Christ Precious! # 3

Christ Precious! # 3

His blood and obedience, His word and His grace, his faithfulness and sympathy, are unutterably precious!

Beloved, do you have this faith, which renders Christ so precious? If so, admire the sovereign and distinguishing grace of God, which has conferred so great a blessing upon you - for not all are given saving faith. 

Honor the Holy Spirit, by whose operation this faith was produced in you.

Realize the importance of this faith, which renders Christ so precious.

It is the eye - which sees the beauty of Christ.

It is the foot - which travels to Christ.

It is the hand - which lays hold of Christ.

It is the mouth - which tastes the sweetness of Christ.

It is the inward principle - which clings and cleaves to Christ.

Avoid therefore whatever weakens faith, or interrupts its exercise; and prize whatever strengthens it, and makes it vigorous!

If you do not have this faith, or if you doubt whether you have or not - cry mightily to God, to send the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit of faith to produce, or increase it, in you.

If you do not have high and honorable thoughts of Christ, if you do not prize Him as the chief among ten thousand, and altogether lovely, if you do not depend entirely on His precious blood and finished work, for your salvation - whatever faith you may have - is not that faith which distinguishes God's elect, which is the operation of God, and to which the promise of salvation is made. Look well to it therefore, that you have this faith, that you believe on the Son of God, that you believe that Jesus is the Christ, and trust in Him, and love Him accordingly, for, "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God."

Jesus is precious, says the Word,
What comfort does this truth afford!
And those who in his name believe,
With joy this precious truth receive.

To them He is more precious far,
Than life and all its comforts are;
More precious than their daily food,
More precious than their vital blood.

Not health, nor wealth, nor sounding fame,
Nor earth's deceitful empty name,
With all its pomp, and all its glare,
Can with a precious Christ compare!

He's precious, in His precious blood.
That pardoning and soul-cleansing flood!
He's precious, in His righteousness,
That everlasting heavenly dress!

In every office He sustains,
In every victory He gains,
In every  council of His will,
He's precious to His people still.

As they draw near their journey's end,
How precious is their heavenly friend!
And, when in death the bow their head,
He's precious on a dying bed.

~James Smith~

(The End)