CHAPTER IV.

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AMIABILITY WITHOUT RELIGION.

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Then Jesus beholding him loved him."

MARK X, 21.

THE narrative of which this forms a part, is thus given: 'And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he anwered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest; go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, take up thy cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved; for he had great possessions."

The character of Christ, as delineated by the pen of the evangelists, is one of the brightest glories of revelation, and one of the many internal evidences of its divine origin. Even the infidel Rousseau confessed, that if the gospel were a fable, he that invented the character of the Saviour must himself be greater than the hero of his tale. What a union, without confusion, of the human and the divine; what an exhibition of the awful and the amiable, of the stern and the tender; at one time denouncing with terrific

vengeance the crimes of the Jews; at another, weeping over the approaching fulfilment of his own predictions; now casting out demons from the possessed, then taking little children in his arms; and just after, looking with deep and tender interest on a youth, amiable, but not deIcided to follow him. All this, and infinitely more than this, is exhibited in the character of our Lord. Young men, study this sublime, beautiful, and superhuman character, and say, if both this, and the book which contains it, must not be of God. Could such a pattern of matchless truth, purity, and benevolence, be the offspring of delusion, falsehood, and depravity, which it must have been, if it be the production of imposture? To what page of uninspired history can infidelity direct you for anything which even remotely resembles it in greatness, goodness, and unearthliness ?

I now advert to a single incident in the life of Christ, one of great instructiveness and interest to you. By consulting the chapter from which the fact is taken, you will find that a youth of rank, fortune and office, came to Jesus with deep solicitude to know what he must do to obtain eternal life. The whole narrative shows that he was a moral and amiable young man, and also concerned about religion, but depending upon the merits of his own good doings for acceptance with God; and at the same time loving his wealth far more than was consistent with his high pretensions to love to his neighbour, and concern about eternity. Believing that Christ was a teacher sent from God, he wished to know from him whether there was anything more which he could do to strengthen the basis of his hopes, and to confirm his assurance of salvation. It is important to remark, and recollect, that in replying to him our Lord deals with him on his own grounds. Christ, in what he said, neither disclaims his own divinity, nor preached to him the doctrine of justification by works; but merely asked him how, with his views of the person he then spoke to, he could address him, and flatter him

with a title which he knew in its absolute meaning belonged only to God. So also in telling him that, if he kept the commandments with unsinning perfection from the beginning to the end of life, he would be justified on the ground of his own obedience, his divine Teacher did not mean to say that such a thing as unsinning obedience would be found in him or any one else; but that if it really could be found, it would justify the man who had it. Our Lord soon showed to him, by the test he applied to his judgment and conscience, that he was not so holy as he thought he was; for upon being commanded to go and sell his possessions and give to his neighbours, which, as he regarded Christ as a divine teacher sent from God, he ought to have done, he "went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." Thus proving that with all his professions of having kept the law, he loved his money more than he loved God, or his neighbour, and that the world was even then his idol. We are not to suppose, from this injunction of our Lord, that no one can be a Christian who does not dispose of the whole of his property in alms-deeds. Christ laid down a general principle, that supreme love of the world and earnestness after salvation are incompatible with each other: and gave it such a special application and extent in this case as its peculiarity required.

Still, we are told that, "when Jesus looked upon him he loved him." Love is a word of wide and comprehensive meaning; in some places signifying approval of, and complacency in, character; in others, expressing nothing more than general interest and good will. There are sometimes appearances in the character and conduct of those with whom we have to do that deeply interest us; yet all the while there is much in them that we condemn. This was the case before us. The human nature of Christ partook of all our sinless instincts and properties. His bosom was susceptible of the emotions of friendship, and of all that is honourable and graceful in our nature. On

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this occasion there was something in the circumstances, character, and manners of this young man which attracted the heart of Jesus to him; his youthful appearance was so prepossessing; his manners so pleasing; his address so courteous; his language so respectful; his disposition so deferential and docile, that Jesus beholding him, loved him. He noticed, recognised, and approved all the good qualities he possessed; he was interested by his youth, combined as it was with some concern for religion; and he cherished benevolent wishes for his welfare, and a friendly willingness to do him good. This was all; his regard for what was holy just and good, prevented him from going further. His inward emotions all the while amounted to lamentation, that so much seeming excellence should be tainted with that which rendered it of no worth in the sight of God, and of no avail to the young man's salvation.

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You see what was the defect in this man; he possessed not the faith which overcomes the world. He wished to unite two things utterly irreconcileable, the love of God and the love of the world. He wanted to serve two masters, God and Mammon. It was not vice and profligacy that kept him from true religion here, and from heaven hereafter it was the more decent and reputable sin of supreme attachment to things seen and temporal. He could give up many sins, but he could not give up his besetting sin, supreme regard to wealth. He could do many things, but he could not give up all to follow Christ. He could give up vice, but he could not deny himself and take up his cross. He had many good qualities, but he lacked that one thing which alone could give holiness to them all. If vice has slain its thousands, worldliness has slain its tens of thousands. Of all the false gods mentioned in the last chapter the shrine of Mammon is most resorted to: it is from that temple the broadest and most beaten path to perdition will be found. In the crowd which press along that path are included, not only

knaves, cheats, and men of dishonourable character of every kind, but men who follow whatsoever things are just and honest, and true, and even whatsoever is lovely, and of good report, who yet withal rise to no higher grade of moral excellence, and no more exalted character, than to be just and honourable worshippers of this sordid deity. Yes, even Mammon can boast of devotees who, though they do not act from a principle of religion, yet scorn whatever is mean, dishonourable and unjust. Consider the words of an inspired apostle, "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him ;" and begin life remembering that in the broad road that leads to destruction there is a path for the lovers of the world, as well as for the lovers of vice.

Before I go on to take up and consider the subject of this chapter, there are a few remarks which I may with propriety make upon the case of this young man viewed in connection with our Lord's feelings towards him. How much concern may in some cases be felt about religion without the subject of that solicitude being truly religious ! Here was some anxiety, earnestness, and inquiry, yet not true, intelligent, and scriptural religion, a character which is by no means uncommon. We sometimes see a tree in spring one mass of blossom, beautiful to the eye, and full of promise to its owner; and yet we afterwards see all that blossom drop without setting, and the tree stand in autumn a collection of branches and leaves without a single fruit. Alas! alas! how many young persons resemble such trees, and excite the hopes of parents, ministers, and others, by incipient appearances of religion, only to disappoint them! Do not add to the number of those promising but deceptive appearances, and the bitter disappointments which they inflict.

How much good and evil may be mixed up in the same character; requiring the most careful discrimination and the most impartial exercise of judgment! Here were lovely traits corrupted and spoiled by others of an oppo