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WELL DONE

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 2, 1869

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 33, No. 10.

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WELL DONE.

By James White

BY ELD. JAMES WHITE.
TEXT.—“Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” Matt. xxv, 21.
This language is addressed to those who had received talents, and had improved upon them well. They had been at work. They had been doing something; and they had done their work well. And the word of strong approval is, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
The talents do not represent, simply and solely, one's ability to talk. This, however, is the popular idea. The minister who has ability to speak well, is said to be a talented man. The moral lecturer, if he be fluent and able, is said to be a talented man. And he who addresses the crowd on political occasions, if he does it ably and fluently, although he may be an infidel, is said to be a talented man.
This custom of calling a man talented whatever may be his subject or character, if he only have a great deal of talk, acceptable talk in him, all arises from this parable.
But we think the religious world has made a mistake in applying these talents to talk, and nothing else. We suggest that the talents represent all the means within our reach by which we may advance the cause of Jesus Christ. A man who has much good talk in him, may do this. The man who has good judgment in matters of religion, especially pertaining to the church of Christ, has talents. And the man who has this world's goods by which he may help build the meeting-house, support the minister, and engage in various religious enterprises to advance the cause of Christ, has talents of property. Were I to apply these talents to any one thing to the exclusion of all the rest, I would apply it to a man's property. Here is where I differ from the popular view that is generally taken of the subject. They make it mean all talk. I also believe that it means talking, and more than talk. It means influence. It means reputation. It means good judgment. And it means property. In short, the talents represent all the means, and all the ability that we possess to advance the cause of Jesus Christ.
“Well done!” Why, he had been at work. But the popular idea is that religion consists chiefly, if not entirely, in talk. The Bible represents the religious life as consisting very much in doing.
“Well done!” He had been at work. This is in harmony with the Scriptures generally. The angel, in opening before the prophet the grand and terrible scenes of the last Judgment, says, “The books were opened, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” “Behold, I come quickly,” says the True Witness, “and my reward is with me to give every man as his work shall be.”
Talk is good, if it is good talk on proper occasions. But talk without work is worthless. The reason why the popular religion of our day is almost worthless, is because it consists in a great deal of talk, and but very little doing.
It is not my object to carelessly throw out remarks to injure the feelings of any individual in the congregation; but I wish to state facts. It is not through prejudice, nor a want of love and feelings of courtesy toward the congregation, that I make the statements that I do. Stubborn facts seem to compel me to speak pointedly. The popular religion of the present day, will not stand the test of the Judgment, because it does not consist in good works to that degree necessary. It consists chiefly in talk.
The bearing of the cross of Christ in our day, is brought down to consist in a little talk. The people are urged to get up and bear the cross. They are told to bow down and pray, and bear the cross. And that is about all the cross there is in the popular religion of our times. It is getting up and saying a few words in meeting, or getting down and uttering a short prayer. I confess myself ashamed for my Lord, that his cross is made to represent a little cheap talk. Go back eighteen centuries, and view the scenes of Calvary. Behold Jesus Christ in agony in the garden. See him bearing his cross up Calvary. The nails are driven through his hands and feet. The cross is erected and thrust violently into the place prepared to receive it. Oh! the agony as he hangs there bleeding! The divine Son of God is dying in agony! The bleeding Lamb upon the bloody cross! The sun could not behold it. The earth beneath trembled. The rocks are rent, and the veil of the temple was rent asunder before the agonies of the cross. And yet bearing the cross among Christians is made to mean simply a little cheap talk in meeting. This, like the talents, is applied to a little talk.
And again the prophet of God says, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” And the minister says, Come, brethren, bring all your tithes into the Lord's storehouse. What does he mean! He means get up and talk. Bring all your tithes. What is a tithe? It is a tenth. A tenth of your talk? No; a tenth of your increase. What is there about our holy religion represented by a tenth? Why have these men taken such liberties with God's word? There is a sacrifice to be made. Take it out in talk. Bear the cross of my Lord by a little talk. Improve your talents by a little more talk. And so it is all talk and very little doing, fitly represented by a speaker I heard in my boyhood, who said, “Popular religion of this time consists so much in talk, and so little in doing, that it reminds me of frogs who have very large mouths, and very little hands.” Now, dear friends, this frog religion will not stand the solemn test of the Judgment.
“Well done!” He had been doing something. Talk as much as you please, if you do not have good works, it will not amount to a three-cent postage stamp. “Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be.” Work is going to stand the test of the Judgment; but talk is exceedingly cheap stuff, unless you have good works to go with it.
