The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-02-23
TIE RICH YOUNG RULER.

uIE KICH 1UUAU RULER.
LESSON TX, INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY
SCHOOL SERIES, FEB. &c.
Text of the Lesson, Matt. xix, 1926.
Golden Text, Matt. vi, 24-Memorize
Verses 20-2e-comment by Rev. william
Newton, ID. ID.
From Lesson Helper Quarterly, by permission
of H. S. Hoffman, Philadelphia, publisherl
Notes.-Came, i. e., out of the company
around Mark says, running One, Luke
SAYS ruler, or member of the Sanhedrin.
Master, or teacher Enter into life. be saved
fromdeath and have everlasting life. Keep,
obey sor live according to- Honor, this is
naorothan to obey, and no one word win de-
fine it. Reverence is perhaps the best.
Hardly, or, it is hard for A rich man, ono
that trusts in riches. Exceedingly, very
mucll.s Then, in that case, or, il that is So
This, l. O., that rich men can be saved I'M
possible; possible, i. e., men cannot Go this,
but God can.
V. ls. Mark and Luke supply two very in
terestfng features of this case. From one
we Iearlset.-sH ne vas ruler, i. e., a member
of the {. lnhedrim. From the other we learn
that = ea1no running. He was in earnest,
and not afraid to have it known that he was
He was not satisfied with what the doctors
of the law taught concerning this great
question He felt, he was sure, there was
something more. But what was it? Where
should he find the one who could lift the
veil and let in the light? 1t would seem from
fl,., hot la hod fol
Jesus secretly, or without making himself
knowng He wanted to hear what this great
teacher would say about it. And now, as
he hears his last words, he could restrain
himself no longer. He came running to
Jesus, with the great question, "Good Mas
ter! what must do that may have eternal
hfe?" Or, "inherit eternal lifes"
V. IL. Before answering his question our
Lord, gently yet pointedly, rebukes him for
the use of the title by which he addressed
him. Why did he use it? He did rot mean
it. He did not mean to say that he (Jesus)
was the good. For that title belongs only to
one-er to God And, as an unmeaning COM
pliment, he could not receive it. Now this
does not mean that Jesus declined a title be-
longing only to God; but that the young
rulerhinsef did not mean to intimate that
it SO belonged to him. And therefore he
could not receive it from him. Now, in our
Lords answer to the young rulers question,
we mast observe that he answered from his
standpoint. He occupied the ground on
which be stood. His question was, 'What
shall do that may have, or inherit, eternal
lifeH lie would have it as the result of his
own doingS. lie proposed to work for it. He
wanted to have it, as of debt, as working
man receives his wages. And SO he master
repilasts, him, Fkeen the commandments
lie did not propose the difficulties of tho
case. He would have him ascertain these for
himself. He would have him find out fol.
himself that obedience to the law, as tic
price of eternal life, was a chain of ma Y
Links, and if one of these was broken the
chain itself was worthless. 1t offered no
connection between the man and the object
he had III view. But the young ruler did
not see this. And SO
V. 1920 When be heard the Lords an
swer he at once asked which of the COM
ila1ldrneilts lie meant. And in answer the
Lord cited the sixth, seventh eighth, ninth
and fifth. while LARK adds the tenth Now
all these were of the second table of the law
Not word is said about those of the first
table. The young mans relation to God
seems to. have been entirely left out of the
question. Why was this? And there seems
to be no doubt about the answer. For it is
manifest that our Lord meant to show how
utterly hopeless his case was, even on his
own chosen ground For, if he proposed to
be saved - the works Of the law, or to enter
into life Ss5scassse OF obedience to the Law, it
niIas5 be very Gear that he had obeyed the
law. Now, if it were question of obedience
to mans lav--i. e., if it concerned the out
ward act alone-it would be very easily set
tied. But if that ''law is spiritual;r if the
lustful thought is adultery and the angry
thought is murder, then the case is & very
! different one.
The young ruler proposed to win eternal
life by the deeds of the law. Now the sum
ming up of the second table of the law is
''Thou shalt love thy neiShbor as thyself.'
He said he did, Ana Jesus replied In effect
eff you do it is very easy to prove it. You
would not hesitate to part with anything you
have to relieve your OWL wants. Now why
should you hesitate to relieve the necessities
of your ncigsbo:! You would not if you
loved him as you do yourself. Now, there
fore, go and Go it, ard prove your claim is
true. This was the simple issue; and one
more clearly defined corlI not well be pre-
sented. Ard is taa5 all? No. For that
might spring from a motive utterly mad
nlissable. And so tho Master adds, land
come and follow neo
I V. %. How true to the life this is. How
|, clear the revelation it makes of the ruling
| power in this young rulers heart. Doubt
less he was attracted By the Masters teach
ing; but the glitter pf his goia had a brighter
| lcster in his eyes! Doubtless he was con-
| cerned for his eternal life. But clearly, the
| present had for him tho greater attraction
| He was i'll 'sthc valley Of decision" and
| quietly yielded to TIE power of the present
and the seen! she turned and went away,
| for he had great POSSESSIONS The present
and the eternal life were weighed against
! each other, and the beam went down on the
! side Of the present. Poor young mani
Y. %, "a 1t is net hard to imagine tho deep
compassion that moved in the Masters
breast, as he turned to lis disciples and spoke
these words. Doubtless they had seen and
heard all that had passed; and he would
| shield them low from any wrong impress
sions the young rulers example might make
upon them. And if we ask for the reason
| underlying the declaration Of che Master-o7
/ why il is hard for rich man to enter the
| kingdom of God-there seems to be two rea-
sons, i. e.;
/ l. Riches beget sense of power in the
holder of them. Therefore the ricn man is
commonly pufsed up with a sense Of his i'm
portance. He can do anything; and his pride
ereots itself even against God.
/ 2 Riches become an object Of trust to their
possessor. They seem TO break down the
simplicity of clildlike faith in God. How
can he pray; '.Gi~o US this day our daily
bread when he knows that his check is good
in bank and his creest high on exchanges
And so he learns to trust in riches as the
ultimate good in life How gan he enter the
| kingdonl
/ V. rs, 26 The disciples were beyond meas
pre astonisAed. And to their Question, who
then can be sayeds Jesus gave the answer
with men this is impossible, but with Goo
all things are possible He alone can change
| the heart and bind the affections around him
self as manifested in the finished work o1
| Jesus. For when that is seen--i G., when hi
love takes the heart captive-the affection.
drop off from earthly things and twins
themselves around him, who redeemed u
from this present evil world, with his dw1
precious bleod.
e : yss y :.