The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-25
INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL
 LESSON
Thsrd ouarter. Lesson ix. Luke XVI
 a-I4. August 2e, 1906.

~
 THE RICH YOUNG RULER.
 A anecial. though sad, interest at- taohas to All the incidents of Jesus lasf tourney to Jerusalem. He nao healed the iepers and blessed the chii- dren, and now, almost under shaaoW of His cross, in point of time only Iou. weeks removed, comes this suptiest of Interviews with the rich young pres ident of some synagogue.
 The man was like one thoroughly fncased in armor. Every piece was burnished with diligence and disposed for effect. He stood panoplied eap-a- pie But beneath all this splennla. impregnable, moving fortress lurkea Aisquiet spirit. that left isseif not would never have come to the Haza- rene rabbi.
 Jesus just eondescends to enter the lists, and tilt and foil with this knlsht of legality on his own ground ana Dy his own methods. First Of all He will bring him, with all his eoasteo goodness, face to face with the abso- iufe sroodness of God He ardroitly nuts a significance upon the hollow term of polite address which the user of 1t never dreamed of. In the olaz- ing light of Divine perfection the yaunted armor of self-righteousness is sadly dimmed.
 AHH Since Lf1o IUQliTGf W tAA OS RS~ feoe bv his own exertion, Jesus holds before him the unyielding, finty table of the law, and cries, Do and live! The legalist, thinking only of the let ter, could say. T have kept it." Yet spite of this vaunted literal obedience, there is a dread sense of insecurity. The Master knew all the while the weak spot in his brave and glittering armor He has only been toying with and testing Ills opponent so far. Now He brings His lance to rest to make the deadly thrust. Sell all. and give allP 'If you really want the treas Hre of heaven. give up the treasure or earth"
 Gossner quaintly says "a man may pledge and stake his head a hundred times, but If one were to proceed to take 1t from him, he would feel for the first time how 1t sticks to him" In the dread concussion of Jesus word, the rich magistrate realized for the first time how he was welded to his as his head was. He would as soon have parted with the one as the oth- e.
 Jesus was holding up with steady hand the first table of the law that required a supreme love of God which would expel any idol. In the flashing light of that dIvinely engraven Sinai tic table the ruler discovered that Afammon filled his whole heart. The revelation was thorough. Not a word needed to be added. Equivocation was impossible. 4 heart was revealed to itself. It found itself destitute of the very essence of eiigion--supreme love of God.
 Crucial moment thati The compass needle of soul wavered between heav- en and he'll Alas! alasi when in a mo- ment it came to rest, 1t pointed stead fly toward perdition. What a lossi The dread unrest, extreme enough to bring this man of high rank to the de- spised Galilean; and to bring him, not like Nicodemus, but in the most public place and manner. That unrest might have been instantly removed by the absolute assurance of a happy immor- taiity. Riches held by frailest tenure wealth, the sport of the natural ele- ments and standing temptation to hu- liberately preferred to treasure laid up where moth and rust do not cor rupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal.
 No wonder the Master-teacher avail ed Himself of such a dldactic incident He quotes the proverbial description of the impossible to indicate the ex- treme difficulty of a happy outcome in this and similar instances. As cas- tly could their largest domestic anil anal pass through the smallest orifice with which they were familiar, as a Eich man enter heaven. He. will not enter at all except by means of that reEenerating grace which enables him to break the enchanting spell of mann mon and love God with a supreme af- fection.
 Analysis and Key. L Subtle Interview. Meaning of universal application. a. A Knight of Legality; The Young
 Ruler.
 Disouiet spirit leads to Jesus An impetuous inquirer. g. Condescension of Jesus. Meets on h!s own ground. Uses his own methods.
 A Relative Goodness Made to Face Absolute Goodness. s. The Legalist Bidden to DO and Live"
 Referred to the law. 6. Obedience Averred.
 Jesus admiration of ingenious ness
 '. The weak Spot Touched Last.
 Crucial command: Sell and givel"
 Salf-revelation.
 Lordship of Mammon recognized.
 8. Failure in Final Test.
 9. Jesus caution Against Undue
 Love of Wealth. The Teachers Lantern.
 Alas! the genus of the rich young ruler is not yet extinct. The world contains as many, if not more, moral ists than ever The refrain still greets our ears, All these have kept" They are on the best of terms with the Ten Commandments.