w become external to the man. His inner
heart was free from them. The world said, "Abraham is rich," but the
aged patriarch only smiled. He could not explain it to them, but he knew
that he owned nothing, that his real treasures were inward and eternal.

There can be no doubt that this possessive clinging to things is one of
the most harmful habits in the life. Because it is so natural it is
rarely recognized for the evil that it is; but its outworkings are
tragic.

We are often hindered from giving up our treasures to the Lord out of
fear for their safety; this is especially true when those treasures are
loved relatives and friends. But we need have no such fears. Our Lord
came not to destroy but to save. Everything is safe which we commit to
Him, and nothing is really safe which is not so committed.

Our gifts and talents should also be turned over to Him. They should be
recognized for what they are, God's loan to us, and should never be
considered in any sense our own. We have no more right to claim credit
for special abilities than for blue eyes or strong muscles. "For who
maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst
not receive?"

The Christian who is alive enough to know himself even slightly will
recognize the symptoms of this possession malady, and will grieve to
find them in his own heart. If the longing after God is strong enough
within him he will want to do something about the matter. Now, what
should he do?

First of all he should put away all defense and make no attempt to
excuse himself either in his own eyes or before the Lord. Whoever
defends himself will have himself for his defense, and he will have no
other; but let him come defenseless before the Lord and he will have for
his defender no less than God Himself. Let the inquiring Christian
trample under foot every slippery trick of his deceitful heart and
insist upon frank and open relations with the Lord.

Then he should remember that this is holy business. No careless or
casual dealings will suffice. Let him come to God in full determination
to be heard. Let him insist that God accept his all, that He take
_things_ out of his heart and Himself reign there in power. It may be he
will need to become specific, to name things and people by their names
one by one. If he will become drastic enough he can shorten the time of
his travail from years to minutes and enter the good land long before
his slower brethren who coddle