What would you ask for?

(Joseph Alleine, "Alarm to the Unconverted" 1671)

That night God appeared to Solomon in a dream and 
said—What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!" 
    2 Chronicles 1:7

If God would give you your choice, as He did to Solomon,
what would you ask for? Go into the gardens of pleasure,
and gather all the fragrant flowers there—would these satisfy
you? Go to the treasures of mammon; suppose you may carry
away as much as you desire. Go to the towers, to the trophies
of honor—and become a man of renown. Would any of these,
would all of these satisfy you, and make you to count yourself
happy? If so, then certainly you are carnal and unconverted.

Converting grace turns the heart from its idols—to the living
God. Before conversion, the man minded his farm, friends,
pleasures more than Christ. He found more sweetness in his
merry company, worldly games, earthly delights—than in Christ.
Now he says, 'But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss
for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss
compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus
my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them
rubbish, that I may gain Christ!' Philippians 3:7-8
 

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~