Checks upon the Church

Your weekly Dose of Spurgeon

The PyroManiacs devote some space each weekend to highlights from the lifetime of works from the Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon.  The following excerpt is from The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, volume 7, sermon number 359, "The Tabernacle--without the camp." 

"If you profess to go outside the camp, others will look for something extra in you,—mind that they are not disappointed. They ought to expect it, and I am glad they do expect it." 

I have heard some say, “I do not like to join the church because then there would be so much expected of me.” Just so, and that is the very reason why you should—because their expectation will be a sort of sacred clog to you when you are tempted and may help to give impetus to your character and carefulness to your walk—when you know that you are looked upon by the eyes of men.

I wish to have the members of this church carefully watched by the ungodly. If you catch them tripping, notice it. If you see them going into sin, let it be spoken of. God forbid we should wish to conceal it; let it come out. If we are not what we profess to be, the sooner we are unmasked the better. Only do judge us fairly. Do judge the life of a professing Christian honestly.

Do not expect perfection of him; he does not profess to be perfect; but he does desire to try to keep his Master’s law, and to do to others as he would they should do to him. We would not say to the world, “Shut thine eye.” The eyes of the world are intended to be checks upon the church.

The world is the black dog that wakes up Christ’s slumbering sheep; ay, and that sometimes hunts them into the fold when otherwise they would be wandering upon the mountains. Expect to be watched, professor. In the day when thou sayest, “I will go outside the camp to follow Christ,” expect to be misrepresented. Expect that the dogs of this world will bark at thee. They always bark at a stranger, and if you are a stranger and a foreigner, they must bark at you.

Expect, too, that they will watch your little slips, so let that be a check to you, and make you pray each moment, “Lord, hold thou me up, and I shall be safe.”

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