Take up thy cross and follow me

1. 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. Refrain: “Take up thy cross and follow Me,” I hear the blessed Saviour call; How can I make a lesser sacrifice, When Jesus gave His all? 2. 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. 3. 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.