Murmurings by H. C. Miller

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 27, 1866

Murmurings.

By H. C. Miller

"Greater the cross, the nearer Heaven, Godless to whom no cross is given! The noisy world in masquerade, Forgets the grave, the worm, the shade; Blest is yon dearer child of God, On whom he lays the cross, the rod."

Our Saviour says, "Take my yoke upon you, . . . for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matt. xi. Notwithstanding all this, I have seen those who profess to be his disciples, and to be bearing this yoke and burden, in the social meeting, and in private conversation, with long visage and woe-begone countenance, talk about their hard time, their heavy trials, and their grievous load. And with head bowed down they would moan over trials the most trivial, all the time. To mourn over our sins, is proper. Those who grieve for their iniquities aright are blessed. "They shall be comforted." But the other class, I have thought to myself, and have uttered my thoughts at times, cannot please God in so doing. I really think such a course is an open negation of the statement of the Saviour where he says, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Would not the unbeliever be constrained by such a course to feel that if that is the easy yoke and light burden, they will carry their own old, heavy burden awhile longer? And

thus would not Christ be dishonored, and souls kept from seeking salvation? If we moan over, and complain of, our hard lot, it is good evidence of our not having Christ's yoke upon us; or if we may have it, that we have not heeded the injunction to "learn of him." "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." Now learning of him is as important as taking the yoke upon us. Without it we do not obey, and hence do not please, him. Did he not have trials? Yea, he had trials and cruel mockings, who endured such contradiction of sinners. He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. He was despised and rejected of men. He hath, besides all this, borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. Have we ever borne such a load as this? Think of it, O ye disconsolate. Partaking of our nature with all its sensibilities, in the highest degree, he bore all the trials pertaining to it, with the enormous addition thereto of our griefs and sorrows. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted; but did he murmur or repine at his lot, at this heavy burden? No; he opened not his mouth, though enduring such agony as to sweat great drops of blood. When this bitter cup was presented, did he refuse to drink of it? No, not even when quivering in every nerve, and almost crushed under the burden of our sins, with the pains of a cruel death beginning to take hold upon him. And when so pained and borne down that his aching heart cries out in agony, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me," did he lift a hand to press it away? No; he drank it to the very dregs. "Not my will, but thine, be done." Are we learning of him? Are we able to drink of that cup, and to be baptized with that baptism? The test will soon be made. O ye mourning ones, repining at your lot, cease your complaints. Learn of him. Ye shall indeed have trials.

"For here we all must suffer, walking lonely, The path that Jesus once himself hath gone. Watch thou in patience through this one hour only, This one dark hour before the eternal dawn."

How many there are who have learned of him, and have set us an example of patience under trial. One has given us his experience, which we will give as a sample of the great whole. He says of himself, and let those who think they have such great trials listen, that "in labors he is more abundant; in stripes above measure; in prisons more frequent; in deaths oft," &c. 2 Cor. xi, 23–28. Yet in view of the example of Him of whom he learned, and the glory that awaited, he could say, "Our light afflictions," and though in tears, could glory in them, and bless God that he was accounted worthy to suffer them for Christ's sake. More, he was ready to be bound not only, but also to die for the name of the Lord Jesus. He had exchanged his heavy burden for the Saviour's easy yoke and light burden. Bearing it he found it easy and light. Not easy to the flesh, that was not ministered unto and petted, but wasted and worn. So he says, "Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." 2 Cor. iv, 16. The flesh had troubles, but within was peace. Hence the truth of those paradoxes he utters: "As dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing," &c. 2 Cor. vi, 9. And he tells of others who had trial of cruel mockings, and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds, &c., Heb. xi, 36–38, until we are led to exclaim,

"Oh, that it were as it were wont to be, When thy old friends of fire, all full of thee, Fought against frowns with smiles, gave glorious chase To persecution, and against the face Of death, and fiercest dangers durst, with brave And sober face, march on to meet a grave!"

Oh, then let us be followers of Him who walked this earth despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, not seeking for another way than the way of the cross, though it may seem a better; for in so doing we shall but increase our trials.

"In meek obedience to the heavenly Teacher, Thy weary soul can only find its peace, Seeking no aid from any human creature, Looking to God alone for his release."

"And he will come in his own time and power, To set his earnest-hearted children free; Watch only through this dark and painful hour, And the bright morning yet will break for thee." H. C. Miller. Chicago, Ill.