askj What is tin- treatment which that young man would have experienced from the great mass of religious professors? 1 greatly fear that the general feeling towards him would have been that of contempt, rather than of love. But how did our blessed Lord and Saviour regard him? We are told, "Then Jesus beholding him, loved him'." And this is the spirit we should manifest towards all who are observant of the Divine laws, though they may not possess that faith in Christ which would stamp a new character upon the whole of their conduct. In proportion as any man excels in the different branches of moral virtue, he ought to be held .ns an object of respect, esteem, and love.]
But when they trust in their morality, they deserve our pity —
[I do not suppose that any persons would affirm, that they never had sinned at all. I rather conceive, that the Apostle speaks of persons affirming, that they never had sinned to such a degree os to deserve God's wrathful displeasure. This, alas! is too often the effect of morality; that it causes men to over- look their manifold defects, and to be filled with self-compla- cency, when, if they had juster views of themselves, they would be bowed down rather with a sense of their own unwor- thiness.
Now such persons, how excellent soever they may be in other respects, are in a truly pitiable condition : for " they deceive themselves."
"They deceive themselves" in relation to the extent of their attainments. They do, in fact, say with the Rich Youth, " What lack I vet?" whilst " they lack one thing," even that very thing which is indispensable to their acceptance with God. Our Lord brought the young man to the test ; and, by a com- mand which he gave, tried him, whether God or the world were the higher in his esteem? It was a grief to the young man to renounce all hope of an interest in the Saviour ; but he knew not how to part with his possessions ; and therefore abandoned the Lord Jesus rather than them. So, if moralists were brought to the test, they would shew, and indeed they do continually shew, that the love of Christ is not dominant in their hearts, and that they have never seen him as that " pearl of great price, for which they are ready to part with all."
They deceive themselves also in relation to their state before God. They imagine that they do not deserve, and conse- quently are not in danger of, his wrath and indignation. Thus it was with the Apostle Paul before his conversion. Hear his own acknowledgment respecting it : "1 was alive without the
' Mark x. 19—21.