III

The Two Classes

“Two men went up into the temple to pray.”

I now want to speak of two classes: First, those who do not feel their need of a Saviour who have not been convinced of sin by the Spirit; and Second, those who are convinced of sin and cry, “What must I do to be saved?”

All inquirers can be ranged under two heads: they have either the spirit of the Pharisee, or the spirit of the publican. If a man having the spirit of the Pharisee comes into an after-meeting, I know of no better portion of Scripture to meet his case than Romans 3:10: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth; there is none that seeketh after God.” Paul is here speaking of the natural man. “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” And in the 17th verse and those which follow, we have “And the way of peace have they not known; there is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

Then observe the last clause of verse 22: “For there is no difference; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Not part of the human family⁠—but all ⁠—“have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Another verse which has been very much used to convict men of their sin is 1 John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”