The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-02-23
THr RICH YOUNG RULER
lSternational eunday-eohool Les
son for February %, leeQ

International sunday 1o0e
son for February 0o, leeQ
Rsv a cs,> Essrnsa Iass,0ne Great n.
seataal 70 . Perfect Christianity-A
Lesson Of Moment Or the
Time and People.
Especially ARRANGED from 3. 9. ouartsriy.l
LnssoN Tnxr-Matt 19:16-96.
GOLDEN Tsxr-Ye can not serve God and
mammon. Matt. 6:84
CRNrRAL TRuTH-Eternal life IL gained By
faith In Jesus which gives up al things to
him.
Trxr-liarch, A. D. 80. Several months
after the last lesson. A few weeks before
the cruciAxion.
PLAcs-On Christ's last journey to Jeru-
salem from Ephraim, along the borders Of
0alilec and Samaria, and down the Jordan
valley to Jericho. He had not yet reached
Jericho
PARALLEL ACCOUNTS Mark 1o:17-c7; Luke
1s1s:27.
Luke 9:5l to 1917; John 7:2 to 11:H.
INTRoDuCrroN-Read all these narratives.
Jesus was slowly making His last journey
70 Jerusalem. On the way, in some house,
He blessed them. Just ~ He was leaving
the house, occurred the lesson Of to-day.
HELPs OVER HARD PLACxs-16. And behold:
- He was leaving the house, and was in
the highway One came: Q young man, rich,
and ruler, probably, Of synagogue.
Hu CHARACTER. ~ He seems to have
had from worldly point Of view an ire
proachsble moral character. CO He was .
candid inquirer. (3) He was courageous.
Only brave heart could have enabled one
in prominent position to DO risk the oppo-
sition aud reproaches of his associates. az
He had high aspirations. He was not con-
tent with wealth and position and outward
morality, but had set his heart on eternal
life. (b) He was in earnest. But he also
@ was self-righteous, with the pride Of
virtue; apd az set too high value on
worldly possessions. His heart was not
right, and wrong or imperfect motives lay
behind his outward goodness. II. WhN
cdHsp thou me goodf not Q rebuke for calling
Him good, but an inquiry whether he looked
upon Him as q common teacher, usually
called "good MASTER" or a. divine teach
or, good in tho sense that God Is good.
Keep TIE commandments: for all in Heaven,
who have eternal life, naturally keep the
commandments, which are summed up in
one word, love 20. What lack yeti he
lacked one thing, but it was the main thing
that loving trust which consecrated all to
God, which is the soul Of all good WORKS. 81.
u thow vilt be perfect: complete, lacking
nothing Of eternal life. Sell that thou hast:
use your property for God; give it all to
Him. What does this mean for us3 In
principls, the same as to him. He does not
ask as to give all to the poor, as He did this
man; for He let John retain his home. But
whatever He does ask US to do with it we
are to do. Not one dollar is to be kept aside
from His will. Fouov me: note his possible
future as q disciple, compared with his OBJ
scure future as q nameless rich man. %.
Hardly: with difficulty. Q) Because they
hcient; (8) to be joined in business with
irreligious men; ~ often they must change
their business, or do It in different way, or
return nlgotten gains.
|, ColNINTs-The lack Of one thing in our
spiritual lives may ruin us. We see this
truth illustrated in temporal things very
|. often. There stands . cannon, all loaded
with powder and ball, ready to be fired.
Yet for the lack Of one thing, the cannon II
just - useless a. any piece Of cold iron. II
lacks the spark that shall give to cannon,
+ powder and bali their fearful power.
The largest steamer In all the world,
called the Great Eastern, was once In Q fear
full storm. All went well, however; the
engines worked - they ought to, and the
ship behaved finely, until all Of sudden the
helm broke. Then all went wrong for the lacl,
Of one thing. The engines were now use
less, and all skill availed nothing, because
| the one thing needful was lacking.
In spiritual things this is well illustrated
by the story Of the wise and foolish builders.
Each man had good house and all that was
necessary. But one man lacked o good
foun dation, and for lack Of that went to de.
| struction.
Now let Us see how many single things
| sometimes keep US away from God.
1. The love Of pleasure often prevents q
soul from turning to God. The dance-room,
the theater, the sinful, worldly pleasure, ID
often the only thing that stands between
| Q soul and its Saviour. OF these persons
Paul says that they ''are lovers Of pleasure
more than lovers Of God" q Tim. 8:4.)
There is often nothing openly wicked about
such people, and yet for lack Of the
readiness to give up that ono thing, they
never become Christians. It IL . solemn
truth that many young girl has lost those
pleasures which are at Gods right hand
and which lost forever and ever, because
she was not willing to deny herself few
heeting pleasures here.
Q. Clinging to some secret sin often hin
ders man from giving his heart to God
| he ID ready 10 give up all else but that one
thing. That he wants to hold on to, and 70
fuses to abandon. Well, II he holds or
| to 1t, he win find that one thing will be the
weight that shall drag him to perdition. II
will be well for such an one ct once to pray
- David did 8" Cleanse thou mo from secret
/ faults,n (Psalm u: 19)
8 The fear Of our companions often holdi
Us back from giving our hearts to God. AanJ
| man who has courage enough to 60 int
battle, has not the courage to say "No." i
he refuses to 60 with his former comrades
they will call him coward" }" and he darei
not face that word The meanest cowardic<
In the world 10 that cowardice which makei
man do wrong lest he should be laughed
at
{, The mere putting of Of decision MAJ
be the one thing that shall ruin many souls
They hear and believe the Gospel Of the 6ol
Of God; they feel they are guilty; the,
know that II they die - they are, the!
would be lost forever. Yet they put OF, ani
put OF, and put of making their peace will
God Some times In Q revival season thu
Spirit Of God pleads hard with them to coma
today Yet they put Him OF TO 80 more con
venient season" Many In this Sunday
school have done this very thing. Mean
time, God patiently waits to see II they vii
not, perhaps, repent. But ct last He says
"Cut It down; why cumbereth 1t tn
ground" then In moment unprepsred
L. - "a ~ =