The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 147

coneoienoe answere, "H ie wrong," then we must take part with conscience, which bears in itself tho evidence of authority, and deny that lower self which would dietnrb the harmony of our nature by usurping the position of comU1and which does not belong to it. The precopt is one of paramount importance. The Lord repeats it, translating it now into the distinctive languaue of Christianity," Let him take up his cross." He had used those words once already (eh. x. 38). It was long, probably, before the apostles under- stood them. We know their meaning now. The cross was a thing of horror once; but the exceeding great love of our Master and only Saviour Jesus Christ has shed 11, halo of rosplendent light around the tree of shame. The word has changed its meaning; it has become a name for the noblest self-denial, the most Divine self- sacrifice. Not all acts of self-denial are a bearing of the cross, but only those which spring out of faith in Christ, and radiate from the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. He taketh up his cross who denies himse!C daily in the faith of Christ, and for the sake of Christ, seeking only to please him and to be made more and more like unto him. Such acts of holy self-denial are taken up, eo to speak, into the one great act of holiest self. sacrifice, and become parts of it (Col. i. 24), and derive their beauty and glory from the reflected glory of the Saviour's cross. Such faithful Christians, whom the strong wish to come after Christ urges with ever-growing earnestness to take up their cross daily, will follow him who bore the cross for them along the narrow way till they appear, sealed with the seal of the living God upon their foreheads, before the glory-throne. 2. The true life. The wish which is centred in this present life is opposed to the Christian wish to come after Christ. When the heart is set upon the things of this- life, comfort, station, wealth, and such-like, it loses sight of Christ, who is the Life of men. Therefore he who willeth, whose set purpose is, to save this life, with all its treasures, must lose the true Life, which is Christ. For the Lord died upon the cross_ His first followers shrank not from the death of martyrdom for his sake. All true Christians must have the martyr-spirit; they must be martyrs in will ; they must be willing, if need be, to lose all earthly things, even life itself, for Christ's sake. The dlrd gave himself for us. He asks for our whole self in return. We must keep nothing back, or we shall lose the true life, which is the life in Chris~ternal life, Christ himself. And if this is lost, all is lost. Nothing can compensate a ma.n for the loss of the true life. No gain, not even the gain of the whole world, if it were possible, can balance that tremendous loss. For the loss is real, but the gain illusory. A man. may seem to gain all that the world prizes; but if with that gain the true life is lost, there is no true joy, no brightness, no abiding gladness. And a.ll that was gained, though it seemed like all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, must. vanish in a moment when the years come to an end as it were a ta.lo that is told. Then what shall a man give in exchange for his life, when the true life is lost, and only that life, which is living death, remains? What shall a man give then, when he bath naught to give; when hie riches, and hie knowledge, and his strength, and his earthly rank, and the time given him for working out his own salvation, and all his opportunities of serving God and doing the work which God had given him to do, ho.va passed away for ever ;-when all these things have fallen away from him and left him all desolate and alone, a poor soul, helpless and destitute, realizing, when it is too late, the bitter truth that it is in the sight of God wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked-what shall a man give then? Let him leam to give now-to giv11 his heart, and, with his heart, his time, his labour, his prayers, his earthly goods. It ie a poor gift at the best; but if it is given in faith and love, it is !en t unto the Lord, and the Lord will repay with large increase in the great day of account. We are unprofitable servants; the best of us only do what is our bounden duty; we only give him what is his own. But he is pleased in his gracious condescension to accept this poor service of ours, and to give us in return that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, that eternal life which is the gift of God. 3. The end. "The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with bis angels." He is the Son of ma.n in virtue of his incarnation; but in hie essential Being he is God, equal with the Father as touching hie Godhead. 'l'he Father's glory is his; the angels of God are his angels, for "all things that the Father hath are mine" (John xvi. 15). Then he shall reward e\'ery man according to his work, his work as a whole. The award will be propor- tioned to the whole scope and meaning of each man's earthly life in infinite j Qstice;.  150 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTIIE\V. [oII. xvr.1-28,