Take Up Thy Cross (Ackley)

I walked one day along a coun­try road

And there a strang­er jour­neyed

too

Bent low be­neath the bur­den of His load:

It was a cross

a cross I knew.

Take up thy cross and fol­low Me.

I hear the bless­èd Sav­ior call;

How can I make a less­er sac­ri­fice

When Je­sus gave His all?

I cried

Lord Je­sus

and He spoke my name;

I saw His hands all bruised and torn;

I stooped to kiss away the marks of shame

The shame for me that He had borne.

O let me bear Thy cross

dear Lord

I cried

And lo

a cross for me ap­peared

The one for­got­ten I had cast aside

The one

so long

that I had feared.

My cross I’ll car­ry till the crown ap­pears

The way I jour­ney soon will end

Where God Him­self shall wipe away all tears

And friend hold fel­low­ship with friend.