Changing the crosses and winning the crown

Front matter

J LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. ♦ I

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CHAPTER I. In the mansions of heaven

We shall find rest Seek the road

That leadeth there ; and remember

The Cross and the Crown :

It is the cross-bearer that shall be crowned.

In the mansions of heaven The crosses will cease. Let us carry them Faithfully till there we have reached ; Then in harmony with angels bright We shall find they will welcome us Into our rest.

A T Nature's beautiful shrine we stoop to -^ ^ gather flowers to adorn the cross we wish to carry ; but there is one who bids us lo Changing the Crosses

come unto Him, and take up our cross daily and follow in his footsteps ; and He invites all to come that are weary and heavy-laden, and says, '' I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me ;" ^' for my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

These, my dear reader, are the words of our blessed Master, w^ho bids us come to Him and change crosses. He knew that no one could find heaven by carr^nng a cross of flowers. No; we must lay it down and take up the one that our Saviour offers, and that will be the chosen of God for every child that wishes to go to that beautiful heaven which St. Paul speaks of, " the glory of which never entered into man's heart to conceive." We must listen to what the Saviour -has said when He bids us all come unto him, — He that w^as meek and lowly of heart.

And that we may exchange crosses with our Saviour, we must first be w^illing to take up the cross that comes daily, and not be troubled what kind of a cross it is. We children of earth desire to carry crosses that have no wreaths of sorrow around them, and we desire to adorn them with all that would make our life happy. But such crosses wull not lead us in the w^ay to heaven. Let us consider well what we have to do as cross-bearers, journeying that way, — the way to the city of peace, where dwell the holy ones, the redeemed of earth, who are spoken of in Revelation, vii. 14, as having come out of great tribulation.

As I am one of the cross-bearers of the exchanged cross, I will, in the first place, inform you that I once loved to carry the cross of flowers; but its beauty faded, and I am thankful to God that He showed me the difference between the two crosses ; and I wish you to become acquainted with the nature and quality of each.

In the first place, let me carry you to one of the heights of earthly delights before we descend together into the garden of sorrow, and there learn how to reach the summit of heavenly blessedness. Then I shall invite you to sit with me in misfortune's shade, for I shall have words to say which may prove useful to you in your own subsequent experience ; but first we will go in our thoughts, if you will follow me, in the past when I carried the flowery cross. Not a withered blossom was on its breast. It was adorned with the choicest flowers ; its name was that of love's token of uninterrupted joys and worldly happiness of every kind.

I thought that those flowers could never wither; but oh, when they commenced to be wet with sorrow's dew, then I saw the leaves shrivel up and the blossoms droop, as a token that they were dying with sorrow and blighted hopes! Then I thought this. cross I cannot bear any more with comfort ; all is so dark and desolate within and without; another I must have to console my woe. But, as I sought for another, and again for another, I found that all had their thorns and thistles among the flowers ; and so, at last, a voice spoke to my saddened heart, *^ Seek not to cull the flowers of earth ; stoop not to pluck them ; for they will all wither, and the garlands that you have twined for their adornment will only whisper sadness in their fragrance. But come and follow me. I will lead you in ways that shall enrapture your soul ; and then in heavenly harmony you shall find angels that will show you the garden of Paradise, where the cross-bearers of earth's flowery crosses can exchange them for the beautiful flowers of heaven, that grow by the clear streams of Paradise, and invite every wayfaring child of earth to come up higher and higher, to see their beauty.''

Oh, there is beauty unspeakable and full of glory, to which you are invited ! You must learn how all things work together for good, even if your cross seem heavy. Remember, that there was One who suffered and died that you might be saved, if you will follow in his footsteps, lie speaks to you in tender tones, '' Come, follow me ;" and He will lead 2 you to streams of living purity, where you shall taste the delights of the upper sanctuary.

Dear reader, we are to mount the summit of perfection by going through sorrow's gar-* den, and there pluck the immortal flowers that grow by the wayside of despair, suffering disappointments of numerous kinds. To this all are invited who w^ish to become bearers of the cross that our Saviour offers.

