of ease or pleasure, lust of power or glory—have complete dominion in the heart, and to come into that exalted and truly human state in which love to the Lord and neighbor have supreme control. And this is something which cannot be suddenly accomplished. It is a life-long work.
And how shall we do it? How is the spiritual to gain the ascendency over the natural man? How, from loving self and the world supremely, shall we be brought into a state to love the Lord above all else, and our neighbor as ourselves? For to undergo this change, is to be lifted out of a hellish into a heavenly state. In other words, it is to escape hell, and enter upon the state denoted by heaven. It is to experience such an inward renewal or change of character, that when we enter the other world we shall loathe and shun the society of devils, and be drawn by the force of spiritual attraction to that of the angels.
How to do this, is the question of questions. Yet the Lord has pointed out the way, and made it very plain to all who are willing to walk in it. He says: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." But this, on account of our hereditary selfishness, requires the practice of much self-denial, and the endurance of many inward conflicts with the foes of our own household. The cross is the symbol of these conflicts; and engaging in them, therefore, is what is meant in the spiritual sense by "taking up the cross." Hence the Lord says:
