...MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE

"To remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." -Acts 20:35 [KJV]

My soul, do not forget these words of thy Lord, after the Holy Ghost had been pleased thus sweetly to give them to the church. It is extremely probable, that Jesus had more than once expressed Himself in those gracious words to His disciples, though none of the evangelists have recorded them. But God the Holy Ghost would have them communicated to the church, and therefore the apostle Paul folds up his parting sermon to the church at Ephesus with them. And blessed be that eternal Spirit for this, among a thousand other instances of glorifying the Lord Jesus!  

And now, my soul, do not forget the words of thy Lord, but bind them as frontlets between thine eyes, and beg of the Holy Ghost to engrave them on thine heart. Is it, my Lord, more blessed to give than to receive? With Jesus, indeed, it hath been for ever thus: for thou canst receive nothing but broken hearts; and we have nothing else to give Thee. Hast Thou found it so, my Lord, that it is more blessed to give than to receive? And doth Thy blessedness consist in giving instead of receiving? Yea, Lord, it is indeed Thy blessedness, Thy glory, Thy joy, to give pardon to guilty sinners, and grace to needy sinners. Thou art most blessed in this barter, in giving out of Thy fulness, to supply the emptiness of Thy poor pensioners, and to shed Thy blood on purpose that there might be an open and everlasting fountain for sin and for uncleanness.  

Lord! may I always remember this, and so remember it as to see, that while it is Thy blessedness to give and not to receive, it is my blessedness to have to do with One Who cannot receive, but hath all to give. Yea, Thou ever blessed, ever lovely, ever gracious Jesus! let me so remember those sweet words of Thine, that I may see that it is part of the blessedness of my Lord to give to His poor creature, and that Jesus is made blessed and glorious by laying out His grace upon such a poor worm as I am. Let me say, and let my faith be strengthened while I say it, through Thy grace teaching me; my God, my Saviour, my Lord Jesus will get glory in the everlasting praises of heaven, from my poor soul, and from every poor sinner whom He hath saved like me, in having laid out the riches of His grace, and in saving, by His blood and righteousness, souls that were dead in trespasses and sins: Henceforth may I always remember the words of my Lord. It is Jesus that hath found it "more blessed to give than to receive." 

-Robert Hawker (1753-1827 A.D.)

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