Oh, come, ye children of earth, and let this console you, that peace shall be your portion; for the Master said, '* My peace I give unto you ; not as the world giveth give I unto you." "And I shall pray my Father for you, that your faith shall not fail." So we have one that has shown us how we are to reach that heaven of peace where dwell the righteous of the Lord.

And now, as we give ourselves up to follow the Master, we shall be guided and protected into a pure and holy way, for He assures us that He is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

Now, if we make up our minds to follow Him wheresoever He goeth, we shall find that we are in the way that leadeth to heaven. He also said, " I am the Light of the world." And if we follow that Light, we cannot walk in darkness. We must be willing to accept his precepts, and to bid farewell to all the flowery crosses of earth, remembering that we have set out for heaven, and if we have no cross we cannot have the crown ; and the greater the cross, the brighter will be the crown. May we be able, as we pass through this earth's weary pilgrimage, to learn the lessons of redeeming love, that we may not only be purified from sin ourselves, but be able to purify each other, feeling that we have a duty to perform to our neighbor as well as to ourself ; and, like our Saviour, may we be able to say, *^ My yoke is easy and my burden is light !'* He said, " I come to do the will of my Father ;" and we are his friends if we do whatsoever He commanded us.

We have all a duty to perform to each other, to ourselves, and to our God. But we must, first of all, take up our cross daily, and follow the Saviour; we must be pure in heart, pure in mind, and give up all that corrupts soul and body, feeling that, without holiness, " no one shall see God."

May you, my readers, all feel in unison with me in thinking it is delightful to ascend the mount of God, even if it leads through sorrow's garden. We must not forget the garden and the cross. The cross is reared in sorrow's garden, in harmony with the divine teaching, and we shall all find that it is heavy, unless we do the will of the Master, who has carried it before us, to cheer and brighten our way by his divine example. He says, " Ye cannot be my disciples except ye keep my commandments ;" '' He it is that loveth me who loveth his brother." And by this w^e know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. '' He that loveth not his brother abideth in death." Now it is not sufficient that we carry our own crosses, but we have to help to carry those of others also. He says, " Love one another, as I have loved you."

" In my Father's house are many mansions ; if it were not so I should have told you." We are to prepare our hearts and make them ready for the holy ones to dwell in, so that the Father and the Son can come and take up their abode in them. We must be willing to be regenerated, and free from all that pollutes the soul and the body ; and thus our hearts will become fit temples for the holy ones to dwell in. Love one another, and so fulfill the whole law of Christ, as it reads in Galatians, v. 14. We are to look to God for wisdom in all that pertains to our own and others' temporal and spiritual welfare. Thus we fulfill the whole law.

How different modern Christianity is in comparison with that of Christ and the Apostles! He says, " If ye love me, keep my commandments, and teach men to do likewise." That shows to us that we must not only keep 2* them ourselves, but we must impart them to others also. Therefore, those who do not keep the Master's command must commence in earnest, and for their very lives, while time is given them to accept the offer of mercy. Work while it is day, for the night Cometh, when no man can work ; plant and sow in the right time the heavenly seeds of his teaching, in the garden of your heart, that every day you live you may have fruit to the glory of God, to show to the world that the seed has taken root. Christ said, " In this is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit." John, XV. 8. So we must all in unison try to be true followers of Christ, and take up his cross daily, that we may be faithful witnesses of his suffering, remembering that if we do not suffer with Him we cannot reign with Him. This is a very different path to that of walking on roses and carrying the flowery cross. Let us be faithful to our high calling in Jesus Christ, and neither look to right nor left for any worldly comfort ; but march forand Winnmg the Crown. 19

ward to the mark of perfection, realizing that there is a prize to be gained, and only as we can lay down the attire of worldliness and worldly pleasures, putting on the armor of God and fighting manfully to establish the household of God, can we help to form the kingdom of heaven upon earth as it is in heaven.

