Having nothing-yet possessing all things…

(Thomas Brooks, “The Crown and Glory of Christianity, or, HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness“, 1662)

“Having nothing–and yet possessing all things.” 2 Corinthians 6:10

This is a riddle the world cannot understand.
A holy man cannot be a poor man.
A holy man is always the richest man.
The riches of a Christian have no bottom.
All a saint’s bags, are bottomless bags.

Experience tells us that unholy men’s bags, purses, coffers, and mints–may be drawn dry. But the treasury, the riches of a saint–can never be exhausted, for he possesses all things in Christ and with Christ! The Christian has the God of all–he has Him who has all.

Though he has nothing in hand–yet he has all things in hope. A holy man is the richest man in the world, for he has the great and glorious God engaged by many thousand promises . . .
to own him,
bless him,
stand by him,
to give grace and glory to him, and
withhold nothing from him that may be good for him.

When …men brag of their great possessions and riches–a holy man may make his boast of God, and say, “God is mine! God is mine! He is my great all; He is my all in all; and therefore I am richer and a greater possessor than any …man in the world–yes, than all …men in the world put together!”