&*r $ Fj13|^ THE TWO RICH YOUNG MEN. ►♦+♦< asms in m (i RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY; M%j 56, Paternoster-row ; 164, Piccadilly, • wlw LONDON. I/Mi £' THE TWO PICH YOUNG MEN. A sesyakt of Grod sat in a bam- boo chair, in the front of a mis- sion house in the East Indies. It was the evening of the day ; K 2 THE TWO EICH YOU]S T G MEN. the sun's heat was still very great and not a breeze moved the lofty palm trees which grew by the way side. He looked faint, weary, and careworn ; for he had sat in that chair all the long day, teach- ing the simple truths of the gos- pel to any who would hear them. Some of the Hindoos, as they stop- ped for a moment, only laughed at his words, and then turned away to mock. Others were too proud to listen, and passed along on the other side of the road. Before this missionary was a small table, on which lay his Testament and a bundle of tracts. From time to time he gave one of the tracts to any passing tra- veller who would receive it. And a 6 he gave it, he spoke a few words of truth and then his lips 'ME TWO RICH YOTT^G MEN. 3 moved in prayer that God would bless the message to the soul of the poor stranger. The sun was just going down in the sky, and the missionary turned to go into bis house to rest. At this moment there stood before mm a young na- tive, with a beautiful turban on his head, and wearing a robe of yellow silk. It was plain that he was of the Brahmin class, who are the highest people of the country, and are held sacred, for they alone may wear a yellow robe. The noble stranger made a low salaam, or bow, and then sat on a low and matted stool. " I have come to tell you," said the young Brahmin, " that I have seen the sin of idol worship, and now believe that the Christian 4 THE TWO RICH YOUKG MEN. religion is the only true one." "And what do you want me to do?" asked the missionary. "I wish you to baptize me," said he, "that I may be known as a disciple of Christ." He then went on to say that he was a rich man, for he had four large estates and fifty thousand pounds in money ; that among his own people he stood in the high- est rank, and that he had a mother, and many friends, who loved him. The missionary told him to think well of what he was about to do ; " For," said he, "you have riches, honour, and friends ; you ride in your own carriage, and live like a prince. But all you have will be torn from you if you profess the THE TWO RICH YOUFG MEK. 5 Christian faith. Then think of what is before you." When Grod the Holy Spirit enlightens the mind and changes the heart, a man is willing to give up all for the sake of Christ. To know and feel the love of Jesus is better than houses, and land, and gold. " I hear what you say," said the rich young man, "about my rank, my pro- perty, and my friends ; but I put the whole in one scale, and I put an interest in Christ in the other, and tliey are lighter than vanity.' * A few months passed away, and the honours and riches of this Hindoo were gone. His mother and friends would no longer own him. The poorest servants who 8 THE TWO EIC1I YOOTTG MER. once fell at his feet, as though he were a god, now passed him in scorn, and were they to have seen him dying they would not have given him the smallest help, tie had become a Christian : he bad given up all for the sake of the gospel ; and he was without an earthly portion. That he might not eat " the bread of idle- ness," he hired himself to a mer- chant as a clerk, with a salary of fifty pounds a year, and lived happy in his poverty as became a follower of Christ. About eighteen hundred years ago, there was another rich young man, who was concerned about his soul. In bis day the greatest of all Teachers was on the earth, ana to him he went ; and as he stood where Jesus was speaking THE TWO BICn YOTISTG MEN. 7 to the people, lie heard the gra- cious words: "Suffer the little children to come to me, and for- bid them not." As he listened he perhaps thought, " Surely, if He is so kind to children, he will not refuse to attend to me;" and he said, " What shall I do to inherit eternal life p " We may suppose he was a kind and hopeful youth, for when " Jesus saw him he loved him." But the Divine Teacher tried his heart, by Baying to him, "Sell all that thou hast, and come, follow me." The young man turned away in sor- row, for "he was very rich." He loved the world and his wealth better than the service of Christ. Now, let us look to ourselves. Which of these two young men are we like ? What are we will* 8 THE TWO RICH YOTOG MEK. ing to give up for Christ ? The young Hindoo gave up four large estates and fifty thousand pounds: the young Jew clung to his riches, It is true, we are not tried as they were ; yet we are called to give up the ways of sin, the follies of the world, and the service of Sa- tan- Christ only requires of us that we should forsake what is burtful and sinful, and which ends in misery. He does not ask of us anything we truly need ; and he has told us that for all we now give up, from love to him, he will more than make up to us in heaven. Let us, then, look to Jesus ; and, because he has loved us unto death, let us give him our hearts, and live to his praise. Benjamin P&ni3n, Printer, Paternoster Row, ' « \© %/ All nature shows, in various views, Her great Creator's praise ; The birds they sing, while on the wing, In soft and pleasing lays. The trees look gay, and seem to say— There is a God above ; The sun's bright beams, and liquid (j streams, {Say — We are ruled by love. The bleating flocks, with happy looks, Say — God deigns us to feed ; Without his power, there's not an hour, But we should comforts need. And if the herds, and trees, and birds, All join to praise God's name, It must not be that such as we Forbear to do the same. mw i