"Because John says "of His fullness we have all RECEIVED," and Paul says "they which RECEIVE abundance of Grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign . . ." -- RECEIVE. Do you know how to receive? You say, "Sir, I suppose you mean, I need to pray." No, I do not mean that. There is all the difference in the world between praying for Christ and taking Christ. Years ago, I was staying with Canon (Samuel) Wilberforce at Southampton -- it was in the first flush of my new surrender. One Autumn night he said, "We will sit around the fire and give our experiences." Lord Radstock sat next to me, and he began. I followed, and talked as a young convert to this great teaching will talk -- a good deal about MY surrender to Christ. An old clergyman who sat on the other side of the circle arose and said, "I am very startled that Mr. Meyer has nothing better than that. To hear him talk, you would suppose that we had only got to "give up." Now my Christianity is TAKING IN, taking in FIRST, and dropping down and giving up AFTERWARDS." When you get gold, you part with dross. When you get real diamonds, you part with paste. Get Christ, and the world attracts you no more. Give me sunlight, and I will dispense with fluorescent light. Give me the light of day, and I need no artificial luminary. He continued, "I used to be overcome by temper. I fought and fought against temper. I came to the end of myself when a number of children refused to listen to my teaching. I was on the point of losing my temper, when I turned to Christ, and said, "Lord Jesus, BE MY SWEET TEMPER." Instead of fighting against bad temper, he took Christ to be his PATIENCE, his HUMILITY, his MEEKNESS, his SELF-CONTROL. I saw in a moment that this was a better experience. I remember next morning when Canon Wilberforce came downstairs, as we stood together he said, "What did you think of last night?" I replied, "I think it will mark a new era in my life." He said, "It will do the same in mine." From that moment, I have endeavored to live that way, and whatever I needed, I have said, "Christ, BE this in me." That is the good fruit of the land. Will you take this? Jesus does love you. Jesus is always near as could be to you. I do not talk about the cross so much as about Jesus who was crucified. I do not talk about the grave, but about Jesus who arose. I do not talk about the ascension, but about Jesus who ascended. He is with you and me ALWAYS. It is not holiness, but it is Jesus THE HOLY ONE. It is not meekness, it is JESUS, the meek one. It is not purity, it is Jesus, the pure one. Jesus, Jesus, JESUS! Not IT, but HE; not an experience, not an emotion, not even my faith, But JESUS. Soul, thou and Jesus are standing face to face. He gives His whole self to thee. TAKE HIM, and THEN, allow Him to have all of thee. Go to your bare cupboards, go to your dying child, go to your scenes of trouble and sorrow and pain. Be assured that HE goes, too. You have got the FOUNTAIN right there beside you. You do not need to take your pitcher and go to draw in some external well. You have JESUS in your heart . . . A fountain springing up to everlasting LIFE."
-- from "The Christ-life for the Self-Life," by F. B. Meyer Deb Bullington; Cindy Brown