themselves, have now for many ages been compelled to admit, in profession at least, the doctrine of the cross. Kings, as the prophet foretold, have "shut their mouths at Christ," that is the very highest of the great men of the earth can find no more to say against the gospel. For every shame they dare not resist their own reason, which tells them they must believe in Christ Jesus. But although many are forced, as far as belief goes, to own that what the Scriptures tell us of Christ dying for us is all true, they cannot bring themselves practically to submit to the doctrine; they scorn the notion of taking up their own cross. In this sense, very many who seem to themselves sound believers in Christ, do in fact hide their faces from him; they despise him, and esteem him not. It is the last thing indeed with which they are ready to charge themselves: they are quite ready to profess, nay even to feel, that they cannot obtain everlasting salvation by any merits of their own: they look to Jesus Christ only as deserving salvation for them: and if at times they find themselves wound up to certain strong feelings of assurance, and of being nearer than others to Christ, they consider themselves, for the present at least, quite safe, and have no fear at all but that they have really sure hold of the cross.

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But let no man be too secure. Laying hold of the cross, in order to eternal salvation, is not a thing to be done once for all, and then let alone for ever. It is a manner and way of life, not a mere feeling to come and go. It is, as St. Paul briefly expresses it, being cified with Christ," in mind and heart, and temper, and conduct. It is so living that angels observing you may say: "It is not so much he that lives, as Christ that liveth in him." In a word, it is giving up your own will, and resigning yourself to Christ's will in all things.

People will say, of course, they are not such as this: they put in no claim to angelical perfections, nor to perfection like St. Paul's. But before they flatter themselves that even in some tolerable measure they are trying to live in the spirit of Christ's cross, let them compare

their own ways of life with those which they know Christ approved of.

Christ said: "Blessed are the poor in spirit;" and when he was indeed rich (for he was the maker and owner of all things), "for our sakes he became poor." How many of those who profess to hold by his cross follow his example in this respect, really preferring poverty to riches: contented and cheerful in a low estate, and thoroughly convinced that God deals kindly with them in casting their lot among the poor: or if he has given them riches, living evermore in fear of themselves, and drawing back on purpose from many indulgences, that they may be so far like the poor?

Again, Jesus Christ said: "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted:" and his spirit long ago taught that "it is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting." And when we consider the thing, we see plainly, that this is no strange doctrine at all; it is simply saying, that grave thoughts of eternity must be better for an eternal accountable being, than light thoughts of the present hour only. But what says the world in general to this? what say those (and they are many thousands of Christians) who are wholly taken up with the pursuit of pleasure, quite impatient of any interruption in it? They may, for a time, have tender and reverential thoughts of our crucified Savior, when they think of him: but their way of life being in reality a contradiction to the spirit and meaning of his cross, it is much to be feared, and indeed it commonly happens, that these intervals of pious thought become rarer and rarer with them, and the end is, they go on quite at their ease as if they had never heard of the cross at all.

If any one thing be more necessary than another, especially for persons beginning life, it is that they should learn by God's grace to guard against the first beginnings of this profane spirit; and should early accustom themselves to watch and pray, lest while they seem to be indulging only in the natural cheerfulness of youth,

they be in fact conforming to the world, and training themselves to despise Christ crucified.

