EVEN JESUS, The Excellent One!

Speaking of our LORD JESUS here, "Thou hast received gifts for men." —Psalm 68:18 [KJV]

The dedication of this Psalm, according to Beza, is to Him that excelleth, even Jesus, the excellent One. It contains a glorious display of the Redeemer's kingdom. The royal prophet was highly favored with clear and comfortable views of the ample provision which is made for poor rebellious sinners in the settlements of the everlasting covenant of grace and love. Jesus is the rich treasury; all grace is laid up in Him. So it pleased the Father, so it rejoiced the heart of all his members like Joseph's brethren, to receive all gifts from his hands. Jesus is the unspeakable gift of God the Father to us.—see John 4:10. 

All His members were given to Him: in Him Jehovah loves us, delights in us, and rejoices over us to do us good. Alas! too, too often we are apt to think vainly, and talk arrogantly; to ascribe what we are, and what we hope for, to something in us, or done by us. So we lose sight of our own poverty, forget our kind Benefactor, and presently this fever of pride is succeeded by an ague of heartless dejection: our hands hang down and our knees grow feeble. For ever blessed be God, salvation from first to last is all of free gift by free grace, secured by free promises in Christ. 

So it is effectual to the hearts of sinners; so believers ascribe all the glory to the ever-blessed trinity by Jesus. Are mine eyes opened to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin? Am I sensible of my deserts, my ruined, helpless state as a sinner? Do I see the purity and spirituality of God's righteous law? Do I despair of all hope and help in myself? Is Jesus my refuge? Do I see the glory of His righteousness, and perfection of His atonement? Is the triumph of His cross, the victory of His death, the foundation of my faith, the support of my hope from day to day? These are love-tokens from Jesus. He sheds them on us as the free gifts of the Holy Spirit. 

So our hearts are enamoured with Him, and knit to Him in love. And, for our farther consolation and joy, He still lives to bestow innumerably more and infinitely greater gifts than what we have yet received; for if we have received the first fruits of the Spirit the harvest is sure: every enemy shall be conquered, every lust subdued. Nothing less than perfect holiness and perfect happiness await us. 

Is sin atoned for by the blood of Jesus; and shall His members live without a sense of pardon? No: "Ask," says our munificent Benefactor, "and receive, that your joy may be full."—John 16:24. Jesus is glorified; the Spirit is given to bear witness of love and salvation to us, to comfort and sanctify us. This is the joyful reasoning of faith.  

"If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him, also freely GIVE us all things?"—Romans 8:31, 32.

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)