Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-03-08


H. Good Master, what shall do that |
may inherit eternal life" Here is a young
man, ruler among the people, and very
rich Matt. xix, D.; Luke xviii, IS. 81. and
according to this verse in our lesson, he
comes running and kneels right down in the
street before Jesus, and in the presence of
the people, and utters these words.
Is "None good but one, that is God" AS
if to say, God is the only one who is good,
do you acknowledge Me us Godf" HE that
cometh to God must believe that He is, and
that He is a rewarder of them that diligently
seek Him QIcb ri, g..
10 Thou knowest the commandments"
Matthew says: "lf thou wilt enter into life
keep the commandments" So also in reply
to the lawyer who asked a similar question
to that of this young ruler, Jesus referred
him to the law, saying, This do and thou
shalt live" luke X. Now we know that by
the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be
justified in His sight, and that the law can
not give life, but can only make Us out sin
ners and shut our mouths Qtom. iii, 10, 20;
Gal. iii, 81, 22l why, then, did Jesus direct
this man to the law Surely that he might
be convinced Of sin and thus led to receive
eternal life as free gift from God.
20 master, all these have observed from
my youth" He was no sinner in his own
eyes, but a righteous man, having always
kept the law he thought, and was now
ready to do something more if he could thus
obtain eternal life. He was ignorant OF
Gods Righteousness and going about to es-
tablish his own. Rom. x, IA
81. Zone thing thou lackest." But that one
thing was everything.
%. "He was sad at that saying and went
oUav e-f.iavad Ia ynnda his choioa anJ
preferred present things to things unseen, his
wealth rather than Christ, his ease rather
than a cross. How unlike Moses, who
esteemed the reproach of Christ greater
riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had
respect unto the recompense Of the reward;
or Paul. who suffered the loss of all things
that he might win Christ
23-25 How hard is it for them that trust
| in riches to enter into the kingdom of God I"
The heart can only have one supreme ruler,
and II that one Is wealth, or pleasure, or
learning, or anything in this world, then the
only rightful iuler-the Lord Jesus Christ
is dethroned and a usurper has his place.
20, ~. They were astonished out of
measure" Gods thoughts and ways are so
different from ours that until we are willing
to lay aside all our thoughts and opinions
and simply believe what He says, We will
often be sorely perplexed; and If any one
prefers their own thoughts and ways to those
| Of God, they Will continue in darkness and
not have that fellowship with the Father and
the Son which is their privilege.
1881. IAN hundred fold now, with
prosecutions, and in the world TO come eter-
nal hfe." We have seen the manner of en-
tering the Kingdom, and the hindrances to
entering it, from these two object lessons Of
the children and the rich young ruler and
now in answer To Peters question, we have a
simple simple statement concerning the pres
ent and future prospects of the follower Of
Christ. All true believers become blood re-
lations of each cther-redeemed by His
precious blood; all are to Him as mother ard
sister and brother, aud should be the same to
each other, one household Of faith, members
OF one family.