Has it ever occurred to you who read these pages how God's kingdom is to be established upon the earth, and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven ? Heaven's first law is order ; that is, we must recognize that we are living under the laws of heaven, although man in his ignorance does not realize the laws that govern his inner nature ; but when he desires to do good, evil is present. We ought to live to elevate our better nature, and we must be willing to become what our Saviour has commanded us to be. We shall be, as He says, '' his friends," if we do whatsoever He has told us to do.

In order that we may learn to know his

20 Changhig the Crosses

teachings fully, we must do as He said, " Search the Scriptures," for they do testify of Him ; and we must feel that we are compelled to take up his life in our life to be his true followers. He never set forth in his teachings that we should have nothing to do but think of Him and . call upon his name. He says, Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Matthew, vii. 21. He says, also, ** I came to do the will of Him that sent me, and ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I have commanded you."

We cannot be his chosen disciples if we do not follow the Saviour. We ought to fall so in love with the character of Christ that we shall have it for our daily meditation, exclaiming, from our innermost soul, like the man spoken of in the Word (Luke, ix. 57, 58), who was so in love with Christ that he said, " Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest." To this Christ answered, '' Foxes have holes,' and birds of the air have nests ; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." This, perhaps, will be our portion if we, like that man, desire to follow the Master. But let us remember that we are, all of us here below, only on a journey, and soon the weary pilgrimage shall be over ; and then it is well to have laid up treasures where neither rust nor moth destroy. Let us be of the number that do not live for this world ; but while we live in it let us make right use of it, and seek out the poor, the destitute, that have no homes nor any comforts on their journey, and carry to them the glad tidings of redeeming love, and help those who are in need.

Christ knew that his followers could not have much of this world's goods, because if we wish to carry the same cross that He did, we must sympathize with each other, and distribute our goods to each other as the suffering stand in need of them. Acts, ii. 45.

Dear reader, what does it matter for the little time we are here on this earth, even if we should be deprived of all worldly enjoyments ? Let us try in earnest, and see how near we can come into those steps that we are commanded to follow. Remember, it is impossible to walk in the footsteps of our Saviour if we are not willing to carry the cross, for surely there is a cross for us to bear all the' way through life. But when we think that He, whose every breath was human love, tells us to follow, can you hesitate to obey the command and willingly to lay down your flowery cross and exchange it for the one He offers ? Oh, could we all realize how glorious it is to be a true cross-bearer of our Saviour, and feel his holy spirit whispering to us, " Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world," how unspeakably blessed would be our lot both here and hereafter !

He said, " In the world ye shall have tribulation ; but in me ye shall have peace.*'

Oh, that peace on our pilgrimage that soothes every troubled wave in our breast and leaves a quiet calm ! This is what we need. Without this we cannot bear up under the heavy crosses of life that we have to carry ; but if we are willing, we shall find that we are not alone on our pilgrimage ; for Christ said, when He left his Apostles, that it was expedient that He should go ; for if He did not go, the Comforter would not come. And mark what follows. When He comes '^He will guide you into all truth;" "He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak, and He will show you things to come.'' Now, let us look at these words, written in John, xvi., and see if we can gain any light to our understanding.

It appears that this Comforter, the spirit of truth that Christ spake about as to come, is something more besides the Legacy, that is to say, the Word, that was left for our instruction. As He said, there is another spirit to come, even the spirit of truth, to each one of us, and He is to declare what He hears, and guide us into all truth. This opens a new channel through which we are to discover the hidden things of God. He will speak to us of what He hears, and that will be truth, because Christ said we should be led into all truth, through this spirit. Now% let us reflect upon the remarks presented, and learn what our Saviour says. It " was expedient that He should go, otherwise this spirit could not come." ''And when He comes He shall reprove the world of sin, because He went to the Father." Now, this holy spirit, the spirit of truth, that is to accomplish this mighty work in us, is that spirit that vibrates through the whole angelic host ; and as we become imbued with this spirit, we can enter into rapport with those holy ministering spirits which we read of in Hebrews, i. 14; ii. 15, "that is sent to minister unto them who shall be heirs of salvation," and Psalm xci.: ''The great God has given his angels charge over us, to keep us in all our ways, and hold us up in their hands." And the whole Bible speaks in its records of such visitations to mortals. These good and holy ones will lead us every moment of our life, if we will be led and guided by them. The Word declares that " they are sent to minister to those that shall be heirs of salvation ;" " And how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation ?" We are to give heed to all this, not to make light of it, and shut the door on these glorious lights that were sent by the Father to come and guide mortals in the way they are to go. And if we ourselves cannot comprehend how we are to be guided by these ministering spirits that are to bear witness of Christ, let us see and learn of those that have the gift to understand what they bear to us in their sacred mission. Christ had angels ministering to Him ; and should we be above their ministration, when He that was perfect needed their presence ? May God help us to comprehend the Father's love towards us all, who says He has sent his angels to lead us in our ways!