“Good and faithful servant!” He had been at work, and had done his work well. “Well done; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
This language has reference to a future reward, and connected with that future reward of the saints, is the joy of our Lord. What is that joy? Paul refers to it in Heb. xii, 2: “Who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Christ, in view of the future glory, undertook the cause of man. Man had fallen. Jesus Christ offered himself to save man. The Father accepted the offering. In due time he came and accomplished the work. And it was the future joy that moved the great heart of Christ to undertake man's cause.
He did not experience that joy during the period of his mission to this world. He does not experience that joy while at the right hand of the Father. He is there a sympathizing priest. He feels our woes, our sicknesses, and our sorrows. It is not the period of his joy yet. When that backslider, by his apostasy, pierces the wounds of the Son of God afresh, he is still the suffering One. Not until he shall lay aside his priestly garments and cease to offer his blood—not until he shall be arrayed in royal robes—not until the millions washed by his blood are called from their graves, and the living changed, and all gather round his throne—not until then will our Lord experience the joy that induced him to undertake man's cause. Then, as expressed by the prophet, “shall he see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied.”
The divine Son of God is then clothed in kingly apparel, crowned with glory, seated upon his throne, and around him are the millions of the saved, washed by his blood. He will then see of the fruits of the travail and the labor of his soul, and he will be satisfied. And that was the joy set before him. And when, as expressed in our text, we hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into joy of thy Lord,” it refers to that very time when Christ experiences the joy set before him.
What joy will the Lord then experience, as he sees the millions who were plunged in hopeless ruin, by his arm rescued and brought to the heavenly kingdom! And these are ever ready to cast their crowns from their heads at his feet and cry, Worthy, worthy, is the Lamb that was slain! Millions happy, and to be happy forevermore, continually before him. His great benevolent heart ever swelling with love—divine satisfaction resting upon his divine brow forever! This, friends, will be the joy of our Lord. And this is the joy the doers, the workers, will participate in. These talkers who have a great deal to say about religion, but never do anything of any amount, will not feel at home in such a Heaven.
If that which will constitute the happiness of the Lord in the future state, will be the fact that he has done so much to save ruined millions, and his divine soul will ever swell with gratitude that these saved ones will die no more, those who have worked, in a certain sense and degree, as Christ worked, will also be very happy in the next state. But I cannot see, from these scriptures, nor any other, how drones are to be saved—how lazy Christians are to enter the kingdom of God. I cannot find one text in all the Bible that will bear them to the heavenly world in inactivity. But those who suffer with Christ here, will reign with him there.
Christ worked, Christ wrought, Christ did something, Christ did everything. He was a lonely pilgrim. He was a public teacher, a lowly traveler, seeking at all times to help, to instruct, to sympathize with, those that needed help and sympathy. Behold him at the grave of Lazarus, and in many other instances during his earthly ministry, sympathizing with the afflicted, and helping the needy. And then he gave the greatest gift possible—his life! And he did all this for our good. And the fact of having done it, and the results accomplished by it, will constitute the happiness of the Son of God forevermore.
“For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross.” Now those who suffer with him here, will reign with him. Those who work as he worked, will share in that glory.
“Well done; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” The Lord did a great deal to make others happy. You can do something, and be comparatively happy. You may in some degree be able to enter into the same joy, the joy of your Lord.
“Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things.” Faithful here over a few things, ruler over many things in the next life. This leads me to speak on the nature of the reign of Heaven. The future life, and its conditions, are represented in the Scriptures by a kingdom. A kingdom in this world will not fully represent that life in every respect. I do not know of a parable or figure in all the word of God that completely illustrates the great fact. All figures must fall as far short of representing the reality in its perfection, as things in this world are inferior to the things of Heaven. But the best figure that could be used to represent the future relation of Christ to his people, is an earthly kingdom.
Here the king may exercise absolute authority. His word is law. His subjects tremble. They may obey from fear. This is the state of things in an earthly kingdom; but not so in Heaven. The fear of the execution of decrees, is that which leads subjects here to submit to the power of the monarch. But there will be no fear in the future life. The bond of union in that state is something like this: Jesus, as he sits upon the throne of his glory, is the object of admiration of all those saved by his blood. He looks upon the millions saved by what he has done for them, and is satisfied. Divine satisfaction ever rests upon his brow.
