River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-09-19

- --u Jesus expects our
loving obedience. We do not come to
dogma, a creed, church, but to
man; and more, to a God-man-one
who knows--a loving, sympathizing
Friend.
There is also a universal note In
this appeal Jesus Is the only univer-
sal man to whom all men turn and
in whom they find mutual point of
contact. Crushed beneath a load or
despair men blindly seek oblivion.
Heathenism offers future OF oblivion
or else of voluptuous ease. Jesus
says, Come to Me and find rest.
No paralysis of the soul but eternal
activity and growth. The invitation
Is to all who fulfill the conditions.
though all may not respond.
Yet this appeal is restricted to those
that labor. All labor Is profitable,
but the talk of the lips tends to pow
erty. An idle man has more conceit
than the combined reasons of seven
men. Labor results not alone in
profit, but in wearinNas. As a tired
child at the close of Aay finds rest.
comfort and counsel In Its mothers
arms, SO we may find rest 'in him"
Jesus saw that the root OF unrest Is
mental, not physical Attention is be-
ing called to the alarming Increase OF
nervous disorders the cause OF which
we are told Is not, in any large meas
ure, a physical one. A disordered
brain is far worse than a diseased
body.
There are two kinds of rest spoken
of in this passage, rest found, and
rest given. This is the rest given.
The rest of faith (the gift Of Cod.
the knowledge of forgiveness, of as
surance of our acceptance lin him."
The labor of his disciples shall be
heavy laden. bear much fruit. and
with 1t he will give you rest"
The appeal of Jesus is two-fold.
service and instruction. We learn by
doing, and logically his first appeal In
q call to service, take my yoke upon
you" We are attached to n load with
another, he bearing half 1t is in this
school of experience that we are to
learn. Jesus sets no premium upon
ignorance. He Is the great examplar
of what teacher ought to be and OF
how to teach. The following out OF
his command ito teach all nations"
has been one of the distinguishing
features OF Christianity. Learn OF
Me" The world has sat at his feet
for nearly two thousand years and
has yet to fathom the depths OF his
knowledge, to measure the breadth OF
his compassion and love- or to scale
the heights of his idealism and his
character.
The meekness OF Jesus is not an
anemic sentimentality It does not
lack viriIity. 1t is not passionless
emotionalism. He came to bring
sword and to set families at variance.
He was low1y in his coming, and meek
as he bore the oppression of his peo-
pie Israel and the sins of the race,
but he set into motion those forces
that were stronger than all Of the
Caesars. True force is not blatant and
self-assertive. Efficiency and effec-
tiyeness are in the electric wire, but
who can see % hear that marvellous
force? So Jesus was silent, but his
meekness was that OF the worlds
most mighty force.
"And We shall find rest" This is
rest found. The rest of satisfaction,
OF right relationship, Of knowledge,
and of fellowship. 1t goes on to the
deeper experiences of communion.
His yoke fits. There is no maladjust,
ment What though the body be
tired? Our souls are at rest In him.
What though the burden be heavy?
He is bearing and sharing it with US.
This knowledge brings rest to the
weary souls Of men.
II we are to save the world for God
| It will not be by wealth, not by edu-
cation. by ecclesiasticism, not by
mere numbers of adherents to the
church, not by philosophy or theology,
but by preaching and living the Cos
pel of the Kingdom. Jesus knew the
test OF experience, comfort beneath
the load. He knew the, rest Of har-
monious relationships. At the carpen-
ter's bench, as teacher and a heal
er, and as a law-giyer, he spoke from
the standpoint Of experience. Jesus
knew that the busy occupied life is
the safe life.
A Chicago man owns several or
chards in the state Of Michigan upon
which he lavishes great deal OF care.
Last fall a severe storm swept over
them just before the time to harvest
the fruit. A friend inquired as to the
damage that was incurred. His reply
was: well, those trees that were
bearing but little fruit were so
whipped about that what few apples
they bore were blown to the ground;
but the trees that were heaviest load
ed seemed to sway back and forth in
the gale and being so loaded they did
not whip about but came through in
fine shape with scarcely the loss OF
any fruit at all"
So It is that his appeal continues to
challenge the world. "Hither to Me-
Learn, serve, 'for My yoke is easy
and My burden is light" Love knows
not the meaning Of irksome service.