it is
said, must surely want to educate us into the love of virtue and truth
for their own sakes. He does not want merely to conquer us, to break
our wills by superior power. He wants to lead us to share his own
spirit and life; and, therefore, would not ask us to submit merely to
his will. To train men, therefore, to merely obey is not so noble as to
train men to reason, or to love truth and righteousness for their own
sakes. But we reply that we should attain to the most exalted love of
truth and righteousness and every other noble thing in no way so well
as through loyalty to God. Certainly God does not want to merely
conquer us by force, but of all things in the world that is the one not
exhibited in Jesus Christ. His was the obedience of love. It sprang
from his admiration of the Father's nature. And so must ours. God has
laid us under immeasurable obligations of gratitude. He has
condescended to reveal himself to us. He has given proof of his wisdom,
his love, his holiness, his righteousness. And, therefore, the will of
God is no arbitrary commandment. It is the wish of our dearest Friend.
It is the direction given from the world's Pilot. It is the direction
of infinite wisdom and righteousness and love; and to be devoted to his
will is but to be confident that all his glorious attributes are being
expressed for our guidance.

And then, what should we say of one who seeks after truth and
righteousness, and yet does not yield obedience to him who is the
source of all things--the truth, the righteousness? We should probably
conclude that his search was a fancy, his aspiration an illusion. No!
What we need is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, to feel
that he is the wisest, the most lovely--the embodiment and the source
of all other wisdom and goodness; the Sun by which the other planets
shine, by whose rays the world of nature receives its life and beauty.
We need to love God supremely; and if we do, then the will of God will
seem to us always good, even as it did to Christ.

"Man's weakness, waiting upon God,
Its end can never miss;
For men on earth no work can do
More angel-like than this.

"He always wins who sides with God.
To him no chance is lost;
God's will is sweetest to him when
It triumphs at his cost.

"Ill that he blesses is our good,
And unblessed good our ill;
And all is right that seems most wrong,
If it be his sweet will."