Riches! Beauty! Pleasure! Genius! Fame!

(Hannah More, "Practical Piety" 1811)

To the dying bed we must all inevitably come.

Those who are brought to serious reflection by the
salutary affliction of a sick bed, will look back with
astonishment on their former false estimate of
worldly things.

Riches! Beauty! Pleasure! Genius! Fame!

What are they in the eyes of the sick and dying?

Riches! These are so far from affording them a
moment's ease, that it will be well if no remembrance
of their misuse aggravate their present pains. They
feel as if they only wished to live that they might
henceforth dedicate their riches to the purposes for
which they were given.

Beauty! "What is beauty?" they cry, as they consider
their own sunken eyes, hollow cheeks, and pallid
countenance. They acknowledge with the Psalmist
that, "You make his beauty to consume away like
a moth: surely every man is vanity." Psalm 39:11

Genius! What is it? Without faith, genius is only a
lamp on the gate of a palace. It may serve to cast
a gleam of light on those outside, but the inhabitant
sits in darkness.

Pleasure! That has not left a trace behind it.

Fame! Of this their very soul acknowledges the
emptiness. They are astonished that they could
ever have been so infatuated as to pursue a
shadow, to embrace a cloud. They now rate
at its true value the fame which will be so
soon forgotten in death.

As we approach the 'land of realities', the 'shadows
of this earth' cease to interest or mislead us.

The films are removed from our eyes.

Objects are stripped of their false luster.

Nothing that is really little any longer looks great.

The mists of vanity are dispersed.

Eternal things assume their proper magnitude,
for we behold them with a true vision.

We have ceased to lean on the world, for we
have found it both a broken reed and a spear.
It has failed us, and it has pierced us.

We lean not on ourselves, for we have long known
our own weakness. We lean not on our virtues, for
they can do nothing for us.

But we know in Whom we have trusted. We look
upward with holy but humble confidence to that
Great Shepherd, who having long since led us into
green pastures, having corrected us by His rod,
and by His staff supported us, will, we humbly
trust, guide us through the dark valley of the
shadow of death, and safely land us on the
peaceful shores of everlasting rest!

When the Son of Man comes in His glory!

(Octavius Winslow, "Evening Thoughts")

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory,
and all the angels with Him, then He will
sit upon His glorious throne." Matthew 25:31

Surpassing in glory all that the eye has ever
seen, or the imagination has ever conceived,
will be the second personal appearing of the
Son of God.

A perfect contrast will it present to His first
advent. Then He appeared a king, but . . .
disguised in the form of a servant,
without a retinue,
without the insignia of royalty,
without visible glory,
His throne a cross,
His crown the thorns,
His scepter a reed.

But His second coming will be in perfect
contrast with this. He will now have thrown
off the garment of humiliation, and will
appear clad with the robe of majesty, the
King acknowledged and adored.

He will come in the glory of His Divine nature.
His Deity will now be unveiled, unclouded, and
undenied, the "God over all, blessed for evermore!"

Angels will laud Him.
Saints will crown Him.
Devils fear Him.
His enemies will bow to Him.
Every tongue shall confess His Deity.

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory,
and all the angels with Him, then He will
sit upon His glorious throne." Matthew 25:31


Oh what a glorious God is ours,
and what vile wretches are we!
(Winslow, "Evening Thoughts")

In the world, and yet not to be of the world!

(Mary Winslow, "Life in Jesus")

"They are not part of this world any more than
I am." John 17:16

What a difficult matter it is to be in the world,
and yet not to be of the world! Our Lord Himself
carried out this principle. He passed through the
world as one who was not of it.

Oh, that we could but imitate His holy example,
and aim only, while in it, so to let our light shine,
that others may take knowledge of us that we
have been with Jesus, and have learned of Him.

It should be our whole endeavor to do all the
good we can in it and for it; and yet to set at
nothing its spirit, its principles, and its maxims.

How can a believer walk through this world
safely and securely? Only as he is upheld by
a strength that is Omnipotent!

I am passing through a world lying in the wicked one.

I belong to another kingdom, which is not of this world.

Dear friend, see, then, your high calling!

He has called you to come out of the world and
to be separate; in principle, in practice, in heart.

"The world would love you if you belonged to
it, but you don't. I chose you to come out of
the world, and so it hates you." John 15:19

"I have given them Your word. And the world
hates them because they do not belong to the
world, just as I do not." John 17:14

The heart of Infinite and Eternal love!

(Mary Winslow's, "Heaven Opened")

I find it sweet to retire and be alone with my
best Friend. What a privilege to open our whole
heart, and lean, like John, upon the Savior's
tender, sympathizing bosom!
What on earth is like this? A broken heart, a
helpless and powerless soul resting upon the
arm and the heart of Infinite and Eternal love! 

The posy and the ring!

"In flowers you have a separate beauty belonging
to each; no one flower is just like another, but each
one blushes with its own loveliness. But in our Lord
these separate and distinct beauties are found
united in one. Christ is the posy in which all the
beauties of the garden of perfection are bound up.

Each gem has its own radiance: the diamond is
not like the ruby, nor the ruby like the emerald.
But Christ is that ring in which you have sapphire,
ruby, diamond, emerald, set in choice order, so that
each one heightens the other's brilliance.

Do not look for anything lovely outside of Jesus,
for he has all loveliness. All perfections are in him
making up ONE CONSUMMATE PERFECTION; and
all the loveliness which is to be seen elsewhere is but
a reflection of his own unrivaled charms."  -Spurgeon 

Thanksgiving is never out of season!

(James Smith)

"In everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus!" 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Everything we enjoy, should be viewed as coming from the gracious and liberal hand of our sovereign God.

All was forfeited by our sin.

All that we receive is by His grace.

The providence that supplies us — is the wisdom, benevolence, and power of God in operation for us — as expressive of His infinite love and unmerited grace!

Our talents to provide supplies,
our opportunities to obtain them,
and our abilities to enjoy them,
 — are alike from the Lord.

Every mercy increases our obligation — and deepens our debt to free grace!

Thanksgiving is never out of season, for we have always much to be grateful for.

We must view all things as . . .
  arranged by His wisdom,
  dependent on His will,
  sanctified by His blessing,
  according with His promises,
  and flowing from His love!

"In everything give thanks!" 1 Thessalonians 5:18

   ~  ~  ~  ~

Love was the interpreter!

(J.R. Miller, "Help for the Day")

A young lady purchased a book and read a few pages — but was not interested in it. Some months afterwards she met the author — and a tender friendship sprang up, ripening into love and marriage. Then the book was dull no longer. Every sentence had a charm for her heart. Love was the interpreter!
In the same way, to those who do not know Christ personally, the Bible seems dry and uninteresting. But when they learn to know Him, and to love Him — then all is changed! The deeper their love for Him becomes — the more do the sacred pages glow with beauty and light!

"O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day!" Psalm 119:97