The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-01-29
Human Types The MoraIist
Copyright, 1904, by ]. NJ. Edson.l
Lessons From the Young Man Whom Jesus
Loved But Who Lacked One Thing.

DUT this is not saying that Jesus
~ believed that this young man was
nerfect. or that He was satisfied with
his high standard of life and living; in
fact. the subsequent words of Jesus clear
Iy prove that Jesus yearned for high
err and better experience for that young
man. God loves the moralist, not be-
cause he satisfies the righteous demands
of God, not because God does not see
beyond the moralist infinite heights
which he can climb only by Divine
grace and help, but God loves him be-
cause He, Who is the incarnation of
righteousness and truth and holiness,
must love the feeble but brave efforts
of man to obey His righteous law. God
would rather have man or woman live
a pure than an impure life. He would
prefer to have them honorable and use
full and helpful members of society,
rather than a dishonor to themselves
and menace to the community in which
they live. He would prefer to see man
possessed of learning and skilled in the
arts and trades and professions of the
world than to have him ignorant and
shiftless and improvident. God has
placed no premium on sin or ignorance,
poverty or crime. God would not rather
look into a corrupt life than a life of
moral rectitude. He does not delight
Himself in the poorest and meanest and
lowest in human nature and life, and
turn with the frown of disapproval from
the highest and best of which the hu-
man life is capable. The marvel of
Gods grace, which can reach down to
no iOUpcf dpnfbC nf need and
lift up to the highest possibilities in
Him, is another question for considera-
tion. We are here taking man apart
from Gods grace and estimating him
for his own intrinsic worth, and we say
that God is ready to give to every man
his due. And in the sense in which
Jesus loved that young man of splendid
life and great responsibilities and large
possibilities, so God to-day loves the
men and women who belong to that
class. And the world owes to these
great debt of gratitude.
DUT why did this young man come
u to Jesus? That he did come Scrip
ture declares plainly, and that he came
seeking something which he did not
possess, and yet which he had a deep
consciousness he needed, is evident from
the question which he abruptly asked
of Jesus. He had great riches, so that
there was nothing in all this world
which money could buy which he was
not able to secure. He had exalted po-
sition, for he was a ruler, and young
at that. He had best of all, high moral
integrity. He delighted in the law of
God and kept it as perfectly as human
flesh can keep the law of God. With
this pure exalted character must have
come an inward delight and satisfac-
ton which the one welded to sin can
never know, for it has been said that
virtue is its own reward" But not
withstanding all this he was not salts
fed. He longed for something which
he knew he did not have. And so he
seeks out Jesus, the Son of God, and
eagerly asks: Good Master, what shall
1 do that l may inherit eternal life?"
He knew he could not buy eternal life
with his riches. He knew his position
would not secure it for him He had
the deep consciousness that notwith-
standing his upright, pure and noble life
he could not enter Gods presence and
claim it as his right. 1t was not ques-
ton of this life, but of the life which
is to come, which was troubling him.
1t was the supreme question. Within
his own heart and life he could not find
the answer. He must go to the Lord
for that. And here is where we want to
lead you, dear man or woman. whom
God loves as He beholds your noble life
and self-sacrifcing character Perhaps,
as with this young man, you stand head
and shoulders above your fellows in
moral worth, high ideals and pure, noble
motives, but at your best you realize
deep down in your heart that there is
something beyond you, that you are not
satisfied, that the old, old question. the
supreme question, is constantly de-
manding answer. You try to answer it
by purer life, by more kindly, loving,
self-sacrificing deeds, but it is ever the
same question, and you cannot find
within your own heart or life it's an
swer: What must I do to inherit eter-
nal life?''
IEfE do not know how long this
wv young man had struggled with
this question, we Go not know how long
you have wrestled with it, but we do
know this in connection with the young
man: He was dead in earnest. and
wanted an answer to his question. His
earnestness is evinced by the eagerness
with which he seeks out Jesus. Though
a young man of wealth and position, and
hence used to the dignitfes and proprie-
ties of life, he comes running out upon
the public highway to Overtake Jesus.
He was not content to sit in his luxuri-
Gus home and send his attendants to
Jesus, asking an audience He could
not wait for that He must see Jesus
and obtain from Him an answer to his
question, and so out of the house he ran;
down the dust-covered road, along
which the people were thronging after
Jesus, he sped and, Indifferent to the
startled and curious gaze of the crowd,
he kneeled at Jesus feet and asked that
supreme question, which must come to
every heart: What must l do to in
herit eternal life?" Dear friend out of
Christ, are you anxious enough to have
the supreme question of life answered.
to lay aside dignity and position and
everything and seek Jesus? Perhaps you
have. had others try to give you the an
swer TO your question. Perhaps you have |
sought human wisdom and reason 10 tell !