and dying, left his wealth to his two fons, Stultus and Effufio. Stultus had in a little time to be placed under guardians, who spent his money for their own pleasures. Effufio fquandered his patrimony in riotous living, and died in a lunatic afylum.

"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his crofs and follow me."-MATT. xvi. 24.

THE CROSS-BEARER.

Dear reader, o'er this facred emblem pause,
And view the Chriftian bearing up his cross;
Nor fteep afcent, nor roughness of the way,
E'er makes him halt, or turns his feet aftray:
Should he in weaknefs think to lay it down,
His ftrength increafes when he fees the crown;
His foul enkindles at the glorious fight,
His yoke's more eafy, and his cross more light.
The Crofs all hallowed, is the Chriftian's boaft-
His WATCHWORD, fighting at his arduous poft-
His true infignia as he glides along,

Confpicuous, through the pleasure-loving throng; His royal paffport, fanctioned by the skies, By which he triumphs, and fecures the prize. BEHOLD here the Chriftian bearing up manfully under his crofs. It is a glorious fight. You fee him going with his crofs up the difficult mountain paffes, as well as along the fmooth and

flowery plain. View the crown! It is feen in the diftance. Sometimes the clouds gather around it; in general, however, to the cross-bearer the sky is clear; he can discover the crown glittering in its beauty.

The young Chriftian will know what this means fpiritually. It is not of the Saviour's cross but of the Chriftian's own proper cross, that we now speak. What is it to bear the cross? To bear the cross always, is to do right always. It is no less than to fulfil the high commands of the Saviour, under all circumftances. It is to deny, control, and conquer felf. It is to watch, pray, and by divine meditation, have conftant hold upon Christ. It is to glorify God before men by a holy walk and converfation; forgiving enemies, loving all men, aiming to do them good bodily and fpiritually-in a word, it is to follow Christ as far as the difciple can follow his Lord, in piety toward God, in benevolence toward man. When Peter exclaimed, "I know not the man," he laid down his crofs. When Paul declared, “I am ready, not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerufalem for the name of the Lord Jefus," he expreffed his willingness to take up his cross, and his delight therein.

The Chriftian's proper work is to bear the crofs. This is his calling, his trade, or profeffion. It is the bufinefs of a watchmaker to make watches; it is the business of the Chriftian to bear the cross as above, at home, abroad, in the fhop, in the ftore, in the market place, or in the

field. By reason of corruption within, of oppofition without, of the malice of the wicked one, the burden is fometimes a heavy one, but ftrength will increase by practice. He has many difcouragements, many folicitations to lay it afide. It fometimes preffes heavily upon him, but the fight of the crown inspires him with fresh vigour, he glows, and bounds along the heavenly road. By the cross, i. e., by his conduct, the Chriftian is diftinguished from the lover of the world. While he bears the crofs, the crofs will bear him. It will guide him through labyrinths of darkness. As a fhield, it will protect him in dangerous conflicts.

Among the Romans, criminals about to be crucified were compelled to bear their own cross to the place of execution; but the Christian bears his to the place of triumph. If it fhould prove at any time fo heavy as to crush him down to death, as did Stephen's, like him he beholds the heavens opened, the King in his beauty, and the crown of celeftial glory. He comes off more

than a conqueror.

"O may I triumph fo, when all my conflict's past, And dying, find my latest foe under my feet at last."

Who fuffer with our Mafter here,
We shall before his face appear,
And by his fide fit down;
To patient faith the prize is fure;
And all that to the end endure

The cross, fhall wear the crown.

In hope of that ecftatic pause,
Jefus, we now fuftain the crofs,
And at thy footstool fall;
Till thou our hidden life reveal,
Till thou our ravish'd spirits fill,
And God is All in All.