1

our Saviour, put to him this question, Master, what shall I do, to inherit Eternal Life? The strength of this question rests upon the words, what shall I do; "what means shall I take to attain the acknowledged end, which we all aim at, even eternal life; we all confess and teach, according to our Law, that there is a life beyond the grave; for although we are born that we may die, yet we die that we may live." Doubtless, he expected that our Saviour would have answered, in asserting the absolute necessity of a belief in Himself as the Messiah, that Seed of Abraham, through faith in whom alone, life eternal was promised; but penetrating his design, Jesus retorted by the question, what is written in the LAW? how readest thou? Here then, is a direct reference to the Mosaic Scriptures, as laying down the means by which the scribe might acquire the great reward therein promised. These means, the lawyer, (proudly confiding in his own righteousness, and overlooking the necessity of Atonement) but partly,

1

Aphorism of a Jewish rabbin, quoted by Reland on Josephus, on the Jewish war.

understood; yet, we find him, giving this ready answer, from the law of Moses: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. To this our Saviour rejoins, thou hast answered right; this do, (plainly proving that the question related to the means,) and thou shalt LIVE. Foiled in his traitorous object, by the acknowledged propriety of this exposition, the scribe attempts to justify himself by a further question, which is answered by the beautiful parable of the good Samaritan, with which, our Saviour dismisses his latent enemy, utterly abashed and confounded.

The meaning of this whole narration, is too plain to admit of misconstruction; but, our attention should be particularly turned to the last words of our Saviour's answer, this do, and thou shalt LIVE. Jesus does not say, live eternally, although the question related exclusively to Eternal Life. What more conclusive proof can we desire, of the exact meaning, and weight, given in this age, not only by the Son of God, but even by his bitterest enemies,

to this, in the Mosaic Law, so common expression? In precisely the same spirit, we find, that, almost always, in speaking of a future state, (or of eternal life) our Saviour refers his hearers to the Law and the Prophets; and in no one portion of the Gospel can be said, to have brought this forward himself, as a new, and unheard-of, doctrine. In this same Gospel, accordingly', we find a certain ruler (plainly a different instance) making the common inquiry, Good master, what shall I do, to inherit ETERNAL life? And this man, so far from being willing to become a disciple of Jesus, leaves him, sorrowful indeed, but by no means intending to yield obedience to his precepts. The same instance is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, and Mark'; in the former, the answer to the inquiry is again given in the same remarkable words, if thou wilt enter into LIFE (again our Saviour does not express eternal, although it is clearly understood,) keep the command

ments.

Ch. xviii. 18.

2 Ch. xix. 16.

3 Ch. x. 17.

With the perfect ignorance of their own hearts, and nature, revealed as these were to them, in the WORD-with the self-sufficient pride by which the Jews, and their teachers, were induced to rest solely on obedience, to the exclusion of faithwith their partial blindness, in thus accepting one part of the law, while they rejected the other-forgetting the continual burnt-offering, the blood of the Atonement, and that even Aaron, the saint of the Lord, was not admitted into the earthly sanctuary of their God' without shedding of blood-we have now nothing to do; although we must not here, pass these facts altogether unnoticed. But, it was, in our Saviour's Age, universally felt, and acknowledged, that Moses in using the word LIFE, meant not the promise of the life that now is only, but of that also which was to come. Referring to our Saviour's earliest discourses, nay, to those of his forerunner, John the Baptist, we shall every where discover, that the doctrine of a future state, (and that of rewards and

1 Hebrews ix. 22.

punishments) was well known, and previously established. The Law, was given through Moses, by the Almighty, to serve until the coming of Christ, through whom alone, came grace, and truth; but, through the Promise, and the Law, (contained as they are in the same Scriptures, of which, if I may so express myself, they form the universally breathing spirit)—through faith, and obedience there was life eternal 1, until the appearance of a Mediator of a better Covenant, which was established upon better promises'-O! generation of vipers, exclaimed the Baptist to the Pharisees, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Then pointing out, that, this wrath, was future to the present life, and moreover, what, the vengeance was, he added, Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire; whilst he forewarned them, that this fire was unquenchable. The people, and their teachers, knew, that this punishment awaited the wicked, beyond the grave; and, are represented, therefore, as

'In Him, was life. St. John, i. 4.

3 Compare Matt. and Luke.

2 Heb. viii. 6.