Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2164
“I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of Your righteousness, even of Yours only.” Psalm 71:16.
This is a Psalm of David’s old age and we will carefully notice the characteristic feature of it. It is not addressed to men concerning God, but it is addressed to God Himself, for He was David’s dearest Friend. Our Psalms and hymns are not for man’s criticism, but for the Lord’s acceptance. This is the tenor of the Psalm—David has been with his God and he is now ready for anything. This grand old man, in his later days, is exposed to enemies quite as fierce as those which he had to encounter in his earlier times, but instead of gathering his friends together and conversing with them, and seeking their counsel, he gets quite alone and begins to cry, “In You, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.”
Trusting alone in God makes us grandly independent towards men. The man of God shuts the door—he realizes that the Lord is in the chamber with him and he speaks to Him, saying, “Be You my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: You have given commandments to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress.” He pours out his heart before God and pleads with Him, “Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength fails. O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.” It is a delightful sight! There are two in the room, though you can only see one with the natural eye. The man whom you see, discerns another, a great and glorious One and he talks with Him “as a man talks with his friend.”
Is this a fancy picture to you, my Brother, my Sister? Is this merely a sketch of something which happened ages ago? Have you not often been one in that scene? I know that I have been there and I trust that it has been so with you. These are the choicest joys we know—these lone communings with Jehovah, our God! That room where we are alone with God is the nearest to Heaven of any place between here and Paradise! I wish that we more often enjoyed communion with closed doors. We might. Why don’t we? Whatever we gain by occupying our time otherwise can, at the best, be only compared to silver—but this is the golden way of spending our hours!
When we are with God, we have the All-in-All for company and He fills our minds better than a thousand finite beings could do. The Lord our God has filled our heart and filled our room—and filled the universe for us—and we are overflowing with blessedness! It is good to come here and mingle with God’s people in public worship. As my well-beloved Brother, Mr. Williams, said in prayer just now—many a Thursday night have the saints of God come in here burdened and they have gone away lightened, for God has met with them! Our Thursday nights are little Sabbaths in the middle of the week—resting places between the Sundays—oases in the desert of our toil.
But there is something closer and less likely to be a mere form—our private meetings with God. I pray you, make many secret appointments with your Lord and keep them! Have many trysting places where you and your Well-Beloved meet. I am certain that it will be imperative upon you to meet Him whenever you are in sore trouble—your sense of need will drive you to it. I do not know that Jacob ever spent a whole night with God till he was about to meet his brother Esau and was in great fear that he would smite the mother with the children. Then it was that he said—
“With You all night I mean to stay, And wrestle till the break of day.” I guarantee you Jacob was a greater gainer by that fright than if he had never heard a whisper of opposition! It was well for him that he had an Esau, with armed men, to drive him to his God. He could say afterwards, “It was good for me to have been afflicted.” Anything that brings us into close fellowship with God, however evil in itself, works for us the grandest form of good.
Now, if there are any here very much like David. If they are growing old and if, being aged, they are also surrounded by slander, persecution and reproach, let them see what David did. If they are met by great difficulties and even by malicious adversaries, let them go where David went! Go and sit before the Lord and pour out your heart before Him. I think I see David sitting there, naturally full of sorrow—an old man, compassed with infirmities and, at the same time, bowed down with troubles—and there he is rejoicing in the faithful God, of whom he says, “O God, You have taught me from my youth: and until this time have I declared Your wondrous works. Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not until I have showed Your strength unto this generation and Your power to everyone that is to come.”
He has realized the Presence of his God in secret and his troubles are laid before God in prayer. Gradually they subside. He began to speak very hopefully. Now he rises from hope to a joyful confidence. The old man goes on talking there, as some would say, “to himself.” But we know better—he was conversing with his God—and before that hallowed interview is over he has reached such a happy state of mind that he says, “My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto You.” His fingers long to join his lips and he is looking for his psaltery and his harp that instrumental music may aid his tongue and that so he may praise God with all his might!