Now, we, all of us, need to feel in our innermost, if not gifted with outward vision, that those angels guard us ; and, as the Word teaches, " There is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance." Let us look at this in its true light. It shows us that angels know all that befall sinners on their journey of life ; and we can see, or ought to see by this, how necessary it is so to live and act that we can have them for our company, and know they have joy in their heavenly mansions because a sinner has repented.

Oh, friends, let us have this picture continually before our eyes, — the changed cross ; for by this change only can we cause joy in heaven. How necessary, then, it is for us to cease sinning, and try to live a life of purity, that we may blend with those heavenly inhabitants that visit us daily, watching over us for our welfare, surrounding our dwellings, that the destroyer cannot come near unto us ! But this can only be as we desire above everything to be pure, perfect, and holy in all things : then those heavenly guards can visit us. But if we, on the other hand, live a life of sin and abomination, contrary to the life and teachings of Christ, then we cannot expect that we can attract those heavenly messengers ; but, instead, we draw evil spirits, that pollute us with vices of every kind, and establish themselves within us until they become the rulers of our lives.

I speak as one having some authority in these matters, for I am not unacquainted with the vices and plans of the destroyer, and how he seeks to entrap the soul through human agency ; but I have tasted of life's bitter cup, and I can assure you it pays you, even while in earth-life, to set out to be a Christian.

Out of evil Cometh good; so we must never think there is no help for us; neither that God is so merciful that it does not matter how we live, or that Christ died for us, and all will be right. This reasoning will not do for a man's salvation. We read in Phil. ii. 12, 21, that we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling; seeking the things which are Jesus Christ's, and walking after the pattern set before us of Him. This is what we have to do while traveling through this pilgrimage, if we would gain heaven. Who would like to live always away from heaven, — that beautiful home ? Let us reason, and see how great God's love is to us. He has given us all that we need on this earth ; everything grows for food and raiment for the body. All things are provided by a kind and loving Father, who says, "If your earthly father and mother forsake you, I will take you up." Oh, let us not forget to lift up our hearts to this Father ; and each time that we share the bounties of his love in food, drink, or raiment, or anything that is supplied to the needs either of body or soul, let us not be ashamed, as so many are in this day of general unbelief, to thank Him for his bounties. He tells us that we must not take any thought for toaitd Winning the Crown. 29

morrow, for to-morrow will take care of itself; and He has taught us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all the rest shall be given unto us.

This, no doubt, seems strange to many, but nevertheless it is true, that if we use the faculties for our support that God has given to us, we shall have what we need. And if the day sometimes seems cloudy, as though his countenance was withdrawn, and seemingly He had forgotten us, let us remember that He hides Himself only for a season, and at such times there will be a trial of our faith. But no one has ever yet been confounded that put his trust in the Lord. He is a safe refuge, if we live in his laws and follow in his precepts. We can never have a better friend, for He is a friend at all times and under all circumstances, and to love Him we must enter into communion with Him, as a child with a kind father. He will hear us, if we come in the right way.

