for  the  outward  man  ;  and  questions  of  that  nature  are  too  rife  with,  us  :
'  What  shall  we  eat,  and  what  shall  we  drink,  and  what  shall  we  put
on  ?  '  Mat. vi. 25. All  men's  care  is  about  the  body,  and  these  worldly
questions  do  most  perplex  their  hearts,  How  shall  I  be  clothed  and
fed  ?  But  this  young  man's  question  is  not  about  any  matter  of  the
world,  but  the  saving  of  his  soul,  How  shall  I  do  to  live  for  ever  with
God?

4. About  his  soul ;  he  doth  not  ask  a  frivolous  or  small  thing,  but  a
thing  of  the  greatest  moment  in  all  divinity,  '  What  shall  I  do  that  I
may  inherit  eternal  life  ?  '     A  weighty  matter,  the  weightiest  of  all
others :  Mat. vi. 33,  '  Seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  right-
eousnesss  ; '  Prov. iv. 7, '  Wisdom  is  the  principal  thing  ;  therefore  get
wisdom,  and  with  all  thy  getting  get  understanding.'  And  certainly  such
a  question  as  this  discovers  a  good  spirit. (1 .)  That  he  was  no  Sadducee,
for  he  inquires  after  eternal  life,  which  they  denied. The  young  man
was  one  that  did  believe  in  heaven  and  hell,  and  inquires  after  the  way
how  to  escape  the  one  and  obtain  the  other. (2.)  It  discovers  some
thoughtfulness  about  it. Many  of  Christ's  own  disciples  dreamed  of  an
earthly  kingdom ;  they  were  ever  putting  questions  to  Christ  about  it :
Acts  i. 6,  '  Lord,  wilt  thou  at  this  time  restore  again  the  kingdom  to
Israel  ?  '     But  his  thoughts  were  more  upon  the  kingdom  of  heaven
than  upon  a  temporal  reign,  which  they  fancied  to  themselves. (3.)
It  discovered  that  he  was  very  sensible  of  the  connection  that  is  between
the  end  and  the  means,  that  something  must  be  done  in  order  to
eternal  life. There  are  some  men  that  would  have  heaven  and  happi
ness,  but  are  loath  to  be  at  the  cost :  Num. xxiii. 10,  '  Let  me  die  the
death  of  the  righteous,  and  let  my  latter  end  be  like  his.'     At  oportuit
sic  vixisse ;  but  we  must  live  so,  if  we  would  die  so. 