WE OUGHT TO DENY OURSELVES AND IMITATE CHRIST
THROUGH BEARING THE CROSS
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
MY CHILD, the more you depart from yourself, the more you will
be able to enter into Me. As the giving up of exterior things brings
interior peace, so the forsaking of self unites you to God. I will
have you learn perfect surrender to My will, without contradiction or
complaint.
Follow Me. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Without the
Way, there is no going. Without the Truth, there is no knowing.
Without the Life, there is no living. I am the Way which you must
follow, the Truth which you must believe, the Life for which you must
hope. I am the inviolable Way, the infallible Truth, the unending
Life. I am the Way that is straight, the supreme Truth, the Life that
is true, the blessed, the uncreated Life. If you abide in My Way you
shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free, and you shall
attain life everlasting.
If you wish to enter into life, keep My commandments. If you
will know the truth, believe in Me. If you will be perfect, sell all.
If you will be My disciple, deny yourself. If you will possess the
blessed life, despise this present life. If you will be exalted in
heaven, humble yourself on earth. If you wish to reign with Me, carry
the Cross with Me. For only the servants of the Cross find the life of
blessedness and of true light.
THE DISCIPLE
Lord Jesus, because Your way is narrow and despised by the
world, grant that I may despise the world and imitate You. For the
servant is not greater than his Lord, nor the disciple above the
Master. Let Your servant be trained in Your life, for there is my
salvation and true holiness. Whatever else I read or hear does not
fully refresh or delight me.
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
My child, now that you know these things and have read them
all, happy will you be if you do them. He who has My commandments and
keeps them, he it is that loves Me. And I will love him and will show
Myself to him, and will bring it about that he will sit down with Me
in My Father's Kingdom.
THE DISCIPLE
Lord Jesus, as You have said, so be it, and what You have
promised, let it be my lot to win. I have received the cross, from
Your hand I have received it. I will carry it, carry it even unto
death as You have laid it upon me. Truly, the life of a good religious
man is a cross, but it leads to paradise. We have begun -- we may not
go back, nor may we leave off.
Take courage, brethren, let us go forward together and Jesus
will be with us. For Jesus' sake we have taken this cross. For Jesus'
sake let us persevere with it. He will be our help as He is also our
leader and guide. Behold, our King goes before us and will fight for
us. Let us follow like men. Let no man fear any terrors. Let us be
prepared to meet death valiantly in battle. Let us not suffer our
glory to be blemished by fleeing from the Cross. |
That we ought to deny ourselves, and to imitate
Christ by means of the Cross
My Son, so far as thou art able to go out of
thyself so far shalt thou be able to enter into Me. As to desire no
outward thing worketh internal peace, so the forsaking of self
inwardly joineth unto God. I will that thou learn perfect
self-denial, living in My will without contradiction or complaint.
Follow Me: I am the way, the truth, and the life.(1) Without the way
thou canst not go, without the truth thou canst not know, without the
life thou canst not live. I am the Way which thou oughtest to follow;
the Truth which thou oughtest to believe; the Life which thou oughtest
to hope for. I am the Way unchangeable; the Truth infallible; the
Life everlasting. I am the Way altogether straight, the Truth
supreme, the true Life, the blessed Life, the uncreated Life. If thou
remain in My way thou shalt know the Truth, and the truth shall make
thee free,(2) and thou shalt lay hold on eternal life.
2. "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the
commandments.(3) If thou wilt know the truth, believe in Me. If thou
wilt be perfect, sell all that thou hast. If thou wilt be My
disciple, deny thyself. If thou wouldst possess the blessed life,
despise the life which now is. If thou wilt be exalted in heaven,
humble thyself in the world. If thou wilt reign with Me, bear the
cross with Me; for only the servants of the cross find the way of
blessedness and of true light."
3. O Lord Jesu, forasmuch as Thy life was
straitened and despised by the world, grant unto me to imitate Thee in
despising the world, for the servant is not greater than his lord, nor
the disciple above his master.(4) Let Thy servant be exercised in Thy
life, because there is my salvation and true holiness. Whatsoever I
read or hear besides it, it refresheth me not, nor giveth me delight.
4. "My son, because thou knowest these things and
hast read them all, blessed shalt thou be if thou doest them. He who
hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me, and I
will love him, and will manifest Myself to him,(5) and I will make him
to sit down with Me in My Father's Kingdom."
5. O Lord Jesu, as Thou hast said and promised,
even so let it be unto me, and grant me to prove worthy. I have
received the cross at Thy hand; I have carried it, and will carry it
even unto death, as Thou hast laid it upon me. Truly the life of a
truly devoted servant is a cross, but it leadeth to paradise. I have
begun; I may not return back nor leave it.
6. Come, my brothers, let us together go
forward. Jesus shall be with us. For Jesus' sake have we taken up
this cross, for Jesus' sake let us persevere in the cross. He will be
our helper, who was our Captain and Forerunner. Behold our King
entereth in before us, and He will fight for us. Let us follow
bravely, let no man fear terrors; let us be prepared to die bravely in
battle, and let us not so stain our honour,(6) as to fly from the
cross. |