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THE

CHRISTIAN MAGAZINE,

CONDUCTED

BY MEMBERS OF MENDON ASSOCIATION.

FOR THE YEAR 1826.

VOLUME Ш.

Boston:

T. R. MARVIN, PRINTER, CONGRESS STREET.

....

1826.

PUBLIC LIBRARY 362843

ASTOR, LENOX AND

TILDEN FOUNDATIONS. 1907

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THE

CHRISTIAN MAGAZINE.

VOL. III.

SERMON.

JANUARY, 1826.

MARK, X. 22. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

No. 1.

This declaration of Christ instan

taneously stripped the young man of all his fond hopes of future happiness; for he was conscious that he never had, and thought that he never could, exercise that disinterested love, which Christ required as an indispensable condition of salvation. He was grieved, that he could not obtain heavenly treasures, without giving up his worldly possessions. He supposed, that he could never be saved on the condition which Christ proposed. The spirit of the text, therefore, leads us to conclude,

Our Saviour taught as one having authority. His preaching raised the admiration of some, and the curiosity of many. Multitudes of all denominations and classes of men followed him from place to place; some scribes who were teachers, some Pharisees who were sober and strict in their lives, some Sadducees who were lax in their sentiments, some publicans and sinners who were openly vicious in their practice, and some rulers who were the principal men in the nation. Of the class last mentioned, a young ruler of an amiable appearance and deportment, came to him with this serious and important question, "Good master, What II. Show that sinners think it is shall I do that I may inherit eter- impossible for them to be saved

nal life?" Jesus having directed him to keep the commandments, he promptly replied, “Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him, loved him, and said unto him, one thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions."

VOL. III.

That sinners think it is impossible for them to be saved on the condition of disinterested love. I shall,

I. Show that disinterested love is the condition of salvation.

on this condition.

I. I am to show that disinterested love is the condition, upon which salvation is offered to sinners in the word of God. If we look into the Old Testament we shall find, that God requires pure, supreme, disinterested love, as the condition of his peculiar favour both in this life and in that which is to come. Moses having called all the people of God together, says, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord:

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