The Sermon by James White

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 30, 1867

The Sermon.

By James White

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom.

PREACH THE WORD 2 Tim. iv. 2.

GLORYING IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST.

BY ELD. JAMES WHITE.

TEXT. “But God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Gal. vi, 14.

1. This text contains the strongest form of expression found in the sacred Scriptures; namely, God forbid. The apostle uses it in another place as follows: “Shall we make void the law through faith? God forbid.” Why? Because that would be a great sin. So would it also be a great sin for a Christian to glory in anything as the world does in many things, save the cross of Christ. In one thing only may he glory. This matter is of such importance as to call out the earnestness of the great apostle’s soul in the exclamatory petition, “God forbid.” Another apostle speaks of those who glory in their shame, who mind earthly things. We also read of vain glory. Some glory in their wealth, their influence, their pride of appearance and equipage. Others glory in their strength; but there is nothing noble in it; a horse will do as much; yet how many professed Christians there are who glory in all these, who do not glory in the cross of Christ.

2. The apostle could well glory in the cross, having such an example to imitate. Christ had suffered and borne his own cross before him. It is regarded noble to imitate the worthy deeds of the good and great. Christ was the best and the greatest in the universe, save one. He might well glory in imitating him, though it cost him much.

3. Christ was the richest heir in the universe, yet he abandoned all his riches for a while, and became the poorest, that such sinners as Paul was, and you and I have been, might become rich. We climb up from extreme poverty to immensity of true wealth by the cross of our divine Lord. Then may we not glory in the means by which we ascend to the crown and throne of wealth? Men of the world glory in corruptible wealth, with all its liabilities to decay, and the certainty of their being taken from it sooner or later. At best and most a fortune here is of trifling value, and that, too, for a short time, at longest. The glory beneath the cross cannot be computed by figures, but by letters. Paul used seven which are e-t-e-r-n-a-l.

4. Many regard their cross as very heavy, and talk of their afflictions as possessing great weight. But when they compare them with the apostle’s they will see cause of shame for one murmuring thought. He was a man of great learning, eloquence, and influence. Many of us have neither of these. He was whipped, imprisoned, suffered hunger and cold on account of the cross. Most of us know nothing of such sufferings. He was finally put to death for the cross. We have no fears of this. And through grace he could say in the face of all these, “For these light afflictions which are but for a moment, work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” The cross is light. The crown is of eternal weight. The afflictions are but for a moment. The joy stretches along parallel with the ceaseless round of eternal ages. The shame is but for a moment. The exaltation is forever and forevermore. Then as we again quote the inspired and inspiring words of the apostle—God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ—let every believing soul say, Amen.

5. In view of the reward the apostle could glory in the cross. For the joy that was set before him, Christ endured the cross and despised the shame. Christ did not thus suffer because he lacked joy or riches when by his Father’s side in glory before the fall. All was fullness. Yet in order to offer happiness to a race of miserable rebels, he laid aside his glory and became a man of sorrows, and acquainted himself with grief. He endured physical agony in the shameful death of the cross. Nails were driven through his hands and feet. Then the cross was raised by strong hands and thrust in to the ground with terrible violence, nearly sufficient to dislocate every joint in the body. In this suffering condition the Crucified remained till the heart refused to beat. Christ died so soon that his crucifiers marveled, yet he endured six dreadful hours of agony. Most men lived much longer. This was not because Christ was constitutionally feeble. No; he was, doubtless, as his parents were, inured to labor, one of the strongest of that time. Then why did he die so soon? It was mental agony, principally, that crushed out his life. The sins of the whole world were upon him, from Adam to our day. You are burdened. For what? The wrong of another? Think of Christ. You are a Christian, and at times feel the burden of souls, yea, you are in agony. Then think of Christ with the weight of millions upon him. My soul, said he, is exceedingly sorrowful even unto death. And he endured all this for the reward of doing good to others. In the garden, on the cross, and during his entire ministry and priesthood, as his professed friends pierce his wounds afresh, and put him to open shame, his agony is beyond description. Yet he is to see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied. The joy, then, set before the only Son of the Eternal was to see those purchased by his own agony and blood, redeemed from the embrace of sin and Satan, seated on the throne of his glory, and encircled with angelic purity.

