Page:TheYoungMansGuide.djvu/95

 "The reasons,"  continues  Father  Walsh, "which have  induced  me  to  think  the  mildest opinion,  namely,  that  the  majority  —  and  I scarcely  fear  to  add,  the  gnat  majority  —  of mankind  will  be  saved,  are:  First,  because  the study  of  God's  character  urges,  if  not  forces, me  to  do  so.  Second,  because  this  opinion appears  to  make  most  for  His  greater  honor  and glory,  and  for  the  merits  of  Christ.  Third,  because the  belief  in  it  is  better  calculated  to  make is  love  God,  and  to  serve  Him  the  more  from love.

" Cardinal  Bellarmine,  in  one  of  his  expositions of  the  Psalms,  writes:  'David  records  God's providence  in  regard  of  the  beasts  and  the  birds in  order  to  let  man  see  that  he  will  never  be  forsaken by  God  in  His  providence.  God,  who  so bounteously  feeds  beasts  and  ravens,  will  never desert  those  who  are  made  to  His  own  image and  likeness.'  Is  not  such  Our  Lord's  reasoning and  conclusions  as  we  have  them  in  His Sermon  on  the  Mount :  "Behold  the  birds  of  the air; for  they  neither  sow  nor  do  they  reap,  nor gather into  barns,  and  your  heavenly  Father feedeth them. Are you  not  of  much  more  value than they?'  The  most  learned  theologians  lay down and  prove  the  following  proposition :  That God really  and  sincerely  wishes  the  salvation  of all  men,  because  He  is  the  Creator  of  all  men. In the  words  of  St.  Ambrose:  'God  wishes  all whom He  creates  to  be  saved;  would  to  God, O men,  that  you  would  not  fly  and  hide  yourselves from  Him;  but  even  if  you  do  He  seeks you, and  does  not  wish  you  to  perish.'  It  is more  probable  that  though  many  can  and  will fight God  to  the  end  and  be  lost,  they  will  be fewer  far  than  those  whom  He  will  tenderly,  and