Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-02-01

dismal gloom mantled his cheeks. His
brow fell and deep sorrow filled his heart!
"for," it is said, she was very rich" This.
simple answer of our Saviour revealed the
fact that with. all his amiable traits OF
character, and honest dealings with his
fellow men, he was nothing but a sincere
Sey-righteous inquirer. He had no just
conception of what eternal life meant, or
the channel through which it is a~ttainable.
that I may have eternal life?" or what
shall I do that I may inherit eternal life %
as Mark and Luke state it. He, in the
sincerity of his un~regenerated heart,
thought there were two ways by which ne
could become possessed of eternal life:
The one was by doing some "good thing,'
the other by receiving it as an inheritance.
No doubt he had inherited his great rich
es. Before, however, he got full posses
sion Of these riches, he had to comply with
some legal forms. He had heard, IN all
probability, that Jesus Christ was offering
eternal life to men, and he was ANXIOUS,
intensely anxious, to learn the CONDITION
on which he might inherit eternal life.
Poor man, he had wealth, social posltlon,
good moral habits and something which
had a striking resemblance to true religion,
but he lacked one thing, and that one
thing was everything so far as eternal life
to him was concerned. He lacked a new
heart. He was anxious to know what
good thing he should do to inherit eternal
life, and Jesus gave him an opportunity
to do good. What better thing; could he
have done than give his possessions to the
poor, and thus exchange earthly riches Tor
a treasurein heaven. The simple truth is,
the rich young man had nothing but he
most aqua apdHdasdatA2d ideas OF what
is meant by eternal life. He did not de-
sire the eternal life that Jesus Christ was
Offering to the people. He wanted some
thing, but he did not want anything that
required him to break his hold on the
world and follow Jesus.
1t is evident that this rich young man,
with all his many excellent traits of thar
acter and moral %uprightness, had no just
knowledge Of the extent and spirituality
of Gods law. In the sincerity of his
heart he said that he had, from his youth,
loved his neighbor as himself but there
was not a word of truth in what he said.
He was, in reality, a bundle of s%elfshness.
Because this young man was rich he went
away sDrrowful when Jesus advised him
to sell his property and give to the poor
and follow him. He went away, and so
far as we are informed he eve again
came to Jesus.
The practical feature of this interview
of the rich young man and our Saviour is,
that what was necessary on the part of the
rich young man to enter into eternal life
is required of all men. We are required
to be willing to give up everything earth
ly, if God in his providence requires 1t,
and take up cross and follow Jesus. 1t
is to be feared that were the whole body of
protested Christians of the present day
| crrhioofo6 RI tho co mo fpCt fh4t this rich
young man was subjected to, the vast ma
jority Of us would 60 away sorroWtul.
Not in every case because we are rich, but
because our hearts are set on the things OF
this world. We are not informed as to the
amount of this young mans riches. Prob
ably compared with many modern rich
men, he was only in comfortable circum-
stances, but his heart was set on his riches.
The poor man who has not a roof to shell
ter his head may have his heart set on
riches. The startling announcement OF our
Saviour is that it is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle n for a
rich man to enter into the kingdom of
God. "Ye see your calling, BRETHREN"
says Paul to the Corinthians, chow that
not many wise men after the flesh, not
many mighty, not many noble are Called"
or, as the revised version suggests, shave
a part therein" The visible Church is
largely made up of the poor. The gospel
is preached to the poor and the poor are
made willing to hear it and accept it. We
may safely say that of the vast multitude
who will sing the song of Moses and the
Lamb, but few rich men will join in that
anthem T~hisikaefais Inference not only
from what our Saviour said to his disciples
after the rich young man had gone away
sorrowful, but from the general teaching
of the Scriptures. Some rich men, how
ever, will be saved. This rich young man
represents the mass of rich rulers, but the
grand old patriarch Job, represents also a
part of the rich. Job was rich, but he
said, when reduced to poverty, "The Lord
gave, and the Lord hath taken away;
blessed be the name of the Lord"