Saturday, March 21, 2015

Thus Esteem CHRIST, As Your Treasure!

Imitate the miser!
(William Mason
"The One Thing Needful to Make Poor Sinners Rich--
and Miserable Sinners Happy")

"Where your treasure is, there will 
your heart be also." Matthew 6:21

Is not CHRIST our richest treasure? 

Should HE not be ever in our minds, 
and our minds ever on HIM? 
O Christian, the riches of your 
CHRIST are boundless 
and bottomless! 

You have in CHRIST, 
UNSEARCHABLE RICHES--
an inexhaustible treasure 
which never fails!

O then, imitate the miser! 

Let your mind dwell on your treasure. 
Let your treasure be ever uppermost 
in your mind.

Is the miser's mind ever upon, and 
ever going out after his treasure? 
Just so, let your minds dwell on CHRIST!

Does the miser value himself 
by his treasure? Just so, must 
you value yourself--
upon CHRIST!

Is he always poring over his 
precious wealth? Just so, should you 
pour over your precious CHRIST!

Does the miser love to inspect, 
and count over his beloved gold? 
O let your mind be ever inspecting 
your beloved CHRIST in . . .
   in HIS wondrous person;
   in HIS amazing love, in laying 
down HIS life for you, HIS enemy;
  and in HIS glorious salvation 
of you, an ungodly sinner!

Be constantly counting over . . .
  all the great and precious promises 
     which you have in HIM;
  all the gracesblessings, and 
     comforts which you have from HIM;
  and the certain glory which you 
    soon shall enjoy with HIM!

Is the miser careful to keep, and 
fearful of losing, any part of his 
possession? So let it be between 
CHRIST and your mind. 
Hold HIM fast. Cleave to HIM. 
Be careful to enjoy HIM always. 
Be ever fearful of losing any blessing 
or comfort HE has promised to bestow.

Thus esteem CHRIST--
as your treasure! 

Let all your hopes center in HIM, 
and all your affections fix upon HIM! 

Until time is swallowed up in eternity--
be receiving out of HIS inexhaustible fullness . . .
  grace upon grace,
  blessing upon blessing,
  comfort upon comfort!

CHRIST is your treasure! 

All other things are but dross 
and dung compared to HIM! 
Look down with a holy contempt, 
upon all objects beneath your Beloved!

"But whatever was to my profit I now 

consider loss for the sake of CHRIST. 
What is more, I consider everything 
a loss compared to the surpassing 
greatness of knowing CHRIST JESUS 
my LORD, for whose sake I have lost 
all things. I consider them rubbish, that 
I may gain CHRIST!"   Philippians 3:7-8    

~  ~  ~  ~

GraceGems has published J.R. Miller's uplifting 2 page article, 
"Transformed by Beholding!"

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