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"Whosoever, therefore, shall be ashamed of me, of him shall the Son of Man be

ashamed."-MARK viii. 38.

NO CROSS, NO CROWN.

See where the cross of duty stands upright,
Above it shines the Crown with radiant light;
Right in the narrow way the Cross it stands,
And all the space completely it commands;
On either side behold! vast rocks arise,
Expand their width, and reach the topmost skies:
See numbers there, who fain the Crown would have,
But will not touch the Cross their souls to save;
They seek some other way, but 'twill not do
They wander on, and find eternal woe.

But one is seen advancing right ahead,
And like his Lord-the Cross he will not dread ;
Ile takes it up-'tis feathers—nothing more-
He travels onward faster than before

He loves the Cross, nor ever lays it down,
Till he receives instead the starry Crown.

On a gently rising ground, a Cross of somewhat large dimensions is seen to stand erect; above it, and suspended in the air, a bright Crown sparkles with a brilliant light. On both sides of the Cross rocks, vast and precipitous, lift up their tops to the heavens; on either side they extend as far as the eye can reach. Many persons are seen going round the base of the mountain chain; their object appears to be to get the Crown; it is theirs if they will but get it according to the condition proposed. They have been trying to go through the narrow passage, but the wooden cross blocks up the entrance; they never think of moving that, although they try to climb the mountain barrier, which is much more difficult. See! one is now attempting to ascend, but it is all in vain-there is no other way than through the chasm. Away they go, wandering round and round; some are seen falling off a precipice, they are dashed to pieces; other lose themselves among dark labyrinths, and some are torn to pieces by wild beasts. All come to a bad endnot one of them obtains the crown.

One, however, is seen alone, marching up to the terrible Cross; he walks with a firm step. Decision is his name; he goes right up to the Cross, he quickly throws it down-it is only a few inches in the ground; he takes it up, its weight is nothing, for it is hollow. He carries it to the place appointed, lays it down, and receives the glittering Crown, and bears it away in triumph.

By the Cross here is signified religious duties; by the Crown— immortality in heaven; those who pass by the Cross and wander round the wall, represent those who think of heaven, but neglect duty; the man who boldly takes up the Cross represents the faithful Christian. Many persons think about heaven, who, alas! will never arrive there;nay, they do more, they actually set out for it—perhaps make a profession of religion; they do not like the idea of being lost; submit to a partial reformation, and make an approach toward the performance of religious duties. They just obtain a sight of them, and they are frightened; this is the Cross. What isthere in the Cross so dreadful! Let us see. Of all who present themselves as candidates for heaven, it is required that they become poor in spirit

humble as a little child-penitent for sin-"perfect and pure, as as He is pure"-that they do deny self-crucify the flesh-mortify the body-subdue inordinate desires-set the affections on things above-hunger and thirst after righteousness-forgive enemies submit to persecution for Christ's sake-exercise a constant watchfulness over themselves, and against the world and the devil. The hand, if it offends, must be cut off-the eye plucked out.

They are told of the strait gate-the narrow way—the yokethe burden-the race-the warfare, &c. Yea, the whole man is to be brought under new influences, governed by new principles, and to live for new ends. Self-denial, self discipline, and self-conquest, are made indispensable pre-requisites for the kingdom of Heaven. This is the Cross, it stands in the path of life; to proceed, it must be embraced. Christ is "the way" to God. His atonement, example, doctrines, commandments-there is no other way, there can be no other-a wall of adamant, wide as earth, high as heaven, meets us in our attempts to find one; on which stands inscribed in letters of light, "He that entereth not by the door, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."

Religious duties are irksome and disagreeable to the carnal mind -to the unconverted; it is their nature to be so. By them a man may know what he is, whether he is converted or not; the Cross is a mirror. Religious duties are imposed, not that by performing we may earn a title to heaven, but because they are necessary for the purification of our moral nature, through the grace of Christ, that we may become meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light. To neglect the Cross is to neglect all; it is to go to the feast without the wedding garment; it is to go forth to meet the bridegroom without light, and without oil in our vessels.

We may substitute something else for the Cross; such as morality, philosophy, or even works of painful penanoe. It will be all vain; as long as we continue unwashed, unjustified, unsanctified, we are unsafe-in momentary danger of hell fire. There is no neutrality in this war. In revolutions of States and Empires, those who do not take up arms against the foe are deemed enemies; it is so here. He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." This is the conclusion of the whole matter. When Christ comes to judge the world, all who will not now take up the Cross will be regarded as enemies; instead of the Crown they will have the curse; instead of Heaven, everlasting fire with the Devil and his angels.

Hence it is that so many "draw back to perdition." Ignorant of the great principles of religion, of its power to save, they wear it as a cloak to hide the deformity within; so inadequate are their conceptions of its excellency, that they will not sacrifice a single lust, a momentary gratification, one darling idol, to ensure the "eternal weight of glory" which it promises.

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"No Cross no Crown!" Some of the early disciples of the great Messiah, when the spiritual nature of Christianity was presented to them, were offended." Their carnal stomachs loathed "the bread which came down from heaven." Companions of the world, they rejected the "fellowship with the Father, and with the Son, Jesus Christ; " the Cross displeased them; and with their own hands they inscribed their names with those "who, having put their hand to the plough looked back, and so became unfit for the kingdom of God." "No Cross, no Crown!" See! that young man running toward the great Teacher; what can he want with Him? He is a noble man, a ruler of the Jews. Strange sight, indeed, to see! A ruler of the Jews running after, the despised Galilean. What is his business? He inquires about the way to heaven; he seems a good deal in earnest; he runs, and kneels at the Saviour's feet; listen to him. O, says he, "What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" "Take up the Cross, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven," said the Saviour, as He looked kindly upon him. The young man looks "sad," he is " sad," and 'tis a "sad" sight to see. He wants the "treasure in heaven." But he won't take up the Cross, and they go together; God has joined them, and what God has joined no man can put asunder. He looks at the Saviour again inquiringly, as much as to say, "Is there no other way?" The Saviour understands him; He points him to the Cross again, saying, "Except a man deny himself, and take up his Cross, he cannot be my disciple." Fearful crisis, what will he do? The Saviour is looking at him-the disciples-the multitude standing around-God-the holy angels-glorified spirits-all are lookingyea, hell is looking on this spectacle. What is the issue? O, dreadful infatuation; "heaven that hour let fall a tear." He who knew the commandments by heart, and who had kept them from his youth up-he turns his back on Christ and heaven, and goes away "sorrowful," to be yet more "sorrowful" long as eternal ages roll.

Have the Cross and have the Crown. Look again at that young man walking boldly up to the Cross; he lays hold of it exclaiming,

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"When I am weak then am I strong; I can do all things through Christ strengthening me. He finds it "easy" and "light," pleasant and delightful; he bears it faithfully in palaces and in prisons-in the wilderness and in the city-on the sea and on the land-among Jew and Greek-Barbarian and Scythian-Bond and Free-every where exclaiming as he goes,, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," and having carried it the appointed time lays it at the Saviour's feet, singing triumphantly:

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