The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-20
.CHRST'S service EASY
Sermon BY Rev. E. l. Miller, Of Holy
Trinity Church.
LORDS YOKE NOT TYRANNICAI
Whatever Christ Gives Us TO Bear Is Hui
= His Burden-It Is Not Harsh, Hut
Easy Christs Rurdeu and
Other Burdens.

OtncT DuIoeus.
Rev. +. l.. Miller, pastor of Holy
Trinity Lutheran church, preached a
fine sermon last night to large con-
grcgation. His text was from Mat
thew. For my yoke is easy aud my
burden is light" He spoke in part as
follows:
From ancient times the authority
of sovereign over subject was EN-
bemiZed by yoke. In days of Greece
and Rome whole nations We're made to
pass under the yoke in token'Of their
complete defeat When Christ speaks
of His yoke we may understand the
authority which He claims over us. But
He declares that this yoke is not tyran-
! nical. The yoke may also represent the
laws and commands enforced by the
| sovereign over the subject, by means of
which authority it exercised. The
Bible thus speaks of the people Of
Israel having broken the yoke" !. e..
| having transgressed Gods commands.
Chrst's yoke may, therefore. also refer
| to His commands, teachings and doc
| trines. These are not harsh but easy.
Whatever Christ gives us to do ar to
! bear is His burden. The cross which
His followers are called uDon tn bear
| Is declared to be light. Now all this
! opposes generally prevailing senti-
| ment. a religious life Is usually re-
garded as grievously burdensome.
While most people will admit that 1t
is more respectable here and probably
more profitable hereafter they look
upon /. as gtievously Calling. Many
professedly Christian people even prac-
tically accede to this view. So
WHY 1T is CONSIDERED HARD.
1.-THE reasons for this belief can easily
be ascertained. There is. first. a nat
ural aversion to Christ's yoke and bur-
| den. Mans soul is ordinarily filled with
inOrdinate desires and fieshly lusts.
The natural heart Is full of prejudices.
There Is no taste for heavenly things,
and they all seem bitter. Did Christ's
! doctrines cater to mems fieshly lusts
He would be regarded by the unthink-
ing and inexperienced as making most
| easy demands. But because He
preached the necessity of uproOting evil
from the heart, even in His day there
were many who forsook Him. declaring.
This is a hard saying. who can hear
it," Ignorance also occa siOns false be-
liefs concerning Christ's yoke and bur-
| den. The condition of negative holi-
ness is as far as many can see. Their
impressions of n religious life are that
1t only imposes hard restrictions. They
think of so many prayers said. so many
dollars given, and so many meetings
attended. as forming the complete cir
Gle. Then again such false impressions
are caused by ever staying without the
actual fold of Christ. Were men "to
taste they would see that the Lord
is good
BURDENS OF CHRIST.
1.-The truth Of the text is easily dis
covered when we come to compare
Christ's yoke and burden with others
which we are invited to bear. COnsid-
er that of the Mosaic law and the tradi-
tions of the elders. God certainly had
good and wise reasons for giving the
ceremonial laws, and their fultilment
was rightly demanded These outward
observances typified future blessings
through Christ. But they were in
tended to make hearts vigilant rather
than calm. They had no place in the
Christian commonwealth. and Peter
well speaks Of the endeavor to impose
them upon the Gentle converts as put
ting yoke upon the neck of the dis
ciples which neither their fathers nor
they were able to bear Then when
we remember how much more burden
some the Mosaic law was made by the
traditions of the elders we especially
recognize the lightness of Christ's bur-
dens. They gave innumerable COM
mands concerning washing of hands
before meat, of pots, cups, braZen YES
sells and of tables.
Comparing Christianity with other
religions we find these full of artificial
burdens. 1t Is ever DO this. and dc
that. and thou shalt be saved The re-
e ligion of Buddha. COnfucius, of Mo.
hammed, all impose such calling yokes
. and oppressive burdens on men that
: those of Christ stand forth in bold con.
5 trasl.
}. THE YOKE Of SIN.
"Sn is indeed hard task master
imposing mountainous burdens. What
n slaves sin makes of it's followers In
r. satiate desires. ileshly lusts. greed
e avarice. all call for the poor victim.
every power to satisfy their vile claims
e and there is no peace for the wicked
d Compared with the yoke of sin, how
r gloriously light is that of Christ.
9 when considered in themselves
Christ's burdens are light. All ar,
borne in love. What will person no
e e do for the earthly object of his affec
:. tions" How much for Christ, whos
;, love constraineth? They are also born
h by the help nf His spirit. The Bible il
overtlowing with promises of help, an,
n every true cross bearer knows nov
If truly they are being fulfilled 1t is es
j. pecially profitable to remember tina
IS Christs commands are given for GU
:; own profit. The apostle reminds u
- that all things are for your sakes-al
:, things work together for good to then
:. that love God Christ's government /
,e distinctly paternal, and all laws ad
l. vantage directly to His children. Tru
lr happiness is bound up in these com
mandmcntS.
w WHAT SHALL WE DO THEN?
ID Certainly this truth should intiuenc
lie lis to take up our cross and follow Hin
When Christ spake these words ii wa
to influence His hearers to exchang
J. the Mosaic law. with its numerous ad
ditions of human invention. for tn
!. easy yoke of His authority, and tn
light burden of His commands II
also required of them. and requires @
us. that we lay off the heavy yoke Q
sin and enter His service We hav
the awful power of choosing the burde
of sin and Satan or the burden g
O. Christ. But 1t is either: Or We ca
o not serve two masters-GCd or man
r mon. Christ or Belial Choose ye thi
day whom We will serve"