ticularly appears in his ordering matters || secration and entreaty, I beseech you, brethrelating to the Jews and Gentiles, recorded in the foregoing chapter. 36 For of him, and to him, are all be glory for ever.

and through him,
things: to whom
Amen.

entreat. The minister's work and office

ren. It imports great lenity and meekness. The apostle did not want authority to command, but uses such humility as to is not only to be a teacher, but a beseecher. He must not barely propound and recomThat is, all things are of God, as the mend the doctrines of the gospel to his author and efficient cause; all things are people's understanding, but must endeathrough him as the providential director, vour to work upon their wills and affecand preserving cause; and all things tend tions to embrace and entertain them. The to him, as the ultimate end and final cause: understanding is the leading, but the will therefore to him all praise, honour, and the commanding, faculty. Observe, 3. glory, ought for ever to be ascribed." The exhortation itself: Present your bodies Learn hence, That God is the first cause, a living sacrifice. Present your bodies, that and last end. He is the first cause; that is, dedicate your persons, devote youris, he is the cause of all things besides selves, your whole man, soul and body, to himself, the fountain and original of all the service of God and his glory. Chriscreated beings; nothing was before him, tians are priests, or a royal priesthood; but all things were created by him, and de- they offer up themselves in sacrifice unto pendent upon him. And as he is the first God, as a whole burnt-offering. Observe, cause, so he is the last end, that is, all 4. The properties of the Christian sacrithings tend to him as their ultimate end; fice: it must be voluntary; present yourtheir design and aim was the illustration selves. It must be a living sacrifice, an holy of God's glory, and the manifestation of sacrifice, a reasonable sacrifice; otherwise his divine perfections. And if God be the it will find no acceptance with God. Obfirst cause, let us with humility and thank-serve, 5. The argument or motive which fulness acknowledge him, admire and adore him, love and serve him, who is the author of our being, and the cause of all other beings. And if he be the last end, let us refer all our actions to his glory; in all our natural actions, our civil actions, but especially in all our religious actions, let the glory of God be our supreme aim, and ultimate end. For if we do not now live unto him, we can never expect hereafter to live with him.

CHAP. XII.

Our apostle having finished the doctrinal part of his discourse, begins here to make application

of it. In the former part of his epistle, he had copiously handled the doctrinal points of faith,

justification, sanctification, &c. Now from

bence to the end of the epistle, there is contained an exhortation to religious and moral duties, as an argument of their sincerity, and as an ornament to their profession.

BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Observe here, 1. The apostle's loving and courteous compellation, brethren: so he calls the believing Romans. They were brethren by place and nation, and brethren by religion and profession: eodem sanguine Christi conglutinati, cemented together by the blood of Christ, and by the bands of love. Observe, 2. The manner of the apostle's exhortation: it is by way of obVOL. IL-13

the apostle makes use of, to persuade persons to present and give up themselves to God and his service, and that is drawn from the mercies of God; I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God. Learn thence, That the mercies of God, revealed in the gospel, are the most proper, powerful, and effectual argument, to persuade with, and prevail upon, sinners, that have not given up and devoted themselves to God, to do it; and those that have done it, to do it more and more: I beseech you, by the mercies of God, that ye present yourselves, &c. 2 And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God.

Observe here, 1. The apostle's dehortation, Be not conformed to this world, that is, «Do not fashion or accommodate yourselves to the corrupt principles or cus toms, to the sinful courses and practices, of the men of the world." The Christian is to walk singularly, and not after the world's guise; he must not cut the coat of his profession according to the fashion of the times, or the honour of the company he falls into. Observe, 2. An apostolical exhortation, Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind; that is, "Be ye regene rated and changed in your whole man, beginning at the mind or understanding, by which the Spirit of God worketh upon the inferior faculties of the soul." Every I

converted person is truly and really chang-
ed, thoroughly sanctified and renewed,
endowed with new dispositions and affec-
tions; yet this conversion and renovation
is not a substantial, but a qualitive change,
a change not in the substance of the facul-
ties of the soul, but in the quality of those
faculties. And the renewed Christian is
sanctified totus, but not totaliter; he is sanc-
tified thoroughly in all faculties, but not
perfectly in all degrees. There is in a
renewed man's understanding too much
blindness and ignorance, in his will too
great obstinacy and perverseness, in his
affections too much irregularity and sen-
suality. Yet such is the indulgence of the ||
gospel, as to call him an holy person, a
person transformed by the renewing of his
mind. Observe, 3. The reason of the
apostle's exhortation, Be ye transformed, &c. |
that ye may prove what is that good, and accept-
able, and perfect will of God: that is, that
he may discern and approve what the will
of God is under the gospel, which requires
not what is ritually, but what is substan-
tially good, and consequently always ac-
ceptable to him. Note here, That opposi-
tion to the Levitical ceremonies and ritual
injunctions, the apostle styles the gospel
institution, the good, and acceptable, and
perfect will of God; and as such may we
love and embrace it, and be found in the
delightful practice of it.

