whole life has been a sin. I have
been a conceited, self-righteous Pharisee. I want you to pray for
me." He was under deep conviction. Man could not have produced this
result; but the Spirit had. About two o'clock in the morning light
broke in upon his soul: and he went up and down the business street
of the city and told what God had done for him; and has been a most
active Christian ever since.

There are four other passages in dealing with inquirers, which were
used by Christ Himself. "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John iii. 3.)

In Luke xiii. 3, we read: "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise
perish."

In Matthew xviii., when the disciples came to Jesus to know who was
to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, we are told that He took
a little child and set him in the midst and said, "Verily I say unto
you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall
not enter the kingdom of heaven" (xviii. 1-3).

There is another important "Except" in Matthew v. 20: "Except your
righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and
Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter the kingdom of heaven."

A man must be made meet before he will want to go into the kingdom of
God. I would rather go into the kingdom with the younger brother than
stay outside with the elder. Heaven would be hell to such an one. An
elder brother who could not rejoice at his younger brother's return
would not be "fit" for the kingdom of God. It is a solemn thing to
contemplate; but the curtain drops and leaves him outside, and the
younger brother within. To him the language of the Saviour under
other circumstances seems appropriate: "Verily I say unto you, That
the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you"
(Matt. xxi. 31).

A lady once came to me and wanted a favor for her daughter. She said:
"You must remember I do not sympathize with you in your doctrine." I
asked: "What is your trouble?" She said: "I think your abuse of the
elder brother is horrible. I think he is a noble character." I said
that I was willing to hear her defend him; but that it was a solemn
thing to take up such a position; and that the elder brother needed
to be converted as much as the younger. When people talk of being
moral it is well to get them to take a good look at the old man
pleading with his boy who would not go in.

But we will pass on now to the other c