11. The _taking up_ differs a little from _bearing his cross_. We are then properly said to _bear our cross_, when we endure what is laid upon us without our choice, with meekness and resignation. Whereas we do not properly _take up our cross_, but when we voluntarily suffer what it is in our power to avoid: when we willingly embrace the will of God, though contrary to our own: when we chuse what is painful, because it is the will of our wise and gracious Creator. 12. And thus it behoves every disciple of Christ, to _take up_, as well as to _bear_ his _cross_. Indeed in one sense, it is not _his_ alone; it is common to him and many others: seeing _there is no temptation befals any man_ εἰ μή ἀνθρώπινος· _but such as is common to men_, such as is incident and adapted to their common nature, and situation in the present world. But in another sense, as it is considered with all its circumstances, it is _his_; peculiar to himself: it is prepared of God for him: it is given by God to him, as a token of his love: and if he receives it as such, and (after using such means to remove the pressure as Christian wisdom directs) lies as clay in the Potter’s hand, it is disposed and ordered by God for his good, both with regard to the quality of it, and in respect to its quantity and degree, its duration, and every other circumstance. 13. In all this we may easily conceive our blessed Lord to act as the physician of our souls, not merely _for his own pleasure, but for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness_. If in searching our wounds he puts us to pain, it is only in order to heal them. He cuts away what is putrified or unsound, in order to preserve the sound part. And if we freely chuse the loss of a limb, rather than the whole body should perish, how much more should we chuse, figuratively, to cut off a right-hand, rather than the whole soul should be cast into hell? 14. We see plainly then both the nature and ground, of _taking up our cross_. It does not imply the ♦_disciplining ourselves_ (as some speak) the literally tearing our own flesh: the wearing haircloth, or iron girdles, or any thing else that would impair our bodily health: (although we know not what allowance God may make for those, who acts thus through involuntary ignorance:) but the embracing the will of God, tho’ contrary to our own; the chusing wholesome, tho’ bitter, medicines: the freely accepting temporary pain, of whatever kind, and in whatever degree, when it is either essentially or accidentally necessary to eternal pleasure. ♦ ‘discipling’ replaced with ‘disciplining’ II. 1. I am, secondly, to shew, that it is always owing to the want either of self-denial, or taking up his cross, that any man does not throughly _follow him_, is not fully a _disciple of_ Christ.