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 heads to  guide  us  as  a  lamp  through  this  dark  world, and we  mark  with  it  the  resting-place  of  our  dead. In our  battles  with  the  powers  of  darkness  our standard is  the  one  God  gave  to  Constantine,  an illumined  cross  with  the  words,  "  In  this  sign,  conquer." Before the  crucifix  we  bow  in  adoration,  and to possess  even  a  particle  of  the  original  cross  is  to  be rich  indeed. The sign  of  the  cross  is  the  uniform  of mercy's  army,  the  countersign  at  which  the  world's sentinel  cries:  "  Friend,  pass  on." Whatever good we do  in  life  begins  and  ends  with  the  sign  of  the cross, and  dying  we  press  it  to  our  lips. Verily of the  cross  as  of  Christ  Himself  may  be  quoted  the words: "  I  am  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  beginning and  the  end."

Brethren, this  truth,  that  the  only  way  to  the  crown is the  cross,  cannot  be  too  strongly  emphasized,  for our instincts  are  contrary  to  the  laws  of  Nature  and grace. We recoil  from  the  cross  while  we  clutch  the crown. But Nature  acts  otherwise. The tree  does not spring  up  unless  the  seed  dies. Far otherwise, too, is  the  service  of  God. Whoever have  done  great things for  Him  have  succeeded  because  they  held  the goods of  this  life  and  life  itself  at  their  true  value  and sacrificed all  for  the  life  to  come. " If  any  man  will come  after  Me,"  says  Christ,  "  let  him  deny  himself and  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  Me." The same  is true  of  our  efforts  in  behalf  of  humanity — our  self-sacrifice  will  be  the  measure  of  their  success. Why if, in  purely  secular  spheres  of  human  activity,  men succeed because  they  literally  put  their  heart,  their