be
king, still he would not be able to enjoy it; he would feel strange,
uncomfortable, out of place.

"Just so," said the clergyman, "is it with our inheritance. As soon as
we are born again we have a right to it, we become sons and daughters of
the King of Kings. But we need to be prepared and made meet for the
inheritance. We must be made holy within; we must be trained and taught
to hate sin and to love all that is pure and holy. And this is the work
of God's Holy Spirit.

"Oh! my friends, will you not ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit to
renew your heart? It will not be all done in a day. You came to Jesus to
be washed from the stain of sin. He did that at once; He gave you at
once the right to the inheritance. But you will not be made holy at
once. Little by little, hour by hour, day by day, the Holy Spirit will
make you more and more ready for the inheritance. You will become more
and more like Jesus. You will hate sin more; you will love Jesus more;
you will become more holy. But, oh! let no one think," said the
clergyman, "that being good will ever give you a _right_ to the
inheritance. If I were to be ever so well educated, if I were to be
taught a hundred times better than the Prince of Wales has been, it
would never give me a right to be King of England. No, my friends, the
only way into 'Home, sweet Home,' the only way to obtain a right to the
inheritance, is by the blood of Jesus. There is no other way, no other
right.

"But, after the dear Lord has given us the right to the kingdom, He
always prepares us for it. A forgiven soul will always lead a holy life.
A soul that has been washed white will always long to keep clear of sin.
Is it not so with you? Just think of what Jesus has done for you! He has
washed you in His blood; He has taken your sins away at the cost of His
life. Will you do the very things that grieve Him? Will you be so
ungrateful as to do that? Will you?

"Oh! surely not; surely you will say, in the words of the third verse of
our hymn,--

'Lord, make me from this hour
Thy loving child to be,
Kept by Thy power,
Kept by Thy power,
From all that grieveth Thee.'

And surely you will ask Him very, very earnestly, to give you that Holy
Spirit who alone can make you holy. And when the work is done," said the
clergyman, "when you are made meet, made fit for the inheritance, the
Lord will take you there. He will not keep you waiting. Some are made
ready very qu