By way of improvement,
1. Let us endeavour to estimate aright this gift of God—
[God's own Son is infinitely above all creatures : all the hosts of angels and all the glory of heaven were nothing in comparison of him. Had he been a mere creature, the Apostle's inference had been inconclusive d. He, against whom the sword of vengeance was put forth, was Jehovah's fellow e. Let our gratitude rise in proportion to the excellency of this gift : let us contemplate its excellency, till we exclaim with the Apostle f — ]
2. Let us avail ourselves of the encouragement given us to ask for more —
[We daily need many things both for our bodies and souls, and we have the fullest assurance that God will grant us what we need. Let not any one then say, " I am too unworthy to ask." What worthiness was there in man to obtain the gift of God's own Son ? After him, can there be any thing too great for God to bestow ? Surely then the weakest and the vilest may enlarge their petitions. If we " open our mouths wide, God will fill them."]
3. Let us be chiefly solicitous to receive Christ
himself —
[God will bestow every thing " with Christ ." we cannot receive his blessings without him, nor him without his blessings. Let us then in every state labour most to secure our interest in Christ. If he be ours, we cannot but have every thing in, and with himS.]
d If our Lord were only a creature, the reasoning would be to this effect : — ' If God delivered up one creature to endure temporal pain, how shall he not deliver millions of creatures from enduring eternal misery ? If he gave one creature, who was infinitely below himself, to be deprived of life for a time, how shall he not give himself, who is infinitely above all creatures, to be our everlasting portion ? ' What force or propriety would there be in such reasoning as this ?
• Zech. xiii. 7. 1 Tim. iii. 16. f 2 Cor. ix. 15.
e 1 Cor. iii. 21—23.
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