of Solomon's--it _can't_ be
broken.

And, if you'll mark it keenly, a new _in_side includes a new _out_side.
The thing that in religious talk is called conversion is a sociological
factor that cannot be ignored by the thoughtful student. The drunkard
goes down to the old-fashioned sort of mission where they insist on
teaching that the blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sin, and that the
Holy Spirit will make a new man of you, and burn the sin out.

And _something_ happens to the drunkard. He kneels a drunkard, drunk; he
rises a man, sober. He goes to the hole he calls home. And at once a
change begins to work gradually out. He treats his wife and children
differently. He works. They are fed better and clothed warmer. He gets a
better house in a better neighbourhood. The new sociological factor is
at work. It began inside; it revolutionizes the outside.

Settlement houses, better environment, improved outer conditions of
every sort, are blessed, and only blessed, after the inside is fixed or
in helping to get it fixed. If that isn't done, they are simply as a
lovely bit of pink-coloured court-plaster skilfully adjusted over an
ugly incurable ulcer. The man is befooled while the ulcer eats into his
vitals.

It's only the blood-power of a Jesus, _the Jesus,_ that can fix the
inside. He cuts out the ulcer and puts in a new strain of blood. Then
the inner includes the outer. And the most grateful of all is the man.
This is the Jesus-plan, John says, "_full of grace and truth._"

Grace is named first. It _comes_ first. That is a bit of the
graciousness of it. That's love's exquisite diplomacy. We feel the
grateful warmth of the sun in the winter's air, and are drawn by it. We
smell the fragrance of the roses and come eagerly nearer. We hear the
winsomeness of a gentle wooing voice a-calling, and instinctively answer
to it. And then we find the sun's power to heal and cleanse and its
insistence on burning up what can't stand its heat.

We find the inspiring, purifying uplift of the flowers, drawing us up
the hillside to the top. We find the voice--the Man--gently but with
unflinching unbending determination that never yields a hairbreadth,
insisting on our coming clear up to the topmost level. That's a wondrous
order of words, and coupling of helps, grace and truth.

And this is Jesus. This is John's simple tremendous picture. This Man
comes down into our neighbourhood, on our earth. He sticks up His
stretch of tent-ca