day when the judgment shall be set, and the books shall be
opened. The prin