October 29

Charmed by Christ

“Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty” (Isa. 33:17).
“We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father” (John 1:14).

The world—oh, what a bubble, what a trifle it is! Friends are nothing, fame is nothing, health is nothing, life is nothing; Jesus, Jesus is all!
Oh! what will it be to spend an eternity in seeing and praising Jesus! To see Him as He is, to be satisfied with His likeness! Oh, I long, I pant, I faint with desire to be singing, “Worthy is the Lamb!”—to be extolling the riches of sovereign grace—to be casting the crown at the feet of Christ! And why may we not do all this on earth?
—Edward Payson.

Leave me Jesus, only Jesus—let the lights of earth grow dim;
I shall miss no other radiance, looking ever unto Him.
Put away my earthly idols; let them crumble; let them fall;
Leave me Jesus, only Jesus; let me keep my All-in-all.
While the changeful years are passing, bearing from my heart away
Many treasures, loved and cherished—only let Him stay.
Other joys no more may bless me; other friends may leave my side;
Only let me hold His friendship; only let Him still abide.
Let the chill mists fall about me; let the lights of earth grow dim;
Leave me Jesus, only Jesus; I am satisfied with Him.

I have sometimes heard of spells and charms to excite love, and have wished for them, when a boy, that I might cause others to love me. But how much more do I now wish for some charm which should lead men to love the Savior! What would I not give for the power to make sinners love Him, for the faculty of describing His beauties and glories in such a manner as to excite warmer affections toward Him in the hearts of Christians! Could I paint a true likeness of Him, methinks I should rejoice to hold it up to the view and admiration of all creation and be hid behind it for ever. It would be Heaven enough to hear Him.
I have no heart to speak or write about anything but Jesus; and yet I have little patience to write about Him in our miserably defective language, unsuitable to speak His praises and describe His glory and beauty! But they cannot be described—they cannot be conceived; for “no man knoweth the Son, but the Father.” What a wonderful idea does that text give us of the Son! Saints in Heaven do not know Him perfectly; even the angels do not. None but the Father is able to comprehend all His excellence. Yet, various, great, unsearchable, infinite as are His excellencies, they are all ours; for He is our Savior, our Head.
—Edward Payson.

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