The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-10-03

glscts prayer meeting, benevo'
lences, heart faith aud hand ser
vice, is the finest sort Of a religion
ist, but ne lacks one thiug-Chris-
tianity.
This young man did not lack
Biblical instruction. His syno.
goglcal and race connection. would
make it impossible for him to be
other than familiar with the sub.
lime doctfiueiland ethics Of the Old
| Testament.
| II ism enough to know the teach.
ing Of the truth; one must know the
truth before he can be made free.
The quotation Of Scriptures is val
ueless without the dominati OF
S cripture. To master and memoir
ize a passage counts for little un-
less that passage mastersyou The
young mar was familiar with the
Scriptures but he lacked one thing.
He did not lack belief in the i'm
mortality OF the soul. His question
"What shall ! do to inherit life
proves this. With US eterna al life
10 a present possession. 10 him it
was future inheritance. This
much abou. him W as commend bic.
He was not an annihilationIst. He
did not believe (as some fools do
todav) that the end of lille is the
end Of the soul. He acknowledged
Immortality, but he lacked one
thing.
He did not lack the Savoir's love,
the Savoir lacked his love instead.
Jesus gazing on him loved him
He loves every sinner This was a
great thing for this young man, or
any other. Neither riches nor pov.
ertv can destroy the SavSir's love.
Jesus loved him-but he lacked one
thing.
What did he lack? 1t will do.To
say love to man was all he needed.
Oae might infer that this were
true. since Jesus quotes that part
Of the Decalogue which relers alone
TO mans duty to man, unless he
bears IN mind one thing. viz: that
love to man is only the overflow Of
love TO God So then, this is what
he lacked, supreme love 10 God,
which in his case finds its truest
test ia true submission to Christ.
1t would tind expression in his self.
emptying, his self.denial and in
his denial Of self. He must sell all
he had an give to the poor and then
(not till them follow Christ. Who
car tell but that Jesus meant bv |
this command. call to disc pie.
ship and 10 preaching as certainly !
as when he called the fishermen by
the sea. In either case it was sim
ply leaving all tofolow Christ. One
to leave his nets, the other his
riches. What a preacher this
young man might have made! Au-
diences would have listened 10 his
message, because here was man
who practlced literally what he
preached. Like his Lord, becom-
ing poor. that..o!hers might be made
rich. BVlacking one other thing,
he also missed this. He was to
deny himself and follow Christ
and this he would not do. To deny
self is 10 turn your backon sell and
treat yourself as- stranger. No
man can follow Christ who loves to
be found with the golden wings Of
worldly wealth. nor be true dis.
ciple till he accepts the true riches.
Behold the conclusion OF the
whole matter. Theyoung man ran
TO Christ and went away. He
eagerly approached and sorrow
fully left. His countenance must
have lighted when the CLEAN OF the
Savoirs love flashed upon it, but it
darkened as he turned back to his
great possessions.' He vent
away. Luke need not have added
the word "sorrowful;" the first part
OF the sentence is sorrowful enough.
"he went away"
Some Of you thatare here tonight !.
have heard the presentation OF the
gospel message over and over again
and you went away as you came.
Some Of you will carry 10 your
grave the vision otthe bending form
Of a broken. he arted mother plead
ing for her boy-and you went
away. Some OF you know that your !,
wife Yesterday morning as you lett
for your work was on her knees {
pleading with God for her husband
but you went away. Some of you
this afternoon listened respectfully |
Ia n kAe ot
SO the longing OF their souls in the
glances they cast your wav-but !
you went away. May God help you
to come back to the point OF the
former impression and yield at odce ;
TO Christ. So far as We know, the ;
rich young ruler came to Christ, I
and went away only once. what if, |
like him. tonights chance we're I
your Only chance. God help you. {
svery one of you. IA
He lacked one thing, but that was 9
everything. The bind man lacks I
one thing-sight. The deaf man i
acks but one thing--hearing. The {
aumb man lacks but one thing 1
speech. The dead man lacks but q
one thing-llfe. But a sinner lack.
ng one thing, lacks all these. He
is blind, he cannot see the beauties
IN the world aud Word OF God. He
10 deaf-has ears 10 hear and does r
not hear. He is dumb-his lips are /
never known to sing God . praises. d
He is dead-in trcspa asses and sins. G
May God hel p every unsaved man c
acre to be warned BY the story and G
example Of this young man and like /
aim come to Chrlst-and unlike hi i'm q
ollow Christ forever I