Behold the King upon his throne. Next are the millions of his fellow heirs. And next to these are the angels. Divine satisfaction now beams from that brow once streaming with blood from the crown of thorns. In its place is the crown of glory. He smiles on all, and says, I am satisfied. Oh! what love is this! once bathed in blood that we might be bathed in glory! If the Redeemer feels thus, how must the redeemed feel? We may get a faint idea of this as we read in the Revelation of the blood-washed ascribing glory, honor, and blessing to Him that loved them, and gave himself for them. This will be part of their joyful employment. Methinks as oft as the King upon his throne presents the nail prints in his hands, their joy will burst forth anew. And along the golden streets of the city of God will roll,

“Worthy, worthy is the Lamb That once was slain.”

Paul was a mathematician. He could count and reckon. He says, “I count all things as dross that I may win Christ.” And, “I reckon that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed.” Many who are quick in figures, when estimating this world’s value in dollars and cents, in applying the same principles to the wealth of the next, would prove themselves to be dull scholars. When they have learned its true value, they will compute the present by fractions, the future in round numbers.

6. By the cross of Christ the world was crucified unto Paul. In the cross which Christ suffered was the sum total of shame, agony, and of every thing objectionable. In bearing the cross after Christ, Paul found reproach, agony, and death. A poor man does not feel the loss of riches, for he has nothing to lose. The humble man, whether humble by virtue or grown in vice from youth, does not feel the loss of character in the eyes of the world; for the one is ignorant of it,

and the other does not want it. But Paul, possessing everything which in the eyes of the Jews was great and good, felt their loss. When the proud Jew became a humble Christian all was crucified and dead to him, but his risen Lord, and his cross.

7. Paul was crucified to the world. Here a new field of thought opens before me. How was he crucified to the world? We have seen how the world became dead to him; but a similar suffering on the part of the world may be as profitable for our reflection, as it is new. Were the apostles perplexed in consequence of the conduct of the Jews? The perplexity of the Jews in consequence of the resurrection of Christ, and the preaching and miracles of the apostles was greater. Joyfully the apostles suffered, while the Jews were grieved that they preached Jesus and his resurrection. True, their Christian hearts were sometimes wounded, and Paul in his deep distress, wished himself even accursed from Christ for his brethren and kindred according to the flesh. But the grace of God, present joys, and the hope of future glory, healed all such wounds. But the grieved hearts of the Jews, as they saw their power overruled by the power of God, manifested in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, their church slaughtered by drawing disciples from it, (even three thousand on one occasion were pricked in the heart at the preaching of Peter) were left bleeding. Who suffered most? The happy believer, or the unhappy unbeliever?

The apostles seemed to understand this, and, although they boldly preached the truth, made it the least objectionable possible. Paul even says, “I became all things to all men, that by all means I might save some.”

Come down to our own time. Who suffers most in consequence of unpopular truth? We or the world? Many make a god of their church, and are grieved when any of its members leave them. When we were filled with love to God, in the enjoyment of the faith and hope of the coming of his Son, and saw that we could not walk with those who opposed the truth, we quickly snapped the cords of sectarianism that bound us, and like birds let out of a cage, enjoyed our freedom, while the torn church grieved over, and suffered in consequence of their loss. Did you suffer? They more.

But if they really suffered, why did they treat me so badly? This was the very result of their suffering; and, being destitute of the grace it is your privilege to enjoy, they appeared to poor advantage.

Now view the contrast. Your afflictions are light, but for a moment, grace to sustain you, and the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory to cheer you, you are happy, or may be. Their afflictions are heavy, because they have not strength to bear them. What constitutes weight is attraction of matter to the center of gravity. A man of the world beneath the weight of cast-iron orthodoxy, and a two hundred-acre farm, all crowding him to the center of the earth, carries a ponderous burden.

The true Christian’s point of attraction is above. He may bear his Master’s cross. He may have cares of this life upon him; but the force of heavenly attraction is continually lifting his burden. And as the worldling looks to the future, all is dark uncertainty. With you, bright hope cheers and sustains. Would you add another sorrow to the sorrowful sinner’s heart? Be careful. By love and kindness you may melt his congealed soul, and thereby the light of hope and the warmth of heavenly love be let into it?

