Psalms 145:11

They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom.

Christian conversation

It is 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. 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 parlour. How little do we hear concerning Christi

I. A subject for conversation.

1. The glory of Christ’s kingdom.

(1) Make known His mighty acts. Tell it the wide world o’er that the Lord of hosts is the God of battles; He is the conqueror of men and of devils; He is Master in His own dominions. Tell ye the glory of His kingdom, and rehearse “His mighty acts.” Christian, exhaust that theme if thou canst.

(2) Then, in speaking of the glory of Christ’s kingdom, talk of its glorious majesty (verse 12). Tell of the crown of grace which He wears continually; tell of the crown of victory which perpetually proclaims the triumphs He has won over the foe; tell of the crown of love wherewith His Father crowned Him in the day of His espousals to His Church,--the crown which He has won by ten thousand hearts which He has broken, and untold myriads of spirits which He has bound up.

(3) Talk of its duration, for much of the honour of the Kingdom depends upon the time it has lasted (verse 13).

2. Christ’s power.

(1) Upholding (verse 14).

(2) Exalting (verse 14).

(3) Providing (verse 15).

II. The causes which will make Christians talk of the glory of Christ’s kingdom and His power?

1. One cause is, that it is the kingdom of their own King.

2. The Christian must talk of the King’s victories because all those victories were won for Him; he recollects that his Master never fought a battle for Himself,--never slew an enemy for Himself. He slew them all for His people.

3. The Christian must talk of it because he himself has had a good share in fighting some of the battles. You know how old soldiers will “shoulder their crutch, and tell how fields were won.” Recollect that you have been a soldier in the army of the Lord; and that, in the last day, when He gives away the medals in heaven, you will have one; when He gives away the crowns, you will have one. We can talk about the battles, for we were in them; we can speak of the victories, for we helped to win them. It is to our own praise as well as to our Master’s when we talk of His wondrous acts.

4. But the best reason why the Christian should talk of his Master is this, if he has Christ in his heart, the truth must come out; he cannot help it.

III. What would be the effect of our talking more of Christ’s kingdom and power?

1. The first effect would be that the world would believe us more.

2. If our conversations were more concerning Christ, we, as Christian men, should grow faster, and be more happy. In this way you would remove bickerings better than by all the sermons that could be preached, and be promoting a true evangelical alliance far more excellent and efficient than all the alliances which Than can form.

3. If we oftener talked of Christ like this, how useful we might be in the salvation of souls! Souls are often converted through godly conversation. Simple words frequently do more good than long sermons. Disjointed, unconnected sentences are often of more use than the most finely polished periods or rounded Sentences. If you would be useful, let the praises of Christ be ever on your tongue; let Him live on your lips. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Declaring God’s doings

Of one of the statues in the Campanile, Florence, it is said that Donatello, when giving it the last stroke of his chisel, exclaimed in enthusiastic admiration, “Speak!” So Christ, when He calls men from their sins and recreated them in His own image, says, “Tell what things God hath done for you.”

The glory of Christ’s kingdom

I. In its origin. It was the object of the divine and eternal purposes of the Father; an object to which all other purposes were subservient. It entered into the councils of the Eternal before the foundation of the world was laid. It was a grand design, intended to include the reign of God over the mind and heart of man; a purpose to establish a kingdom, the subject, s of which should be raised to be partakers of the same nature as their Sovereign.

II. In the manner and spirit of its administration (2 Samuel 23:1; Isaiah 11:4; Matthew 11:28; Luke 17:21; Romans 14:17; 2 Corinthians 3:3; John 10:4; John 17:24; John 14:3).

III. In the character of His subjects.

1. They are enlightened: they have just conceptions of things; they are delivered out of darkness, which envelops the rest of mankind, as the children of Israel had light in the land of Goshen when the habitations of the Egyptians were in darkness.

2. They are renewed: the Spirit of God changes their heart; they are made imperfectly, yet truly holy; they have a principle in them that aims at perfection; their characters are mixed, but the best part struggles against the worst, and will finally triumph.

3. They have in them a preparation for perfect blessedness.

IV. In the privileges attached to it.

1. Peace.

2. Dignity.

3. Immortality. (R. Hall, M. A.)

The glory of God’s rule

I. In the universality of its extent. His kingdom extends over all, over all matter, and over all mind. It includes the microscopic atom and the mightiest orb; the lowest fiend and the sublimest angel.

II. In the righteousness of its foundation. God has a right to rule the universe.

1. On the ground of proprietorship He owns all.

2. On the ground of capacity. No one else has the power.

3. On the ground of character. He is infinitely good.

III. In the benevolence of its operations. Unlike all human kings, He rules not for His own aggrandizement or interest, but simply for the good of His subjects.

IV. In the indestructibleness OF ITS NATURE. Human kingdoms have in them the seeds of decay; they chase each other from the scene like the clouds before the wind. All of them are but as little bubbles on the stream, by a breath or a touch they are broken and lost. But His kingdom will endure for ever. (David Thomas, D. D.)