the heavens should open above our heads, and a voice from the skies should command us in a manner not to be doubted or disputed to do this particular thing, we ought immediately to do it.  And if the love of God were in our hearts; if we were inwardly “conformed unto” the Divine law; if there were nothing lacking in our religious character; we should obey with the same directness and alacrity with which Peter and Andrew, and James and John, left their nets and their fishing-boat, their earthly avocations, their fathers and their fathers’ households, and followed Christ to the end of their days.  In the present circumstances of the church and the world, Christians must follow the ordinary indications of Divine Providence; and though these do unquestionably call upon them to make far greater sacrifices for the cause of Christ than they now make, yet they do not call upon them to sell all that they have, and give it to the poor.  But they ought to be ready and willing to do so, in case God by any remarkable and direct expression should indicate that this is His will and pleasure.  Should our Lord, for illustration, descend again, and in His own person say to His people, as He did to the young ruler:  “Sell all that ye have, and give to the poor, and go up and down the earth preaching the gospel,” it would be the duty of every rich Christian to strip himself of all his riches, and of every poor Christian to make himself yet poorer, and of the whole Church to adopt the same course that was taken by the early Christians, who “had all things common, and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men, as every man had need.”  The direct and explicit command of the Lord Jesus Christ to do any particular thing must be obeyed at all hazards, and at all cost.  Should He command any one of His disciples to lay down his life, or to undergo a severe discipline and experience in His service, He must be obeyed.  This is what He means when He says, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke xiv. 26, 27).

The young ruler was subjected to this test.  It was his privilege,—­and it was a great privilege,—­to see the Son of God face to face; to hear His words of wisdom and authority; to know without any doubt or ambiguity what particular thing God would have him do.  And he refused to do it.  He was moral; he was amiable; but he refused point-blank to obey the direct command of God addressed to him from the very lips of God.  It was with him as it would be with us, if the sky should open over our heads, and the Son of God should descend, and with His own lips should command us to perform a particular service, and we should be disobedient to the heavenly vision, and should say to the Eternal Son of God:  “We will not.”  Think you that there is nothing lacking in such a character as this?  Is this religious perfection?  Is such a heart as this “conformed unto” the law and will of God?