The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-04-29
What multitudes there are, in every

because they do not kill, do not commit
adultery, do not steal, do not bear false
witness, and do not defraud. l have
done very little harm and great deal of
good, says each Of them. If keeping
the commandments is all that is required
to inherit eternal life, then, say they, we
are heirs already. Do we, they inquire
asdid the young ruler, lack anything else
To this question, the young ruler expect
ed Jesus to answer all emphatic no.
This he did not do, but said, according
to Matthew, eff thou would be perfect,
20, sell that thou hast and give to the
poor, and thou shalt have treasure in
heaven; and come and follow me-"
According to Matthew the young ruler
asked the Saviour what he lacked yet
according to Mark, our Saviour told him
he lacked one thing. There is no dis
crepaucy. Matthew states the question
asked by the young ruler, but does not
repeat it in the answer Of the Saviour
Mark does not state the question asked
by the young ruler, but repeats it in the
answer given by the Saviour. Luke
does not state the question of the young
ruler at all.
The answer of our Saviour to the
question, "What lack I yet" of the
young ruler, went like q barbed arrow to
his heart. 1t produced conviction, but
not conversion. He had god that he
worshiped, but was perhaps unconscious
of the fact. That god was not his maker,
but his own possessions. The young man
was very upright in all bis dealings with
his fellow.men because it was really to
his worldly advantage to be so. The
religion of the young man had nothing
of God in it. He did not steal because
he dare not steal. He kept all the pre-
cepts of the second table of the law
because there was worldly profits in this.
His was at last, only religion of all
gain and no sacrifice. He desired eternal
life, but he was unwilling to make the
least sacrifice.
Our Saviour put the test strongly but
fairly. The young man, no doubt, in his
marvellous ignorance, thought he actually
deserved eternal life. He certainly
thought he was good, pious man, with
out spark of real piety towards God in
his soul, and no real love for his fellow
mau in his heart. He cared nothing for
the poor except what he could make out
of then, and as for following Jesus, he
regarded that as the veriest folly. To
take up the cross was what, with all his
amiability, be was determined not to do
Hence, we read that the amiable young
ruler was gricved when he was told to
sell his possessions and give to the poor
and to follow Jesus. He went away and
that was the last that we hear of him
and his great possessions. He was asked
to make sacrifice. This he did not
desire to do. This be would not do,
He was told to give up his god and fol-
low Jesus, and he was promised, in the
event of his doing this, treasures in
heaven. The young ruler desired eternal
life, he was anxious to know what he
must do to inherit it, but he did not pro-
pose to secure it by giving up his earthly
possessions.
There are multitudes of amiable young
rulers all over Christeudom who say they
are anxious to obtain eternal life, but
they do not propose to make any sacri-
fees, they do not propose to follow
Jesus. They do not propose giving up
any earthly pleasure, or to walk in the
footsteps of Jesus. The fact is they have
in their hearts no real love either for
God or man. They mistake good nature
for grace and gentlemanly conduct toward
their fel'ow-men for keeping the COM
mandments of God.