wards1."  At  another  time,  he  claimed  the  pro-
mise already  made  to  Him  ;  He  said,  "  Follow  thou
Me ;"  and  at  the  same  time  explained  it,  "  Verily,
verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  when  thou  wast  young,
thou  girdedst  thyself,  and  walkedst  whither  thou
wouldest :  but  when  thou  shalt  be  old,  thou  shalt
stretch  forth  thy  hands,  and  another  shall  gird  thee,
and  carry  thee  whither  thou  wouldest  not 2."

Such  were  the  ventures  made  in  faith  and  in
uncertainty  by  Apostles.  Our  Saviour,  in  a  passage
of  St.  Luke's  Gospel,  binds  upon  us  all  the  neces-
sity of  deliberately  doing  the  like, — "  Which  of
you,  intending  to  build  a  tower,  sitteth  not  down
first  and  counteth  the  cost,  whether  he  have  suf-
ficient to  finish  it  ?  Lest  haply,  after  he  hath  laid
the  foundation,  and  is  not  able  to  finish  it,  all  that
behold  it,  begin  to  mock  him,  saying,  This  man
began  to  build,  and  is  not  able  to  finish."  And
then  He  presently  adds,  "  So  likewise,  whosoever
he  be  of  you  that  forsaketh  not  all  that  he  hath,
he  cannot  be  My  disciple 3 ;"  preparing  us  for  the
utmost.  We  give  up  our  all  to  Him ;  and  He  is
to  claim  this  or  that,  or  grant  us  somewhat  of  it  for
a  season,  according  to  His  good  pleasure.  On  the
other  hand,  the  case  of  the  rich  young  man,  who
went  away  sorrowful,  when  our  Lord  bade  him
give  up  his  all  and  follow  him,  is  an  instance  of  one

1  John  xiii.  36.  2  John  xxi.  18.  22.
3  Luke  xiv.  28—33.
XX.]  THE  VENTURES  OF  FAITH.  341

who  had  not  faith  to  make  the  venture  of  this
world  for  the  next,  upon  His  word.
