Cross of Christ Borne by Simon

    "And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus." What can be more purely accidental? What Providence can you discern here? Stop a moment, and consider the matter a little more attentively. Jesus himself said, " He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." The same declaration is repeatedly made by our Lord, and urged on those about him. Every one knows that this peculiar phraseology is grounded on the manner of execution by the cross, and is an allusion to the circumstance of Christ's carrying his own cross, and of Simon's substitution on the occasion here referred to. By taking of the cross and following after Jesus, there is an allusion to the taking up of Christ's cross by Simon, who thus followed his Master to the place of execution. In this way of speaking, Christ includes all the labours, difficulties, reproaches, trials, and persecutions, which his people are to bear after him for his sake. He bore sufferings and shame himself first for them, going before them. They must in turn bear such things for him, going after him; and thus they take up their cross and follow him. So far none will dispute. But what has this to do with Providence? A great deal. Let it be observed that the declaration of Jesus, repeatedly made in this phraseology, was prospective in its allusion. The thing to which it refers, and on which the phraseology is grounded, had not happened at the time when Jesus used it. It was still future till the time of his death. Christ, then, used the phraseology from his foreknowledge of what was to take place at his death, with respect to the circumstance of his carrying his own cross, and of Simons being met on the way to the place of execution, and his being compelled to carry the cross for the remainder of the way. Here, then, is the Providence. At the particular time in which this phraseology could have its reference accomplished, Simon chanced to be coming out of the country, and happened to meet the party who led Jesus to the place of crucifixion. Had he not come, or had he come a few minutes sooner, or a few minutes later, the reference of the language of Christ would have wanted the ground on which it was to rest. Besides, when they met Simon, what excited the thought to make him carry the cross? Was not this providential? Here we see that the most casual things are under providential direction; and that the most trifling things recorded in "Scripture are calculated to give edification to the man of God. Simon's taking up the cross and carrying it after Jesus, when led to the place of crucifixion, like Christ's washing of the feet of the disciples, is a symbolical action, including all the trials of the Christian for Christ's sake. The cross itself many may never be called to bear. Perhaps, as a matter of fact, none of them may be called to carry their own cross to the place of crucifixion. They may not be called at all to suffer death. But taking up the cross refers to all trials for Christ's sake; and every Christian must take up his cross and follow Jesus. None of the people of Christ, who live any time in the world after they are called to the knowledge of him, are without their trials in proportion to their strength. This shows the great importance of right views of the inspiration of the Scriptures. Many tell us that inspiration cannot be necessary in historical facts known to the narrator. But, had the historian been left to himself, he might have omitted the fact about Simon, and in that case we would have wanted the very foundation on which one of the most commonly repeated sayings of Jesus was grounded. They who have loose notions of inspiration are not in the tract in which they can make discoveries in the word of God. They read it as a common book. It should be read as being, every line of it, God's book. The savage wonders at the process of the man of science in examining the bowels of the earth to make discoveries. Such a savage in the things of God is the man who does not examine the Scriptures in the way in which the philosopher examines the earth.