The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-01-15

me, SalQ Jesus, let MIN deny
himself, and take up his cross.
and follow me" Jesus makes |
the duty of denying self an essential |
requisite of Christian discipleship. A |
man cannot be follower of Jesus I'M |
less he denies himself, or. as the Greek
term indicates, denies himself utterly |
The requirement is not the denial of
anything, either little or much, to self,
but the utter denial or salf-a too oft
en- unrecognized difference.
AS the term stands in the Greek.
the Injunction of our Lord to his ev-
cry disciple, to deny himself in
cludes the idea of turning ones self
away from ones self, of rejecting
self as the desire of self 1t suggests
the thought of two centers-self and
Christie one to be denied and the
other to be accepted as an object OF
attraction and devotedness. Its use
In the original seems to say: IF you
would turn toward me, you must turn
| away from yourself If you would ac-
cept me as the chief object of desire,
you must renounce yourself as such
| an object. If you would henceforward
| live in my service, you must at once
cease to live for your own pleasure
and interest"
Real Meaning of the Summons.
1t does not directly enjoin the sup
preston of self, or the overcoming
or self, or the constant battling with
self; but it calls to the turning away
from seff, the ceasing to live for self.
the practical ignoring or forgetting of
self as q center of interest and as an
/ object of desire. Self-denial is self
ignoring in hearty self-surrender.
In every instance in which our Lord
spoke of taking up the cross, or OF
bearing the cross as test of disciple
ship, he used the term in the sense oil
voluntary life-surrender. The disciple
of Christ must put his life at the dis
posal of Christ; he must do as Christ
would have him do, rather than as he
might personally prefer to do. He
must live and move and be as one
whose life is no longer at his own dis
posal. This must be his new thought
with each new day, and it must con
troll his every act and word and pur
pose. Not the suffering that might &C
company crucifxion, but the surrende
of life even to crucifixion for Christi
sake, was signif1ed and symbolized il
bearing the cross, as Lord enjoined
Just here is where the convention
al meaning of the term "cross-beal
ing differs so widely from its biol
cal meaning A cross" is no longe
: understood to be a stake, gibbe'
: or a gallows; but it includes anythin
: that crosses, or thwarts, or vexes, o
' tries US, in our daily life-path; henc
= the bearing of cross is now (mistai
, anly) supposed to be the bearing @
> enduring OF trials and sufferings, petit
> or great, for Christ's sake.
Only Real Crosse
There is no such thing as "littl
q crosses" in ones daily life course. a
II though one often hears such thing
e spoken of. If cross is cross at
# it is big enough to hang on. to die o.
a il it is not large enough for that.
"a is not a cross In the Bible sense
"a 1t is true that cross-bearing, as
Il SYNONYM of voluntary life-surrende
" includes whatever OF suffering. or
le trial-enduring, or of personal privatio
sr may come to one as disciple OF Il
n Lord Jesus Christ; but 1t is not tn
that the essential thing in cross-bea
IL ing is suffering, or trial-enduring,
D. personal privation. for Christs SAX
" Cross-bearing is the signifying of one
As readiness to live or to- die in Christ
ID service. with or without suffering
le the duty Of the hour may require.
TT Sunday School Times