3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

The apostle having exhorted to an holy life in general, ver. 1. and to a spiritual renovation of mind, in order to it, ver. 2. comes now to a close exhortation to more particular duties; the first of which is modesty and true humility of mind. This he recommends especially to such who bear any public office in the church, and had received some peculiar and special gifts to fit and furnish them for the discharge of that office. St. Paul here particularly enjoins them, by virtue of his apostolic office, to watch against pride, and haughtiness of mind, not to think themselves wiser better than they were, but to think soberly and modestly of themselves, according to the truth, and to the degree of faith and wisdom given unto them of God; plainly intimating, that such as are exalted to a degree of eminence in the church above others, are in great danger

of the sin of pride, which it is their duty to watch and pray against, and to be found in the exercise of that humility and lowliness of mind, which is so greatly ornamental to their persons and profession: Let not any man think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but let him think soberly. 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office; 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Here the apostle lays before us a special reason why the officers of the church should exercise humility towards, and employ their gifts and talents for, the general good and benefit of the church. The argument is drawn from a comparison between the natural body and the mystical body. "As in the natural body there are many members, and every member has its distinct office, the eye to see, the ear to hear, the hand to work, the foot to walk; in like manner, in the mystical body, the church of Christ, there are many members; but each member must keep his own place, and not invade the duty or usurp the office of another, but every one employ his own proper gift to the benefit and comfort of the whole, without disdaining or envying one another." Learn hence, 1. That the though the body of the church be one, and church of Christ is one body. 2. That the Head one, yet the members are many, united to Christ their Head by faith, and to one another by love. 3. That all believers, which are members of this body, have every one his particular gift, his several function, his proper office, which they are duly to execute and perform, without encroaching upon others by proud curiosity, or busy meddling. But as all the members of the body labour jointly together for the preservation of the whole, so ought all the officers and members of the church to keep their distinct stations, and employ and improve regularly their several talents for the mutual edification and benefit of each other, without encroachment or intruding upon the offices of each other. God is a God of order, and hates disorder in his church.

6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith: 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on

exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth merey, with cheerfulness.

other graces and duties spring and flow. This love to one another, the Holy Ghost requires that it be without dissimulation, that is, sincere and unfeigned, not in word and in tongue only, but in deed and in truth; As if our apostle had said, "Seeing it also that it be an affectionate and tender, has pleased God to appoint distinct officers as well as an unfeigned and sincere love: in his church, and to furnish those officers Be kindly affectioned one to another. The with various degrees of gifts, and not to word signifies such an affectionate tendermake all equal either in gifts or office, let ness as a mother bears to the fruit of her every one in general faithfully execute his womb, and as creatures bear to their office, and keep within the limits of his young; and no wonder that such a fervent calling, neither neglecting his own duty, love is required, when laying down our lives nor invading another's; in particular let for the brethren is commanded, 1 John iii. kim that prophesieth, that is, expoundeth the 16. Likewise, that our love to others do scriptures in the church, do it according to incline us to give preference unto others; the proportion of faith, or according to what really conceiving others to be more worthy is taught plainly and uniformly in the of honour than ourselves, and rejoicing to whole scriptures of the Old and New Tes- see them placed in a more useful and tament, as the rule of our faith." We honourable post than ourselves. Yet obmust not rack nor wrest the scriptures, to serve, Though our love must be hot tomake them speak what we please, but wards our neighbour, it must not hinder what the prophets and apostles taught,|| us from abhorring that which is sinful and whom we interpret; otherwise we do not evil in our neighbour: Love without dissimu expound according to the analogy and pro-lation, and abhor that which is evil. When portion of faith. "Let him that minister- we love the persons, we must hate the eth, teacheth, or exhorteth, attend upon vices, of men: the love of our friends that work with all diligence; and he that must not make us in love with their faults; performs the office of a deacon, (who are nor must the hatred of men's vices draw called helps, 1 Cor. xii. 28.) and is employed us off from delighting in, and cleaving to, to relieve the poor out of the church's that which is good in any man: Abhor that stock, and to take care of strangers, or which is evil, and cleave to that which is good. phans, aged, sick, and impotent persons; let him do it with simplicity, that is, without partiality and respect of persons; and with cheerfulness, that is, with alacrity of heart, with gentleness in words, with pleasantness of countenance, bearing with the infirmities of the aged, with the loathsomeness of the sick and diseased, and administering with delight to the necessities of all that want." Now from the whole note, 1. That God of his free bounty has beautified his church with divers officers and gifts. Note, 2. That those whom God has bestowed ministerial gifts upon, ought humbly and faithfully to improve them to the church's benefit and education.

11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord:

The next duty exhorted to, is diligence and industry in all our duties both to God and man, but particularly in the duties of our calling. We must avoid the two extremes of slothfulness on the one hand, and excessive drudgery on the other, in the management of our secular affairs and worldly business. But in the service of God we must be fervent, as in the service of the world we must not be slothful. What is done for the world, is best done with indifferency; but what is done for God, is best done with warmth and fervency, or not done at all. Our most ardent affections and active powers must be employed in his service; for, to be cold and careless therein, disparages his excellency, and will defeat our own expectation. We and may not be slothful in business, servmust be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

ing the world.

12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

The apostle next directs the converted Romans how they should manage themselves under afflictions; namely, to endure