The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-10-09
"ONE THING THOU DACKEsT. ="
Another Able Sermon by DIR. Payn
Last Night at Presbyterian Church
What lack / yet?"


Last Night at Presby terrain Church.
What lack / YETI"
This was DR.. Payne's text at the
Presbyterian church last night. 1t is
taken from the Goth verse of the 10Th
chapter of Matthew.
That chapter describes the rich. NOR
al young man who went to Christ and
asked what he should do to be saved
When told that he must keep the COM
mandments, he replied that he had
kept them from his youth up and then
he used the words of the text: What
lack yet"
The preacher described the bright
hopeful face of the young man, his
bouyant step and cheerful words as
he went to the Savior of mankind. He
contrasned this with his departure,
for the Bible says he went away sor-
rowful.
1. There was evidently something
lacking, but that defect was not in
Christ. There was no defect in him
as a person or as a Savior. Then it
must have been lacking on the part of
the young man. He was doubtless
| a respectable young man, belonging to
a leading Jewish family, and yet there
was that fatal defect. He must have
been fine young man, bright manly
fellow, for the Bible says that Jesus
looked upon the young man and loved
him, but still he went away sorrowful.
Christ loves even those vino will not
come to him, but who go away. and will
not accept the gift of eternal life he of
fers.
2. There were certainly not many
of the essential things that the young
man lacked. He came to Jesus as one
who had a. deep reverence for things
sacred. He did not think it manly to
laugh at the holy things of God and
make light of his religion. He was not
one of those who look upon christianity
as a relic of superstition The noblest
and manifest men the world has ever
seen were those who had the deepest
reverence and highest respect for sa-
cred things.
8. He did not lack the deepest con-
Germ for things that concerned his inn
mortal soul. He was no skeptic, no
agnostic. He knew that he had an
immortal soul and that he must do
something to save it. Oh, my friends,
doubt not your immortal being. Listen
rather to the promptings of your
heart, give heed to that deep longing
for eternal life, that whispering which
tells You the soul cannot die.
4. lie did not lack courage. The young
man was not ashamed for people to
see him go to Christ to inquire about
the necessities of his immortal soul.
There is many a poor soul who has
cried out for the light, yearned for the
truth and has yet been ashamed to
let it be known, ashamed to confess it
to the closest friend, ashamed to ask:
"What shall / do to be saved?' The
tear springs unbidden to the eye and
men try to hide it. But remember:
tsHe that is ashamed of me in this
| adu1terous generation, of him viii |
be ashamkd when / come into my
| kingdom"
With all these good qualifications
the young man went away sorrowful.
Almost saved-yet he made one fatal
mistake. Let's see what that mistake
was:
j. He came to Jesus simply as
religious teacher, Jewish Rabbi, not
| as a divine Savior. The sinner must
come to Christ through the atonement
| in it's all sufficieney, for through this
and this alone can man be redeemed.
| The divinity of the Son of God is the
| foundation alone of our salvation.
2. He came not to be saved, but to
| find what to do TO gain salvation. He
| wanted to do something to merit sal
vation. He did not come in his sin and
| blindness. He wanted to do something
| to make himself better. Men must
come in that lost helpless condition
where one cries out, lord. save or ]
perish" The young man lacked that
deep appreciation of his helpless con-
dition.
3. He came to justify himself and not
to be justified. "All these have kept
from my youth up He was proud OF
his record. But our Master comes with
a probe and touches the quick: Go