The Most Precious Thing In Heaven or Earth

The most precious thing in heaven or earth

(John Flavel, "The Fountain of Life")

In giving Christ to die for poor sinners, God gave the 
richest jewel in His cabinet; a mercy of the greatest 
worth, and most inestimable value. 

Heaven itself is not so valuable and precious as Christ 
is! Ten thousand thousand worlds--as many worlds as 
angels can number, would not outweigh Christ's love, 
excellency and sweetness! O what a lovely One! What 
an excellent, beautiful, ravishing One--is Christ!

Put the beauty of ten thousand paradises, like the garden 
of Eden, into one; put all flowers, all fragrances, all colors, 
all tastes, all joys, all sweetness, all loveliness into one; 
O what a lovely and excellent thing would that be! And yet 
it would be less to that loveliest and dearest well-beloved 
Christ--than one drop of rain to all the seas, rivers, lakes, 
and fountains of ten thousand earths! 

Now, for God to bestow the mercy of mercies, the most
precious thing in heaven or earth, upon poor sinners; 
and, as great, as lovely, as excellent as His Son was--what 
kind of love is this!

_________________________________________________

Jesus is only precious to believers

(James Smith, "Christ Precious!")

"Unto you therefore who believe — He is precious!" 1 Peter 2:7

Every believer VALUES Christ. Let others think of Him as they may — all who are taught of God, think highly of Him. They can never honor Him as they wish, orenjoy Him to their full satisfaction. 

Every believer feels their NEED of him. 
No weary traveler ever felt his need of rest, 
no hungry laborer ever felt his need of food, 
no drowning mariner ever felt his need of a life-boat
 — as the believer has felt his need of Christ! 
They need to be saved — and only Christ can save them. 
They need to be happy — and only Jesus can make them happy. 
They need His blood to cleanse them from sin, and procure their pardon. 
They need His righteousness to clothe their souls, and justify them before God. 
They need His Spirit to sanctify their nature, and make them fit for Heaven. 
They need His intercession to secure them from evil, and procure for them good things. 
They need His fullness of grace to supply all their needs, from earth to Heaven. 

Every believer discovers the exact SUITABILITY of Christ to them. 
He is just what they need — He has all that they need!
They are foolish — and He has wisdom. 
They are unrighteous — and He has righteousness. 
They are unholy — and He has holiness. 
They are weak — and He has strength. 
They are in bondage — and He has redemption. 
They are lost — and He has salvation.
In a word, they are led to see that God has stored up everything in Jesus, and that possessing Him — they have all things!

Every Christian believes on Him to the saving of the soul. They trust Him to procure their pardon, peace with God, and everlasting life.
Their heart goes out to Him,
they repose confidence in Him, 
they commit their souls to Him, 
they build on Him — as God's foundation;
they hide in Him — as the sinner's refuge; and 
they trust themselves with Him — as the almighty Savior.

"Unto you therefore who believe — He is precious!"

But Jesus is only precious to believers. Others do not feel their need of Him, do not see His adaptation to them, and do not depend on Him for pardon, peace with God, and everlasting life.

Beloved, do you have this saving 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.

If so, 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!

________________________________________________

Altogether lovely!
("Solitude Sweetened" by James Meikle,)

"Yes, He is altogether lovely! This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend!" Song of Solomon 5:16

Why does the world reject the wondrous Savior? 
Why do they abhor Him who is altogether lovely, 
and hate Him who is the best Friend of sinners? 

O men of the world! what good can you desire which is not in Christ? 
The excellencies of earth are but His footstool; 
the excellencies of Heaven are but His throne! 
How excellent, then, must He Himself be! 

His treasures are infinite — and open for you! 

In Jesus are . . .
  riches — if you are poor; 
  honor — if you are despised; 
  friendship — if you are forsaken;
  help — if you are injured;
  mercy — if you are miserable;
  joy — if you are disconsolate; 
  protection — if you are in danger;
  deliverance — if you are a captive;
  life — if you are mortal; and
  all things — if you have nothing at all. 

Time and eternity are His — and He can give you all the glorious things of eternity!

Moreover, He can deliver you . . .
  from all your fears;
  from sin — the worst of all evils;
  from self — the most hurtful of all companions;
  from death — the most dreadful of all changes;
  from Satan — the most subtle of all enemies;
  from Hell — the most horrible of all prisons; and
  from wrath — the most horrifying doom of all sinners!

Now, where will you find such a one as Jesus? 

Why, then, refuse life, and seek after death and damnation? 

All Heaven is enamored with His beauty!

The longer we look on 'created gaieties', the leaner and less lovely they grow; so that, by the time we have viewed them forty, fifty, or sixty years — we see nothing but vanity in the creature! But when ten thousand ages are employed in beholding the perfection and beauty of Jesus — He still appears more and more lovely — even altogether lovely!

Alas! I can say nothing of His true excellencies! They overwhelm my laboring thought, and are too vast for my feeble conception to bring forth!

[these were taken from www.gracegems.org - a wonderful place to find serious Christian studies!]