Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2695
“They shall speak of the Glory of Your Kingdom, and talk of Your power.” Psalm 145:11.
YOU have only to look at the preceding verse and you will discover, in a single moment, who are the people here spoken of who shall speak of the Glory of God’s Kingdom and talk of His power. They are the saints—“All Your works shall praise You, O Lord; and Your saints shall bless You. They shall speak of the Glory of Your Kingdom, and talk of Your power.” A saint will often be discovered by his conversation. He is a saint long before he knows it. He is a saint as being set apart unto salvation by God the Father in the Covenant decree of Election from all eternity. And he is a saint as being sanctified in Christ Jesus and called. But he is more especially a saint as being sanctified by the quickening influence of the Holy Spirit which renders him truly sanctified by making him holy and bringing him into conformity with the image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Yet it is not at all times easy to discern a saint except by Scriptural marks and evidences. There is nothing particular about the countenance or dress of a saint to distinguish him from his fellows. The saints have faces like other men—sometimes they are sadly marred and furrowed by cares and troubles which worldlings do not know. They wear the same kind of garments as other men wear. They may be rich or they may be poor, but, still, there are some marks whereby we can discern them, and one of the special ways of discovering a saint is by his conversation. As I often tell you, you may know the quality of the water in a well by that which is brought up in the bucket—so may we tell a Christian by his conversation.
It is, however, much to be regretted that true children of the Lord often talk too little of Him. What is the conversation of half the professors of the present day? Honesty compels us to say that in many cases it is a mass of froth and falsehood and, in many more cases, it is altogether objectionable. If it is not light and frivolous, it is utterly apart from the Gospel and does not minister Grace unto the hearers. I consider that one of the great lacks of the Church, nowadays, is not so much Christian preaching as Christian talking—not so much Christian prayer in the Prayer Meeting, as Christian conversation in the parlor. How little do we hear concerning Christ! You might go in and out of the houses of half the professors of religion and you would never hear of their Master at all. You might talk with them from the first of January to the last of December and if they happened to mention their Master’s name, it would be, perhaps, merely as a compliment to Him, or possibly by accident. Beloved, such things ought not to be! You and I, I am sure, are guilty in this matter—we all have need to reproach ourselves that we do not sufficiently remember the words of Malachi, “Then they that feared the Lord spoke often, one to another, and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name.”
Possibly some will ask, “Well, Sir, how can we talk about religion? Upon what topic shall we converse? How are we to introduce it? It would not be polite, for instance, in the company with which we associate, to begin to say anything about the Doctrines of Grace, or about religious matters at all.” Then, Beloved, do not be polite! That is all I have to say in reply to such a remark as that. If it would be accounted contrary to etiquette to begin talking of the Savior, cast etiquette to the winds and speak about Christ somehow or other. The Christian is the aristocrat of the world. It is his place to make rules for society to obey—not to stoop down and conform to the regulations of society when they are contrary to the commands of his Master! Christ is the great Maker of laws, the King of kings and Lord of lords—and He makes
His people also to be kings! Kings make rules for ordinary men to obey, so must Christians do. They are not to submit to others—they must make others, by the worth of their principles and the dignity of their character, submit to them! It is speaking too lightly of a Christian’s dignity when we say that he dare not do the right because it would not be fashionable We care nothing for that, for “the fashion of this world passes away,” “but he that does the will of God abides forever.”
Another says, “What could I speak of? There are so few topics that would be suitable. I must not speak upon doctrinal subjects, for it would offend one of the party. They might hold different views. One might be a Wesleyan, one might be a Baptist, one might be an Independent, one a Calvinist, one an Arminian—how could I talk so as to please all? If I spoke of Election, most of them would attack me at once! If I began to speak of Redemption, we would soon differ on that subject, and I would not like to engender controversy.” Beloved, engender controversy rather than have wrong conversation! Better dispute over the Truth of God than agree about lies! Better, I say, is it to dispute concerning good doctrine! Far more profitable is it to talk of the Word of God, even in a controversial manner, than to turn utterly away from it and neglect it.