filled it. At the world's price He could have, ruled the world and been crowned King. But this Man who was called Jesus—God Himself, manifest in the flesh—chose rather to sit with a woman by the well who was hungering and thirsting for better things; chose rather to meet men like Nicodemus by night, that He might explain the mysteries of His Kingdom; chose rather to mix with publicans and sinners, in order that He might lead men to God. Christ came to seek and to save the lost; and men were lost because of sin. It is quite true that we are all sinners, but the great truth about sin tends to be lost in this vague generality. It is not, enough to tell men that they are sinners; men need to be taught that, and taught what sin is. Sin is not confined to wrong actions sin lies much deeper than that. Sin is bad thoughts, wrong desires, and evil inclinations. This was the high plane of Christ's teaching all through, not only that lusting was sin, but that the look was sin none the less. And if these things be so, it all amounts to this, that men could commit murder before they rise from their beds in the morning, or cut the throat of a neighbour when they are lacing their own boots. Christ went to the root of the matter—it was the heart; and He ever sought to get the heart of man right. This was His supreme ambition, this His self-chosen task.
