The Signs of the Times
July 8, 1889
Christ's Yoke Is Easy
[Sermon at Chicago, April 10, 1889.]
“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” ST July 8, 1889, par. 1
These are very precious words that are spoken to us. In them is revealed the love of Jesus, and this love seems to flow out in tender longing that the sinner may come unto Christ and find rest. The invitation is extended to all that labor, to all that are heavy laden. Christ makes no exception. All may come who are toiling under their burdens. He does not specify that only those who have peculiar difficulties may be relieved. His invitation is to the whole world. He says, “Come, all ye that labor.” ST July 8, 1889, par. 2
Whatever may be the character of your troubles or wants, you need not go for help to those around you, for Jesus says, Come unto me, and I will give you rest. You need not keep away from me. You who have been seeking for relief and comfort and hope, come unto me. I am the source of your strength and help. ST July 8, 1889, par. 3
When Christ came to this world, men did not recognize his divine character, or realize the nature of his mission. If he had come with pomp and ceremony, to reign as a temporal prince on the throne of Jerusalem, the whole Jewish nation would have acknowledged him as the Messiah. But the prophets did not say that he was to come in this way. They did not tell the people that he was to break the Romish yoke. He was to come as a man of sorrows, to bear the infirmities of humanity. He came as a humble toiler, and worked at the carpenter's trade. The people saw him toiling up and down the hills. They were acquainted with his brothers and sisters, and knew his life and labors. They saw him develop from childhood to youth, and from youth to manhood, and although he left a spotless example of obedience and meekness, they could not realize that he was the promised Messiah. I am glad we have such an example. ST July 8, 1889, par. 4
He chose his disciples from the humble fishermen. He did not go to the learned, for it would have been impossible to give them the right mould. The education they had received tended to exalt self, and he chose those whom he could teach his precepts, and bade them follow him. In following him, in listening to his words, in associating with him, they found the greatest teacher the world has ever known. He opened before them the beauties of nature, and taught them of the enduring realities of the world to come. He educated them to become fishers of men. From the swaying fisherman's boat, he uttered truths whose influence is as far-reaching as eternity. ST July 8, 1889, par. 5
Jesus had come to earth to do the very work that the Jewish nation had left undone. In a synagogue in Nazareth, he opened the word of God, and read the words of Isaiah that described his mission to men. He read, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” He healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, raised the dead, and preached the gospel to the poor. His words were simple and direct, and no one need look in the dictionary to ascertain his meaning. A child could comprehend his teaching. And as he did his work, so are we to do ours, following his example. ST July 8, 1889, par. 6
He preached the gospel to the poor, and offered men the gift of God without money and without price. He invited the weary and heavy-laden to come and find rest. The only condition was to come; for in coming, men made it manifest that they felt their want, and realized their need of Christ. Jesus wants us to come today He wants us to believe in him as the source of all light and peace. Whoever comes will be able to testify that he is light, and that in him they have found rest. ST July 8, 1889, par. 7
Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” I ask you who have borne Christ's yoke, Have you found it hard and grievous? For fifty years I have borne Christ's yoke, and I can testify that his yoke is easy, and his burden is light. I have never found any difficulty except when I manufactured a yoke of my own, and laid aside the yoke of Christ. I feel grateful that every one of you may find relief from all your troubles. Come to Christ in full faith, and find rest unto your souls. ST July 8, 1889, par. 8
Many profess to come to him, but they do not really come; for they are still in trouble, still under the load of their burdens. You are to follow on in the path of obedience, and submit your will to the moulding of God's will. If you are in trouble, it is because you are learning lessons of him who was once an exalted angel of Heaven, but who fell from his high position through rebellion against God. Those who murmur against God, are learning from the evil one how to press their wills in opposition to the will of God. ST July 8, 1889, par. 9
Jesus invites us to come unto him; but how many go to every one else but him. We need not seek for help from those who are as weak as we are ourselves. He says, “Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart.” Men do not esteem lowliness of mind as they should. Intellect is highly exalted and extolled among men. My husband used to say that it was hard for him not to worship intellect; whenever he met a person possessed of a superior mind, he felt like paying homage to his intellectual powers. It is right that we highly esteem the powers of mind that God has given to men; we want an intellectual religion; but we should have all our powers of mind and body consecrated to God. We should have sanctified judgment and reason, devoted to the service of our heavenly Father. We should realize what our work is, and do it to the extent of our ability. The greater our ability, the greater will be our responsibility. There is danger of worshiping intellect; but if we bring our talents to God and devote them to his work, he will give us grace not to think more highly of our powers of mind than we should. ST July 8, 1889, par. 10
“For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability.” When they were called to give an account as to how they had employed their lord's talents, he who had the five had doubled his talents, and he who had two had doubled his; but he who had received but one came to his lord and said, “Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed; and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth; lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed; thou oughtest therefore to put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.” The lord rewarded those who had increased their talents, but he condemned him who had buried his lord's money. ST July 8, 1889, par. 11
(Concluded next week.)