Page:MyPrayerBookHappinessInGoodness.djvu/73

 E'en so  I  love  Thee,  and  will  live, And in  Thy  praise  will  sing; Solely because  Thou  art  my  God And my  eternal  King."

Our Lord  was  journeying  through  the  towns  and villages on  the  way  to  Jerusalem,  there  to  suffer death for  us,  when  some  one  came  up  and  asked  Him exactly the  question  that  we  should  have  liked  to  put: Lord, are  there  few  saved? What was  He  to  reply? Suppose He  had  answered:  "Oh,  no,  nearly  all  men will  be  saved,  very  few  will  be  lost." What easy  going, what laxity  would  have  followed  upon  such  a  declaration  I He  answered,  therefore,  not  to  the  gratification  of  our curiosity but  to  the  profit  of  our  souls:  Strive  ye  to  enter in at  the  narrow  gate:  for  many,  I  say  unto  you,  shall seek to  enter  in,  and  shall  not  be  able  (Luke  xiii.  24). They shall  not  be  able,  because  they  have  not  striven: they have  sought  the  Kingdom  of  God  after  a  fashion, but not  with  sufficient  earnestness;  and,  Our  Lord warns us,  there  shall  be  many  such. How many? Shall there  be  many  more  saved? Shall the  lost  be comparatively  few? Our Lord  has  left  His  Church no revelation  upon  this  subject:  consequently  no  answer returnable  to  these  inquiries  carries  the  certainty of faith. On such  an  open  question  preachers  have said strong  things,  and  theologians  have  divided  on  this side and  on  that,  with  more  or  less  of  probability. Father Faber  in  his  Creator  and  Creature  argues  that "the great  mass  of  believers"  are  saved. But there  is one  class  of  people  who  are  all  saved. Who? All priests? No. All Religious? No. Who then? All