^ How they rise before us ! — the sweet reproachful faces of those whom we could have loved devotedly if they had been willing to be straightforward with us; whom we have lost, not by our own will, but by that paralysis of feeling which gradually invades the heart at the discovery of small insincerities. Sin- cerity seems our only security against losing those who love us, the only cup in which those who are worth keeping will pledge us when youth is past.^
\ {2) He did not recognise in Christ the Divine Teacher. —
' While he admires Christ's teaching, he speaks as one might to
another on his own level : " Well, Master, thou hast said the
\/ truth " ; but there is no appearance of his soul bowing before
Him as a teacher sent from God, still less of his being ready to
follow Him as a spiritual leader, and to cast in his lot with Him,
to walk in His steps and to do His will. 'What was wanted was
Ijust the recognition of the King. Christ did not tell him that.
I He left him to discover it. And it is just the discovery that
J jlmany a man has to make in order to enter the kingdom. It is
jthe oath of allegiance to Christ, which we commonly call " faith,"
jthat is still wanting. There are many men of fine character, of
generous thoughts and noble lives, whom we naturally and
properly admire. And yet there is a defect in them of which
^ J. H. Rogers. * Marj Cholmoudeley, Red Pottage.
ST. MARK 347
even they themselves are conscious, although what it is they do not know. It is the want of the deep recognition of the things that are unseen, the solemn sense of the supremacy of the spiritual Could that arise in them, they would be in the kingdom and recognise that it is the Kingdom of God.
His case reminds us of the rich young ruler (x. 17). The Saviour is just " going forth " when one rushes to overtake Him, and kneels down to Him, full of hope of a great discovery. He is so frank, so innocent and earnest, as to win the love of Jesus. And yet he presently goes away, not as he came, but with a gloomy forehead and a heavy heart, and doubtless with slow reluctance. There is indeed a charming frankness in his bearing, so that we admire even his childlike assertion of his own virtues, while the heights of a nobility yet unattained are clearly possible for one so dissatisfied, so anxious for a higher life, 80 urgent in his questioning. What shall I do ? What lack I yet ? This inquirer honestly thinks himself not far from the great attainment ; he expects to reach it by some trans- cendent act, some great deed done, and for this he has no doubt of his own prowess, if only he were well directed. What shall I do that I may have eternal life, not of grace, but as a debt — that I may inherit it ? His question supplies the clue to that answer of Christ which has perplexed so many. The youth is seeking for himself a purely human merit, indigenous and underived. And the same, too, is what he ascribes to Jesus, to Him who is so far from claiming independent human attainment, or professing to be what this youth would fain become, that He said, " The Son can do nothing of himself. ... I can of mine own self do nothing." The secret of His human perfection is the absolute dependence of His humanity upon God, with whom He is one. No wonder, then, that He repudiates any such goodness as the ruler had in view.^
^ There is a legend of St. Peter, that he had always by him a cloth wherewith he wiped his eyes, which were at last red with weeping. And I can well believe it. When he was asked why he wept, he said that " when he recalled that most sweet gentleness of Christ with His apostles," he could not restrain bis tears. Christ must, indeed, have been perfect in kindness and tenderness. And even so, and even such, is He now daily with us ; but we perceive it not.* ^ G. A. Chadwick. ' Watchwords from, Luther.
348 THE GREAT TEXTS OF THE BIBLE
^ Dear sad J. is full of fears, but the vision will presently come, and he will know the Lord as " all things and in all," and he will be a blessed light. I feel I know his standing well ; his utterances want simplicity and spirituality. He knows Jesus as " the Christ," but not yet as " the Lord," so it seems to me. Hence he lingers in the letter of the Gospel history ; he does not mount up into the heavens with St. Paul, and commune with the Lord of Glory, in communion with whom the earthly history is known in its boundless and blessed significance.^
V (3) It may be that our scribe belonged to that class which it has been customary for some time to speak of as honest doubters. That such exist within the Church in hundreds to-day we all know. Spurgeon has some rather contemptuous words about " honest doubt." What has " honest doubt " done for the world ? ' What churches has it built ? What nations has it founded ? What hospitals has it built ? What battles has it won ? No ; " honest doubt " has done none of these things, and perhaps there was need of the bold preacher's utterance at a time when ," honest doubt " was being coddled almost to death. But we \i V should ever remember that if " honest doubt " has done none of these things, it has done one thing, and that the grandest of all.