And if the King shall be satisfied after doing so much for his subjects, how do you think they will feel? The subjects were in rebellion, yet the Lord died for them. They were afar off by evil works; yet he brings them nigh by his blood, and gives them immortality. He lifts them to his throne. And if he is happy in view of what he has done, how must those who have received the benefits, feel? No wonder they are ever ready to cast their crowns before him, and cry, “Worthy, worthy, is the Lamb!” Their undying love for him, and the joy ever swelling in their bosoms, will bind them to the King of kings.
And in return, his love for the saints, and a sense of having saved them by his blood, will bind him to them. What a happy state that will be! There will be no threatened penalties, no force, no fear. Love, such as we know nothing of, on the part of the monarch, and on the part of the subjects, will ever constitute the bond of union between them.
“For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame.” “Well done,” says our Lord, “good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” What! the saints rulers in the next world? It is said of the resurrected ones, that they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
I have been setting before you the nature of that reign. It is glorious. On the part of the great Ruler, and on the part of the subjects, it is the bond of love and gratitude that binds them together. The fact, which will continue to be a fact throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity, that they have done something to save others, will constitute their happiness forever. Christ will see of the travail of his soul, that what he has wrought has saved millions, and be satisfied. And wherever he will be, the saints saved will ever be ready to cast their crowns at his feet. Wherever he may pass through the graves and fields of living green, or on the banks of the river of life, or wherever he meets them, he is ever ready to smile on them, and they on him. He will be the object of their love and praise, and they will be the objects of his love and satisfaction. The great heart of Christ will ever be swelling with love toward those that he has saved.
And those that suffer with Christ here, whether they be the devoted ministers of Jesus Christ, that have worked here, or whether it be that private member that has used his talents of doing, or talking, or good judgment, or money, to advance the cause of Christ, and save souls, he will rule in a certain sense as Christ rules. And as all the redeemed will ever be ready to ascribe their salvation to the great Worker, Jesus Christ, who died for them, these souls that have been saved through the instrumentality of others, will ever be happy to express their gratitude to them throughout the ceaseless rounds of eternal ages.
Paul, for instance, that mighty apostle—during his ministry his influence was powerful. And here are his epistles. Here is his example. The Christian world has been benefited by these. How many were instructed by Paul while living, and how many have been benefited by his epistles? Those thus benefited by him, wherever they meet Paul in the kingdom of God, will be ready to acknowledge him as the instrument of their salvation.
Martin Luther, the great reformer, suffered and did much in the cause of Christ. How widely has the influence of his labors extended! How many in the kingdom of God will recognize the great reformer, Luther, as the one who was instrumental in their salvation. Luther suffered for them; Luther labored for them. And when that time shall come, when we shall see as we are seen, and know as we are known, then those that were brought to Christ by Luther, will know that he was, in the hands of God, the means of their salvation. And wherever these shall meet Luther as they roam amid the glories of the next world, they will give him the honor of what he has done for them. But think of Luther! Oh! the joy of that greeting! Luther smiles on them, and they smile on Luther. What a bond of union to exist throughout eternal ages. In this sense, friends, God's people are to reign in the next life.
“Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things.” In this sense, you may adapt this system of doing for others, even to a cup of cold water that is given in the name of a disciple, “Verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.” In the final reckoning, all that we have done here, that we do well, will be taken into the account, and each will receive full reward for all his labor. And when the great King of Zion shall reign and rule in the immortal state, he loving his subjects, and they ascribing praise to him, the faithful ministers of Jesus Christ who have labored, and toiled, and spent their strength in his cause, will see the fruits of their labors, and this will be the especial bond of union between them and those saved by their labors. In this sense they will reign. The great work of Jesus Christ constitutes the highest grade of happiness. And all that labor in the cause, whether in the ministry, or in any capacity, will have their reward in the kingdom of God. Those that labor and suffer with the Lord here, will reign with him hereafter.
But how are you talkers coming out?—Men and women who are all talk and no work?—You that have these talents dwindled down to mean simply talk—and make the bleeding cross of my Master mean simply a little talk?—and the tithes we are to bring into the Lord's storehouse, only a little talk? My dear friends, this is a very cheap kind of religion. You may think, some of you, that it will carry you to the city of God, and give you access to the tree of life, and a part in the inheritance of the saints. But this that consists only in a little talk, is a very cheap kind of religion. It will not stand the burning test of the Judgment. Where will you find in the word of God, that simply because you have made a good deal of talk, you are to be saved? And where is it represented that any one is sent into outer darkness because they were destitute of talk? I know the Scriptures abound in declarations setting forth the evils of bad talk. By our words we are to be justified, and by our words to be condemned. But nowhere in the Scriptures is it taught that our salvation depends upon a great amount of talk, and that the reward is to be given to those who talk much and well. The doers are rewarded in the end.