Here is a settlement of professed Christians who in harmony keep what is called the Christian Sabbath. There is harmony in that neighborhood. To the pioneers this locality is all the world, where are seen in the fair field, fences, roads, houses, barns and orchards, the fruits of the labor of their hands. But the messenger of present truth preaches in the school-house, which is cheerfully opened and filled at first. The plain word of God is preached, and one-fourth of the people embrace it. They are admiringly led along step by step into the truth, and have strength to bear the cross almost before they know it. And still they rejoice. But the church is torn, the neighborhood is thrown into confusion, and the other three-fourths are terribly grieved .

You go out on Sunday, after enjoying the blessing of the Sabbath, singing happily as you plough, mow, reap and cart, while your neighbor passes you to meeting with a heavy heart. The neighborhood is spoiled for him. He wants to sell out. He is perplexed. To form new associations at an advanced age is saddening. You are, or may be, happy at home. Who suffers most?

It was a cross for me to leave home in my school-boy days to preach unpopular truth. Parents, brothers and sisters, all professors, and two brothers, ministers, and none of them fully in the Advent faith. This was a crucifixion. But as I followed along the track of prophecy, and embraced truth still more unpopular, such as the Sabbath, Third Message, and Spiritual Gifts, my friends viewed me as lost, and on occasions when sons and daughters, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law visited the parental home and saw that I and mine were absent, they spoke of me with grief, and wept together for “poor James.” I and mine were happy in hope, joyfully doing the work of God. Who suffered most?

Now I do not blame myself for following truth, and sharing its blessings. In this I have done right. And I thank God that it has ever been in my heart to treat those who have not believed all that I have, with tenderness and respect.

A few days since we were invited to make a friendly visit at a brother’s house. His wife’s parents came to visit about the same hour. Also his wife’s sister, and her husband, who was a Baptist minister, made two of the number. The aged father had been a full believer in present truth, but had been reproved and harshly and wrongly treated at his own home by some who were utterly unworthy of a place among the people of God. And he being a man of strong will and independent spirit, rose up against them, partook of the same spirit, began to find fault with this one and that, this point of truth and the other, till he finally stood out against almost every point of the faith, and against nearly all who held the truth.

But we determined to avoid a collision, if possible, lest the pleasure of the interview be marred. But soon it was evident that the old gentleman wished to draw us out on points of doctrine where we could differ. We tried our ingenuity in evading the points of difference, and in drawing him off where we could not differ. But he was not to be so put off. He grew excited. I begged to be excused from conversation on such topics. Singing was introduced; and a skillful hand played the melodeon. But this did not soothe the evil spirit in him. He would talk, and was abusive, now and then using such words as “liars,” “deceivers,” &c. I left the house hoping that would help his insanity; but when I came in he was making ready to leave. He ordered his son, who was at work with his son-in-law, to pick up his things and go home. He told his son-in-law to never enter his house. And to cap the climax, said in substance, “If I cannot come here without having a row, I will never come again.” The whole family were in tears, and he would probably have wept, but he felt too bad to weep.

He had created all the difficulty that existed, which we all tried to prevent, but could not; then he laid the blame on us. And we doubt not but in his state of mind he was so deceived as to think himself abused. We had the satisfaction, however, of doing right, and there is not left in us the sting of wrong doing. Who suffered most in this affair? We doubt not but the aged father suffered ten fold more than any other one of the company.

This case is like hundreds of others, only with this exception: Many who suffer wrongfully, do not take it patiently, and lose the reward. Of those professing Christianity who suffer, there are four classes.

Those who suffer for their faults, and then abuse those who tell them the truth. This is a great sin.
Those who suffer for their faults and take it patiently. These will have no reward.
Those who are falsely reproached, and fail to be patient under false accusations. Neither will they receive a reward. And
Those who are reviled for righteousness’ sake. Of these Christ says, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in Heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

In this very text, rejoicing and exceeding gladness here are the portion of the abused, while the remorse and anguish of wrath and bitterness are the portion of their persecutors. Again, we inquire, Who suffers most?

May God bless these thoughts to the good of the erring, and may they see and feel the blessedness expressed by the apostle in the text, “But God forbid that I should glory in anything save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

The Sermon.

GLORYING IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST.*

GLORYING IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST.