Let us look at the Master Himself, our great Exemplar, and inquire how did He carry himself toward the men of this world? Did He ever find an object in common with them? Never. He was always feeding upon and filled with one object, and of that object He spoke. He ever sought to lead the thoughts of men to God.
This, my beloved reader, should be our object too. Whenever we meet men, we should lead them to think of Christ; and if we do not find an open door for that, we should not certainly suffer ourselves to be carried into the current of their thoughts. If we have business to transact with men, we must transact it; but we should not have any fellowship with them in their habits of thought or conversation, because our Master never had; and if we diverge from His path as to this, we shall soon sink into an unsanctified tone of spirit. We shall be as “salt that has lost its saltness,” and thus be “good for nothing.”
I cannot doubt but that much of that lack of settled peace, of which so many complain, is very justly traceable to the light and trifling habits of conversation in which they indulge; to their reading of newspapers and other light works. Such things must grieve the Holy Spirit; and if the Holy Spirit is grieved, Christ cannot be enjoyed; for it is the Spirit alone who, by the written word, ministers Christ to the soul.
I do not mean to deny that very many feel this lack of peace, who do not engage in such things; but I say that these things must, necessarily, be productive of serious injury to our spiritual health, and must induce a condition of soul which is most dishonoring to Christ.
It may be, that many who have long been accustomed to high teaching, will turn away from such plain, practical principles as these; but we must expect this. It will be pronounced legalism; and the writer may be accused of seeking to bring people into a sort of bondage, and of casting them upon themselves. I can only say, God forbid.
If it be legalism to direct attention to the matter of conversation, then it is the legalism of the Epistle to the Ephesians; for there we find, that “foolish talking and jesting” are among the things which are not to be “once named among us, as becometh saints.”
The word which is rendered “jesting” takes to what is commonly called “wit,” “humor,” “punning,” and such like. It is well to remember this. The word “jesting” would let a great deal pass which should come under the edge of the original word, which is a compound of two Greek words, signifying “to turn well.”
Again, we read,
“Let your conversation be always with grace, seasoned with salt.” These are plain statements of Scripture—statements found in immediate connection with some of the most elevated doctrines of inspiration; and it will be found, that where those plain statements are not allowed their full weight on the conscience, the higher truths are not enjoyed. I can neither enjoy, nor walk worthy of my “high vocation,” if I am indulging in “foolish talking and jesting.”
I quite admit the need of carefully avoiding all affected sanctimoniousness, or fleshly restraint. The sanctimoniousness of nature is fully as bad as its levity, if not worse. But why exhibit either the one or the other? The Gospel gives us something far better. Instead of affected sanctimoniousness, the Gospel gives us real sanctity; and, instead of levity, it gives us holy cheerfulness. There is no need to affect anything, for if I am feeding upon Christ, all is reality, without any effort. The moment there is effort, it is all perfect weakness. If I say I must talk about Christ, it becomes terrible bondage, and I exhibit my own weakness and folly; but if my soul is in communion, all is natural and easy, for “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” It is said of a certain little insect, that it always exhibits the color of the leaf on which it feeds. So it is exactly with the Christian. It is very easy to tell on what he is feeding.
But it may be said by some, that “we cannot be always talking about Christ.” I reply, that just in proportion as we are led by an un-grieved Spirit, will all our thoughts and words be occupied about Christ. We, if we are children of God, will be occupied with Him throughout eternity; and why not now? We are as really separated from the world now, as we shall be then; but we do not realize it, because we do not walk in the Spirit.
It is quite true, that in entering into the matter of a Christian's habit of conversation, one is taking low ground; but, then, it is needful ground. It would be much happier to keep on the high ground; but, alas we fail in this; and it is a mercy that Scripture and the Spirit of God meet us in our failure. Scripture tells us we are “seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:66And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (Ephesians 2:6)); and it tells us not “to steal.” It may be said that it is low ground to talk to heavenly men about stealing; yet it is Scripture ground; and that is enough for us. The Spirit of God knew that it was not sufficient to tell us that we are seated in heaven; He also tells us how to conduct ourselves on earth; and our experience of the former will be evidenced by our exhibition of the latter. The walk here proves how I enter into my place there.
Hence, I may find in the Christian's walk a very legitimate ground on which to deal with him about the actual condition of his soul before God. If his walk is low, carnal, and worldly, it must be evident that he is not realizing his high and holy position as a member of Christ's body, and a temple of God.
Wherefore, to all who are prone to indulge in habits of trifling conversation, I would affectionately, but solemnly say, look well to the general state of your spiritual health. Bad symptoms show themselves—certain evidences of a disease working within—a disease, it may be, more or less affecting the very springs of vitality. Beware how you allow this disease to make progress. Betake yourself at once to the Physician, and partake of His precious balm. Your whole spiritual constitution may be deranged, and nothing can restore its tone, save the healing virtues of what He has to give you.
A fresh view of the excellency, preciousness, and beauty of Christ is the only thing to lift the soul up out of a low condition. All our barrenness arises from our having let Christ slip. It is not that He has let us slip. No; blessed be His name, this cannot be. But, practically, we have let Him slip, and our tone has become so low, that it is at times difficult to recognize anything of the Christian in us, but the mere name.
We have stopped short in our practical career. We have not entered, as we should, into the meaning of Christ's “cup and baptism”; we have failed in seeking fellowship with Him in His sufferings, death, and resurrection. We have sought the result of all these, as wrought out in Him; but we have not entered experimentally into them, and hence our melancholy decline, from which nothing can recover us, but getting more into the fullness of Christ.
(Concluded)