The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 262

from my youth up," uot so much vaunting his blamelessness of life as indicating that he had had these commandments in view all his life, and that to refer him to them was to give him no satisfaction. All the help they could give he had already got. •• What lack I yet?" He belonged to the" Tell-me-eomething-more-to-do-and-1-will- do-it" class of Pharisees. He thought he was ready to mii.ke any sacrifice, or do any -great thing which would advance his spiritual interests. Remark- I. How ENTmELY EVEN AN INTELLIGENT MAN MAY MISAPPREHEND ms OWN .ansITUAJ. ATTAINMENT. It was natural this young man should over-estimate himself. He was not only well-disposed, very much the model of what a rich young man should ,be, but was interested in religion, as too few wealthy young men are. He was generally esteemed, and had already become a ruler of the synagogue. He came to Jesus, not to be taught the rudiments, but to receive the finishing touches of a religious character- and he is told he is wrong to the foundation. He is in the position of a person who goes to his medical adviser complaining of a slight uneasiness which he supposes .a tonic will remove, and is told that he has heart-disease or cancer. Or he is in the position of a sanguine inventor, who has spent years on the elaboration of a machine, and at last puts it into the. hands of the practical man, merely to get steam applied and the fittings adjusted, and is told by the practical man that the whole thing is wrong in conception, and can by no possibility ever be made to work. He sees himself as he •D.ever saw himself before. He never knew how much he loved his money till he found he would risk his soul rather than part with his money. He never knew how little he cared for the poor till he found he was not prepared to help them by becoming one of .them. He never dreamt he was ungodly till he found he preferred his few acres of land to that Person whom be had confessed to be Incarnate Goodness. II. A MAN lllA.Y NOT ONLY MISAPPREHEND HIS ATTAINME!s'T, BUT HIS Wil.LING::IBSS 'l'O ATTAIN. This young man fancied he would welcome any light upon duty. He .thought himself willing to do anything that would advance bis spiritual condition. He finds he is by no means willing. '.l'housands are in this state. "Give us," they would say, ".something tan~ible to do, and we will do it; but religion seems always so much in the clouds, we do not know where to begin." Put present duty to such persons in an attainable form, and it is not always so welcome as they expected. Tell them that to be holy is, in their case, to say ten words of apology to some one they have injured, to set a.part some fixed time daily for thought and prayer, to abandon some indulgence, or spend money for a relative; and they turn sullenly away, like this young man. III.: BETWEEN OUR PRESENT ATTAINllENT AND PEnFECTION THERE MAY BE A .SA0BIFICE EQUIVALENT TO OUTTING OFP A BIGHT HAND OB PLUCKING OUT A BIGHT EYE. This young man was plainly told that, in order to attain life eternal, he must .abandon his pleasant home, his position in society, all his comforts and prospects, and become a poor wanderer, It seems a hard demand to make of a well-intentioned youth. But it was no doubt justified by his state. Riches are not the only hindrance .to attainment, and we may ourselves be in need of treatment as sharp. To begin the world with a penny would be no great trial to some of us; it would, indeed, be precisely what some of us are already doing ; and there are probably few who wonld not gladly sell all t~ey have if the price would buy perfection of character and life ever- lasting. But it is no such bargain our Lord means. He merely means that to ns, as to this young man, salvation is impossible if it be not the.first thing. This young man's possessions happened to be that which prevented him from following Christ; but some pursuit of ours, or some cherished intention, or some evil habit, or mere indi!r8~once, may be as effectually preventing us from holding true fellowship with him and bec(),!Jling like him. And discipline as penetrating and sore may in our case be required. IV. FOR THE ONE THING ESSENTIAL, IF WE ARE TO ATTAIN PERFECTION, IS THE FOL- LOWING OF CHBIBT. This young man respected Christ, and was no doubt willin~ to do much to please him. He would probably have given up half his possessions, but he could not give up all for Christ. He did not scoff or argue: he "went away sorrowful," feeling that the demand of Christ was reasonable, and that by not responding to it he was condemned, But be had not love enough to obey. It is not our judgment, but ()Ur a1foctions, our l'l')al tastes and likings, which make us what we are, and determine 266 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [oH. nx. 1-30-.