Enduring the Cross.
"For the joy that was set before Him He endured the cross." What was the joy? Oh, 'tis a thought must melt a rock, and make a heart of iron move, that the joy which was set before Jesus, was principally the joy of saving us. I know it was the joy of fulfilling His Father's will—of sitting down on His Father's throne—of being made perfect through suffering; but still I know that this is the grand, great motive of the Saviour enduring the cross—the joy of saving us. Do you know what the joy is of doing good to others? If you do not, I pity you, for of all joys which God has left in this poor wilderness, this is one of the sweetest. Do you know it? Have you never felt that joy divine, when your gold has been given to the poor, and your silver has been dedicated to the Lord, when you bestowed it upon the hungry—and you have gone aside, and said, "I feel it is a joy worth living for to feed the hungry, and clothe the naked, and to do good to my poor suffering fellow-creatures?" Now, this is the joy which Christ felt; it was the joy of feeding us with the bread of heaven; the joy of clothing poor, naked sinners in His own righteousness; the joy of finding a home for homeless souls, of delivering us from the prison of hell, and giving us the eternal enjoyments of heaven. See the greatness of His love which thus led Him to endure the cross and despise the shame, that He might save sinners. Truly Christ's love "passeth knowledge!" Christians! if Christ endured all this for the joy of saving you, will you be ashamed of bearing or suffering anything for Christ? Surely love to Him who hath so loved us should make us willing to endure all things for His sake. Do you feel that in following Christ you must lose by it—lose honor, position, wealth? Do you feel that in being a Christian you incur ridicule and reproach? and will you turn aside because of these little things, when He would not turn aside, but endured the cross and despised the shame? No, by the grace of God let every Christian say,—
"Now for the love I bear His name,
What was my gain I count my loss;
My former pride I call my shame,
And nail my glory to His cross."
"For me to live is Christ; to die is gain." Living, I will be His; dying, I will be His. I will live to His honor, and serve Him wholly. I will take up my cross, and follow Him, rejoicing if I am counted worthy to suffer for His name's sake.