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I. THE CROSS IS ORDINARILY THE LOT OF CHRISTIANS. Persecution and troubles have always attended the people of God. And the reasons of it are evident.

1. The malice of Satan, who knowing himself to be cast off by God, he hates God with an implacable hatred; and since the Lord is above the reach of his malice, he falls upon those who are dearest to Him, the people of God.

2. The enmity of the world. The world would be sure to cross, to afflict and persecute what it hates; and the disciples of Christ are hated by the world (John 15:19). Not only that part of the world which evidently lies in wickedness, but the more refined part of it which dresseth up itself in a form of godliness. Those who have no more but the form, hate those that haw the power, because this is a real reproof and conviction of the vanity and insufficiency of outward forms, how specious soever; and that which detects them is hated by them (1 John 5:19).

3. There is a necessity of the cross upon a manifold account.

(1) To distinguish true disciples from hypocrites and pretenders. When Christ may be professed and followed with ease, and safety, and credit, multitudes will follow Him, every man will profess Him whose hearts are not with Him. But when the cross comes, that makes a distinction.

(2) To try His disciples, that He may have an experiment of their affection and faithfulness to Him: "Who is on my side? Who?" says Jehu (2 Kings 9:33). So says Christ, when He brings out the cross; let Me now see who is for Me, let Me see who it is that will bear the cross for Me.

(3) For the advantage of grace. A Christian is not complete unless he have on his whole armour; and it is the cross puts us upon putting of it on; it would lie rusting by us, if we were not roused to the use of it by the frequent approaches of the cross.

(4) To take us off from the world. The cross embitters the world to us, and confutes those vain conceits which make us fond of it. The vizard falls off by which it had deluded us, and now we may perceive what aa impostor it was, when, for all its fair promises, we meet with nothing but vanity, and enmity, and vexation, and hard usage. And will it not seem lovely? Or can we doat on it any longer? The cross lets us not only see, but feel what the world is.

(5) To tame the flesh, and keep it under, which otherwise would grow headstrong, and bear down all the restraints of grace, and hurry us into carnal excess — "Every branch that beareth fruit He purgeth it" (John 15.). He lops off the luxuriances of natural corruption. And how is this done? Why, a sharp cross will be effectual to do it, when the Lord takes it into His hand and useth it for this purpose!

(6) To endear heaven to us. The ark was more acceptable to Noah's dove when she found no rest to the soles of her feet on the face of the earth.

II. A CHRISTIAN CANNOT ORDINARILY AVOID THE CROSS WITHOUT SINNING AGAINST CHRIST.

III. HE THAT WILL ORDINARILY SIN AGAINST CHRIST TO AVOID THE CROSS, CANNOT BE A CHRISTIAN. This being proved, it will appear an evident truth, that he that doth not, will not, bear the cross, is not, cannot be a Christian.

(D. Clarkson, B. D.)

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KJV: And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

WEB: Whoever doesn't bear his own cross, and come after me, can't be my disciple.