One sign by which they may try themselves, is the disposition they feel toward self-denial, and toward those who are the great examples of the practice of that most Christian grace. For instance, they read in Holy Scripture of Daniel fasting for the sins of his people, and rewarded by an angelical visit, and a promise from Heaven of the redemption which should be by Christ Jesus: they read of St. John the Baptist, his rude and coarse and poor life in the wilderness: they read of St. Paul keeping under his body, and bringing it into subjection: above all they read of our blessed Savior fasting forty days and forty nights for the purpose, as it should seem, of heavenly contemplation; upon which followed a great triumph over his and our spiritual enemy, and a visit from angels ministering unto him. Christians read of these things in the Scripture; and how do they feel disposed toward them? have they any desire, according to their ability and measure, to imitate the self-denying ways of the holy apostles and prophets, of the baptist, and of our blessed Lord himself? Or do they not rather shrink back from the thought altogether, as something Jewish, and now gone by? Do they not reckon, in some way or another on being good without abstinence and self-denial? Would they not feel a little inclined to ridicule and discourage the attempts of others, if they saw any smitten with the love of Christian discipline, and trying to practise it according to the rules of the church? This is a question, the answer to which may help them to know a good deal of their own disposition to profit by the cross of Christ. If they are unwilling or ashamed to deny themselves a full meal, or a day's amusement, in order to holy mortification, what reason have they, if tribulation or persecution arose, to expect such grace as may keep them from falling away? If they be so unfaithful in that which is least, in the first rudiments of self-denial, who shall give them that which is greatest, a martyr's crown in the kingdom of heaven? Again, you may know a good deal of your own true

mind toward the cross of Christ, by considering how you feel and behave toward the religious scruples of others. For example: there is a great deal of difference between men in respect of the liberties they take in business. Some will make profits, and take advantages, in bargains, from which others draw back, accounting them inconsistent with strict Christian honesty. If any man feel inclined to scorn and slight these latter, as being ridic ulously and strangely scrupulous, knowing little of the world, and the like; this is but a poor token of their temper toward the cross, and those who take it up. So as to speaking the exact truth in conversation; keeping promises punctually, and the like: it is bad enough to fail one's self in those duties; but to scoff or discourage others who attend to them better, is surely a much worse sign.

One very common and very dangerous trial is, when notions and practices, forbidden by God's law and his church, are become customary, under whatever pretence. For example, consider the notion that people may choose their own religion according to their own fancy of what will most edify themselves, and the consequent practice of running after strange teachers, without regard or reverence to the warnings of the church. These things are now become so common, that I suppose it must require some Christian courage, something like taking up the cross, in any one who resolutely sets himself against them on true church pinciples. Surely then, this is a time in which we ought to be much on our guard, how we join in the disrespect and scorn with which the world is sure to treat every opinion or person which it calls bigoted. If there be such a thing as Christian truth, and a Christian church, surely they are to be upheld, and we must cling to them, in spite of any loss of credit, ease, or profit in the world: and to damp any such purpose, and make light of any such sacrifice, is no light error, but rather a mark that the person so judging is one of those, to whom, if he had lived in our Savior's time, the very cross of Christ would have been foolishness.

In this and in all parts of duty, deeds, not words: settled behavior, not passing emotions; a self-denying mind, not an eager feeling of confidence; these are what they must practise, who desire to wait with our Lord's true disciples, round the very foot of the cross, and not to go away, like the mass of the people, just smiting their breasts, and returning to the world and their sins.

And the one great principle to guide and help us in carrying the cross into our daily lives, is that which our Lord himself has given: "Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in his own glory, and his Father's, and of his holy angels."

Remembering this, let us watch ourselves in our several stations more and more carefully; thinking no matter or part of our conduct too trifling to be governed by the rule of the cross. Let it be our happiness, our joy and honor, to live, and if it please God, to die, like true disciples of the crucified Jesus. I do not mean, of course, that we can have such a mind at once, but let us at once set about trying to have it. Let us leave off hiding our faces from what the world dislikes to see; from the poor, the mean, the sickly, the disappointed, from whatever is "despised and rejected of men:" but rather welcome such persons, and wait upon them to the very best of our power, as beholding in them, after a sort so many images and representations of our despised and rejected Savior. Finally, whenever need so requires, let us take up our cross boldly; let us be in the best sense free and independent, steadily persisting that we will judge of our duty by the rules of the gospel and not of the world. Let us fear nothing so much as rude or insincere treatment of the cross. For on our portion in it depends our only hope of escaping eternal ruin.