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Consider Christ as —

I. THE GIFT OF GOD.

1. What is not implied —

(1) That there is any posteriority on the part of the Son to the Father. The Son's goings forth are "from of old — even from everlasting." "Before Abraham was, I am."(2) That there is any inferiority in nature, perfections, or blessedness on the part of the Son; for what the Father is that the Son is.

(3) Still less that there was any involuntariness on the part of the Son to come to us. The Son was as willing to be given as the Father was to give Him.

2. What is implied —

(1) The Saviour's appointment by the Father to the work of substitution for sinners.

(2) The Saviour's subjection, as the sinner's Substitute, to all the consequences which His situation entailed, having undertaken to make satisfaction for us.

(3) The application of the Son to the sinner's soul as his portion, with all the blessings that are consequent upon His mission.

II. THE UNSPEAKABLE GIFT OF GOD. Now this word "unspeakable" occurs only twice elsewhere (2 Corinthians 12:4; 1 Peter 1:8).

1. It is unspeakably great. Its greatness surpasses all human expression, it is a Divine gift. Divinity is the sun that lightens and gilds every passage of inspiration.

2. It is unspeakably free. And, after all, it is the freeness of this gift that makes it so worthy of God to bestow, and so fit for us to accept.

3. It is unspeakably necessary. We were lost, and none but Christ could find us; dead, and none but Christ could raise us; sunk, and none but Christ could recover us; afar off, and none but Christ could bring us in; guilty, and none but Christ could procure for us a pardon.

4. It is unspeakably efficacious. A gift may be exceedingly valuable in itself — it may have been bestowed by great kindness, but, somehow or other, it may fail of answering the end intended. But here is a gift that is efficacious.

III. A GIFT FOR WHICH THANKS ARE TO RE RETURNED TO GOD. These thanks must be —

1. Personal.

2. Fervent and lively.

3. Practical.As Philip Henry says, "thanksgiving is good, but thanks-living is better."

(J. Beaumont, M. D.)

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KJV: Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

WEB: seeing that through the proof given by this service, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the Good News of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all;