ESSAY III. The True Use of the Moral Law under the Gospel. Exemplified in the Conference of Christ with a young Pharisee, explained in a Sermon, May, 1711. Brat. six. 17. Ifthou wilt enter into Life, keep the commandments. TT SECTION I.THE INTRODUCTION. HERE ER it will be necessary to Tun over the short conference between Christ and this young man, which is recorded by several of the evangelists, because it will give us a plainer account' how these words are introduced, and lead us into the knowledge of the true design of them. Read from the 16th to the . 23d verse : " And behold one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I dothat I may have eternal 'life ? 17. And he said unto hire, Why callest thou the good ? there is none good but one, that is God? But if thou wilt enter into life, keep thecolnmandments. 18. He saith unto him,which ? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no -mur- der, Thou shalt not - commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness. 39. Honour thy father and thy mother, and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 20. The young man saith unto him, all these have I kept from -my -youth : what lackI yet ? 21. Jesus said unto him, if thou wilt be per- fect, go and sell that thou -hast and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven ; and -come and follow me. 22. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23. Then said Jesus unto his-disciples, Verily I say unto You, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. This is the history. The person who addressed the Lord Jesus Christ here, was a young man, and wealthy, as this sacred writer informs us ; and that he was a ruler among the Jews, St. Luke gives us notice ; Luke xviii. IC That he was- either a Pharisee, or at least one of the stricter sort of the Jews, seems evident, be- cause he sought after eternal life, whereas the sadducees denied a future state, manyof the higher as well as the looser part of the nation disregarded it. He appears leavened with the com- monPharisaical doctrine, viz. thatthe way to procure eternal life was by his.own goad works, by doing-some good thing. It is probable lie hadheardof the miradles and the fameof our blessed Lord, and believed him to `be a teacher sentfromGod,
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