3* m

When we first awake in the morning, we are to think of our heavenly Father, and pray to Him, that He will keep us from sinning, and make us pure in heart, that all our dealings may please Him. And then we must also remember that we have a duty to our fellow-men who travel with us through this pilgrimage. They need a consoler as well as ourselves. Let us speak words of cheer to each other; and may we feel that life thereby is made better. And, as the Word teaches in I. John, iv. 20, " He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen ?" So, however poor, sinful, and degraded, let us, as far as we can, get rid of our own sins, — pride and corruption ; try to be the ones to redeem, comfort, and help each other while we are on the way, that we may all become a purified band of Christ's followers, and our Father may say to us at the journey's end, " These are my beloved sons and daughters, in whom I am well pleased !"

Chapter II

If with thorns and thistles Thy pathway be strewed, Remember the walks of Paradise Are strewed with flowers.

'^ I ^O this thorny road we will, in the first ^ place, direct our attention; and, as we travel on its piercing thorns, we must remember that we form blpssoms of heavenly beauty to adorn the path of Paradise. None can enter in there on those glorious walks without first having trod among the thistles of the earth.

Let us see what those thistles consist of. We are wandering hither and thither, seeking life's flower-strewed path. But here we must say with the Psalmist, ** All is vanity and vexation of spirit ;" and mortals cannot find them as lasting roads. Those of you that are destined to heaven must carry the cross, and often a heavy one ; not of rare beauties, but such as the most of us would shrink from. Dear friends, as you commence to be cross - bearers of the cross that Christ offers, you must look to God, from whence cometh our help, and remember that He has promised that He will never forsake us, but be with us to the end. We shall find, in so doing, that we shall have sufificient strength to carry our crosses ; and if thorns and thistles pierce our feet while here in this valley of grief, and often, as though the weary traveler were enwrapped with the clouds of affliction, let us remember there will be sunrise of joy on resurrection morning. So, if life is ever so cheerless, let us not be discouraged or downhearted, but make up our minds to this effect, that if the whole of life's pathway should be strewn with thorns and thistles, we will carry our crosses, God and his holy angels that are sent helping us. To this we must try to say,

Amen, and march forward, remembering that there is a prize to be gained.

Heaven rejoices over every traveler that has set out for the celestial city, — the place of the living God, where dwell the faithful children of the Most High. May we be able to reach that holy place of uninterrupted happiness! To be able to reach that place, we must give up all that bewilders the senses with the pride of the flesh and lust of the eye, — desiring nothing higher than to be endowed with purity of heart; longing after nothing but what will make us heavenly and divine.

If these be our wishes, we shall be helped and assisted, and be able, as the Word teaches, to work out our own salvation.

Angels help us, because they are sent from our Father to teach us ; and if we only try to live a pure, holy, and sacrificing life, they will help us in all that pertains to our true happiness in this life and the life to come.

We are their pupils, because God has, as we read in Heb. i. 14, sent them to minister to those that shall be heirs of salvation, and to hold us up in all our ways. And if we desire to be like angels, and dwell with them eternally, we shall have a crown on our forehead and a palm of victory in our hands.

Oh, dear reader, is this not worth while carr>^ing the cross for a little longer, and then in rapturous delight enjoy such a heaven of bliss for evermore ?

To this you are invited, and for this purpose the angels are sent to teach you and beckon you heavenw^ard, — to come home ; and, while on earth, to prepare for that home. Yes, let us give more earnest heed to the things spoken of by angels, that when the time comes we can lay down our crosses and take up the crown and the palm. May we be the blessed souls that have followed the teachings of those that have been sent to us for our instruction ; and then be able, in unison with them, to celebrate the joys in heaven over sinners that have repented; and may each one of us feel that we belong to that number that have gained redemption through the repentance from sin. Hoping, my reader, that we all may have a desire to live a pure life, free from sin, and advance towards perfection until we have given up all that is contrary to the laws and statutes of God.

It is necessary that we should drink of life's bitter cup ; for if we have not tasted of its bitterness, how can we realize Christ's sayings to those in St. Mark, x. 38, who ask of Him to have it granted unto them to sit with Him in his glory ? To which He answered them, " Ye know not what ye ask. Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with ?" And they answered Him, " We can.'' Then Jesus said unto them, " Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized."