-_man's salvation and God's
glory_. The miracles wrought by our Lord, the parables spoken, the
truths uttered, the victories gained in temptation, the rich tokens of
his love given, all, all had as their great end man's salvation and
God's glory--"that they might be with him where he is."

The only answer to the great question why the Lord did all this for
man's salvation is found in his own words: "God so loved the world."
And he loves it no less to-day than when the Son was born and the
angels of glory were chanting their love song of "good will toward
men" in the ears of the shepherds and above the manger in Bethlehem.
But with all of God's good will to seek and save that which was lost
he is able to save only such, and no others, as desire to be saved by
him. If it were possible for him to save man and elevate him to heaven
independently of any cooeperation on man's part, then all would alike
be saved, for God is no respecter of persons. But it would be quite as
possible to compel or force any one to understand and love what he
naturally hates, or to follow with enjoyment and delight a way of life
he does not love, as it would be to save a human being without the
consent and cooeperation of his mind and heart.

The scribes and Pharisees gave evident proof of the truth of the old
maxim: "Convince a man against his will, he is of the same opinion
still." The Lord proved before their eyes his heavenly mission and
divine character; their minds must have been convinced. But their
wills did not favor the convictions of their minds; that is, they did
not love the truth that was forced upon their minds, and so they
rejected him. It is from this element in the constitution of man's
soul or spirit that he must become as a little child, or he cannot
enter the kingdom of heaven. Becoming as a little child is what is
meant by being born again, without which no man shall see the kingdom
of heaven. We all know a little child is innocent, teachable; because
it is not lifted up in the pride of its own intelligence, nor
confirmed in a belief of what is not true from a love of what is not
good. Every one who enters through the narrow gate, and pursues the
narrow way that leads to life, is willing to be led by the Lord. It
may not be clear to the mind of every one what is symbolized by the
_narrow gate_ and the _narrow way_. I will try to tell you.

_The divine truth of God's Word_ is the narrow gate. It admits of no
increase, and i