The Christian world is cursed with this cheap kind of religion. A number of years since, a Methodist minister preached a very good discourse upon the subject of Methodism, setting forth its blessings, and the good it had accomplished. He then gave liberty to those present to make remarks upon the subject. One after another arose and told what Methodism had done for them. Finally one man, after enumerating what Methodism had done for him, said, “I recommend Methodism to you in the next place because it is the cheapest religion in the world. I have been a Methodist for five years, and it has cost me only twenty-five cents!” This man could talk well. He was fluent in talk. And if talking was improving his talents, and bearing his cross, and if the bringing in of his tithes and offerings was a little talk, how that man could open the windows of Heaven and bring down the blessing!
The white robes to be given to the saints, are robes of righteousness, or right doing. And these are the only ascension robes Adventists put on in 1844. The only ascension robes approved by them, are such as are represented in the Scriptures by white linen, white and clean. After all, I do believe in ascension robes, not literal, but the preparation necessary to meet the Lord, and go up to dwell with him, fitly represented by the white linen. And this white linen is made up of faith and works. A garment all of faith, would be sleazy stuff. And on the other hand, a garment of works merely, would be no better. But in that garment that will make us fit to stand when Jesus comes, the warp is faith in Jesus Christ, and good works arethe woof. Faith, Bible faith, is the warp, and a life of good works, working in your Master's vineyard where he calls you, is the woof. You will find this cloth to stand the test of the coming day. God grant that we may have such ascension robes.
And there is work enough for us all to do. We are naturally selfish, naturally work for ourselves, thinking only of ourselves. Such are the most unhappy people in the world. The most wretched people in the world are those who think only of themselves. And the great mistake in entering upon manhood and womanhood, and the responsibilities of this life, is, that young men and young women start out in the pursuit of happiness simply and solely to make themselves happy. Some think to make themselves happy by obtaining wealth, others accomplishments. All are in pursuit of happiness. Away goes that young man, thinking to make himself happy in the acquisition of wealth. He gets money, loves money, and thinks only of that poor miser he buttons up in a coat. He gains his object, but is he happy? Such persons are generally the most unhappy. The man has fine buildings, good grounds, and money in the bank, and mortgages and deeds of property. He has all he wants. He has been in the pursuit of happiness, reaching out for himself. He reaches what he has longed for, and thought that when he obtained it he would certainly be happy. But you take up the morning papers, and read that he has committed suicide. What is the matter? Why, he had gone simply in the pursuit of happiness. That orphan he could not stop to assist. That widow he has taken advantage of. Money, money, self, self, were in all his thoughts. He had pursued this course until every benevolent feeling of his soul had withered. He found himself in possession of property, but with energies gone, and life wasted, he committed suicide.
And so it is with those who follow amusements and fashion for happiness. They soon find themselves growing old and homely. What terrible feelings rush upon them! And they spend the remainder of their brief life in remorse.
Now, had they started out on the working principle, how much better would they have enjoyed life. All should go in search of duty. They should inquire, What can I do? What does God require of me? Their duty to humanity requires them to cherish every benevolent feeling of the heart and mind, and go to work something on the plan our Lord did when he found the race in ruin, left Heaven to come down and save them. There is work enough to do. There is misery enough all around you to be relieved. There are those you can help. How much there is for all to do. Will you not go in search of duty? Go to work as your Master did. Bend everything to this point, and you can do something.
Is Christ to enter into joy in the future reign? You may enter into joy with him. You may participate with him in that joy. Has he done everything for us, and has he ever before him the joy of his work? You may do something, and have ever before you the reward of your labor.
Why is there so much moral darkness and gloom everywhere? It is because there is so little love for doing good. The result of this selfishness is wretchedness and remorse. The pall of moral darkness has settled down upon a stingy, selfish world.
But, my friends, the joy of Heaven will consist in the happy reflections of having done others good. And let us have this happy Heaven commence here. We want to be able to make a good splice of this world on to the next. Unless you are careful, some of you will make a very poor splice. Do not think of living for yourselves here, and then making a good splice on to the next world. But learn the spirit of benevolence. Incorporate into your lives that feeling of benevolence that moved the great heart of Christ to come down into this world to die for us. Have faith and good works. And then in the time of the final summing up, in the time of the final reward, when the saints will gather home to reap the everlasting reward, in the language of the text it will be said, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.’ Amen.