Hearts Filled With
Thankfulness to God
From
a sermon by Mrs. Ellen G. White given at the St. Helena Sanitarium
Chapel (now the St. Helena Hospital), August 1, 1903.
Last
evening, as we met together in our sitting room for worship,
it seemed to me as if the Lord Jesus were in our midst, and
my heart went out in love to Him. I love Him because He first
loved me. He gave His life for me. Last night I felt as if
I wanted everything that hath breath to praise the Lord. It
seemed to me that we should have praise seasons, and that
constantly our hearts should be filled so full with thankfulness
to God, that they would overflow in words of praise and deeds
of love. We should cultivate a spirit of thankfulness.
To
the fathers and mothers before me I would say, Educate your
children for the future, immortal life. Educate them to see
the beauty there is in a life of holiness. Bring them to the
foot of the cross. Try to teach them what it means to believe
in Jesus--that it is to accept Him as our dearest Friend.
Help them to understand that He took upon Himself the nature
of humanity, in order that He might stand at the head of humanity
and become acquainted with all our trials and afflictions.
He could have surrounded Himself with angels of glory, but
no, He condescended to be made like unto His brethren. He
was not born as a prince in this world, but was of humble
parentage. He understands the trials of the poor. He knows
all about the temptations we meet in daily life. We may safely
put our trust in Him.
Oh,
I am so thankful, so thankful, that we have a Saviour who
can sympathize with us in everything through which we are
called to pass! He loves us with an infinite love. Shall we
not so relate ourselves to Him that He can fulfill His purpose
concerning us? He desires to cleanse us from sin. As John
the Baptist was preaching and baptizing on the banks of the
Jordan, he saw Christ coming toward him, and, recognizing
Him as the Saviour, he cried out, "Behold the Lamb of
God, which taketh the sin of the world!" Shall not we
decide to let Christ take away our sin? Is sinning so great
a pleasure to us that we will decide to continue to grieve
the One whose heart is filled with infinite love for us? Why
not cease sinning? We can do this by faith, if we lay hold
on Christ's promises, and say, "In my hand no price I
bring; Simply to Thy cross I cling."
Christ
asks for our love. Does He not deserve it? Has not He given
us instruction at every step? He says, "Whosoever will
come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow Me." He bore the cross of self-denial and
self-sacrifice. He passed over the ground where Adam fell.
Our first parents were placed in Eden, and surrounded with
everything that would lead them to obey God. Christ assumed
our fallen nature, and was subject to every temptation to
which man is subject. Even in His childhood He was often tempted.
Through life He remained unyielding to every inducement to
commit sin. When in His youth His associates would try to
lead Him to do wrong, He would begin to sing some sweet melody,
and the first thing they knew they were uniting with Him in
singing the song. They caught His spirit, and the enemy was
defeated. Ah, my friends, Christ is the Chiefest among ten
thousand. Praise the name of the Lord!
Published
in Sermons and Talks, volume 2, pp. 234, 235.