View source for The cross is not made of soft feathers!

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<p>"Take up the cross—and follow Me." Mark 10:21<br><br>
  You have not the liberty of <em>making </em>of your own cross; although unbelief is a master carpenter at cross-making. Neither are you permitted to <em>choose</em>your own cross; although self-will would gladly be lord and master. Your cross is <em>prepared </em>and <em>appointed </em>for you by divine love—and you are cheerfully to accept it. You are to take up the cross as your chosen portion, and not to stand cavilling at it. Jesus bids you to submit your <em>shoulder </em>to His <em>easy yoke</em>. Do not . . .<em><br><br>
    kick </em>at it in petulance, or <em><br>
      trample </em>on it in vain-glory, or <br>
  <em>  fall under </em>it in despair, or <em><br>
    run away </em>from it in fear.<br>
  Take it up like a true follower of Jesus.<br><br>
  Jesus was a cross-bearer; He leads the way in the path of sorrow. Surely you could not desire a better guide! And if He carried a cross—what nobler burden would you desire?<br><br>
  The <em>Way of the Cross </em>is the way of <em>safety</em>—do not fear to tread its <em>thorny paths</em>.<br><br>
  Beloved, <strong>the cross is not made of soft feathers</strong>, or lined with velvet—it is heavy and galling to <em>disobedient </em>shoulders! But it is not an <em>iron </em>cross, though your fears have painted it with iron colours!<br><br> It is a <em>wooden </em>cross, and a man can carry it, for the Man of sorrows carried the load. Take up your cross, and by the power of the Spirit—you will soon be so in love with it, that like Moses, you would not exchange the <em>reproach of Christ </em>for all the treasures of Egypt!<br><br>
  Remember that the <em>cross </em>will soon be followed by the <em>crown</em>, and the thought of the coming <em>weight of glory</em>—will greatly lighten the present<em> heaviness of trouble</em>. May the Lord help you to bow your spirit in submission to the divine will before you fall, that you may go forth to<em> this day's cross</em> with the holy and submissive spirit which befits a follower of <em>the Crucified</em>.
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