Thou Hast Received Gifts for Men
Jesus the Mediator emptied himself for our sakes when he descended to earth, in order to die for us, and by his death to subdue our enemies, and now the Father has filled him again at his ascent to heaven with every glory and every blessing, with all authority and power to bestow blessings, graces and glories on the sons of men. “It pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell. All power in heaven and earth was given into his hands;” Col. i. 19. Matt, xxviii. 18. And when he received the power he distributed the blessings. See Acts ii. 33. Being by the right-hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. He hath shed abroad miracles and graces in abundance among the inhabitants of the lower world.
The triumphs of majesty must have some mercy in them, and ensigns of victory must be interwoven with signal displays of bounty and grace. When he led captivity captive he received gifts for men. Our conquering Redeemer was not so elevated with the pomp of his triumphs over the angels his captive enemies, as to forget the captives that he released among the children of Adam. He received many donations from his Father on high to shower down among them upon his coronation-day, that illustrious day when “.he that in righteousness had made war and conquered, received on his own head many crowns;” Rev. xix. 11, 12.
He that could take so much pleasure on earth in his labors of love, takes more delight in heaven in the distributions of grace. This is the sweetest j)art of his triumph and the most visible among men, even the gifts of the Spirit that he sent down after his ascension. It was necessary that his grace should have some share of the glory of that day.
* PMalni lxviii. 18.
What was said of the great day of deliverance, when the Jews obtained victory over their designed murderers, may be applied with honor to the day when our Lord ascended to heaven and celebrated his triumph over the spirits of darkness. “This was a good day for Israel, for all the saints; a day when Jesus rested from his enemies, and a month which was turned unto him from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a day of gladness. This was a day of receiving portions for his brethren, and of sending gifts to the poor;” Esther ix. 22.
Jesus our King is the Prince of Power, and the Prince of Peace. He solemnized his victory with acts of mercy, and began his reign with gifts of grace. He led Satan the arch-traitor bound at his chariot-wheels, and scattered donatives of pardon and life among the sons of Adam that had been seduced into the great rebellion.
It is another pleisant meditation on this text, “That God the Father had not given away all his gifts to men even when he gave them his only begotten Son;” for since that time he hath given his Son more gifts to be distributed among them. Learn hence the unwearied love of God, the iuexhausted stores of divine mercy. John iv. 10. Christ is called the gift of God. And 2 Cor. ix. 15. The unspeakable gift. He gave his own Son out of his bosom and gave him up to death for us. His Son that was nearest his heart, his Son the delight of his soul and darling of his eternal enjoyment; and yet he is not weary of giving. O the immeasurable treasures of grace! O the unlimitable bounties of our God! Stand amazed, O heavens, and let the earth lie low in thankfulness and wonder, and every holy soul adore this surprising love!
Our meditations may take another step and see here the divine condescension to human weakness: How a giving God stoops to the capacity of receiving creatures, and bestows the richest blessings on us in a sweet and alluring manner of conveyance. When he gave his Son to us, he first arrayed him in flesh and blood, that the glories of the deity might not affright us, nor his terrors make us afraid: When he proceeds to confer on us further gifts, he puts them into the hands of his Son dwelling in our nature, that we might have easy access to him without fear, and receive gifts from him as a delightful medium, by whom a God of infinite purity hath a mind to confer favors on sinful man.
He has put all grace into those hands whence we ourselves would choose to fetch it. If a God of shining holiness and burning justice should appear like himself and call to us, guilty wretches, and hold forth his hand, here are gifts, here are pardons, here are salvations for you, we should be ready to say with Job xiii. 21.
Withdraw thy hand far from me, and let not thy dread make me afraid. But here we sinners come to a man, to one that has worn our flesh and blood, that is our brother and of our own composition, we come with courage to him that looks like one of us to receive the gifts of a holy God, and the terrors of his holiness sink us not, nor the fire of his justice devour us. O my soul, bow down and worship that God that stoops so low to thee, and has found such a mild and gentle method of conferring his heavenly favors on thee.