Two Gates, Two Ways, Two Ends
by Alexander Smiley from The Hour of Silence, 1899 Enter by the narrow gate, for
wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction,
and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the
gate, and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there
are few who find it. Matthew chapter 7 verse 13 and
14 There are only two gates, one
of them wide. Its name is Self, my own desires,
my own proud thoughts, my own righteousness, my own beloved
and darling sins, my own plans and pleasures. The other gate
is narrow. Its name is Christ. Christ sought
with repentance and godly sorrow. Christ followed at any hazard. It is the gate of the crucifixion
of self. There are only two ways. One
of them is broad, easy, pleasant, comfortable, pleasing to the
flesh, thronged with multitudes, a primrose path, but always tending
downward. and bringing disastrous consequences. The other way is difficult and
narrow, as it were through a gorge between craggy cliffs which nearly
meet, haunted by dangers and enemies, chosen by comparatively
few. The Christians' toilsome pilgrimage
and dangerous journey, ah, how the road climbs up and up There
are only two ends. One of them is destruction. Dark,
hopeless, irretrievable. The death of peace. The death
of hope. The death of every good impulse. The death of the soul. The other
end is life. Life at its fullest, sublimest,
sweetest. Life without sin and without
sorrow. Life in the land of life and
glory. Life in the presence of Christ
to all eternity. Consciously, deliberately, unequivocally,
may I seek the narrow gate, the difficult way, the end which
is everlasting. you