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Observe here, 1. How our Saviour recommends his religion to every man's choice; not attempting by force and violence to compel any to the profession of it. If any man will come after me, that is, if any man choose and resolve to be a Christian.
2. Our Saviour's terms propounded:
1. Self-denial Let him deny himself. By which we are not to understand the denying and renouncing of our senses in matters of faith, nor yet the renouncing of our reason in matters of religion; but by self-denial is meant, that we should be willing to part with all our earthly comforts, and quit all our temporal enjoyments, for the sake of Christ and his holy religion.
2. Gospel-suffering, He must take up his cross. An allusion to a Roman custom, that the malefactor, who was to be crucified, took his cross upon his shoulder, and carried it to the place of execution.
Where note, Not the making of the cross for ourselves, but the patient bearing of it when God lays it upon our shoulder, is the duty injoined: let him take up his cross.
3. Gospel-service, He must follow me: that is, obey my commands, and follow my example: he must set my life and doctrine continually before him, and must be daily correcting and reforming his life by that rule and pattern. See on Luk_9:23.