^ In the guest book of a friend I saw recently a few lines written by Dr. John Willis Baer, in which he said, quoting from another —
God gave Himself for us,
God gave Himself to us,
God wants to give Himself through us.*
III.
The Pakt which Eeason Plays.
" Which is your reasonable service."
1. It is natural to suppose, at first sight, and indeed the explana- tion is given by many expositors, that the word " reasonable " here ' J. H. Jowett. » J. W. Chapman.
224 THE BODY FOR GOD
means that it is not an unreasonable thing, but on the contrary proper and becoming, that we should present our bodies unto God. That is true, but it is not the meaning of the word in this verse. The word rendered "reasonable" here occurs only once besides in the New Testament, and there it is translated " spiritual." It means what belongs to the reason, and appertains to the mind, to the intellect and thought, not to any external or ceremonial law. Hence reasonable service means the service of reason, the service of mind. The reason of man is the priest that lays the body on the altar. The mind or will expresses its devotion by surrender- ing the body to God.
^ The powers of reason are required to determine what acts would be acts of rightful sacrifice and worship. Simple obedience to the precepts of the ceremonial law or tradition had once beer. a sufficient guide, but henceforth sacrifice was to be bound up with the new and glorious responsibilities which belong to knowledge.^
2. The word " service," too, is somewhat ambiguous. It does not here mean service in the sense of ministering to the wants and obeying the commands of a master, but service in the sense in which we use the word when we speak of " Divine service." When the word service is used in a Scriptural sense, it means the service of worship ; and reasonable service will therefore mean the worship of mind — the worship of thought, intellect, a worshipping mind approaching God. " I beseech you to present your bodies a living sacrifice, which is the worship of your minds." If that is the meaning, and there cannot be much doubt that it is, the expression " reasonable service " seems to stand in contrast to the word " body " in the middle of the verse — " to present your bodies." What you present is the body, but it is the worship of your mind. It is as much as to say, on the one hand, that no act done by the body is worship, is service, is acceptable unto the Lord, unless accompanied by an act of mind — an act of thought. God cannot be pleased with an external act, unless that external act re- presents an internal resolve, an internal desire, an internal act. There must be presentation of the body to perfect the worship of the mind. " I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."
»F. J. A. Hort.
In Fashion or in Favour,
ROMANS — 15
Literature.
Ainger (A.), The Gospel and Human Life, 137.
Balmfortli (R.), The Evolution of Christianity, 107.
Burrows (H. W.), Lenten and Other Sermons, 29.
Candlisb (R. S.), The Two Great Commandments, 40.
Flint (R.), Sermons and Addresses, 145.
Gamble (H. R.), The Ten Virgins, 63.
Greenhough (J. G.), in Great Texts of the New Testament, 181.
Hayman (H.), Rugby Sermons, 99.
Howard (H.), The Summits of the Soul, 83.
Inge (W. R.), All Saints' Sermons, 181.
Jackson (G.), Memoranda Paulina, 38.
Keble (J.), Sermotis for the Christian Year (Christmas and Epiphany),
396. Knight (G. H.), Full Allegiance, 43. Lucas (H.), At the Parting of the Ways, 256. Macaskill (M.), A Highland Pulpit, 28.
Maclaren (A.), Creed and Conduct, 122. „ „ Expositions : Romans, 230.
Manning (H. E.), Sermons on Ecclesiastical Subjects, iii. 3.
Percival (J.), Some Helps for School Life, 237.
Selby (T. G.), The Divine Craftsman, 229.
Simcox (W. H.), The Cessation of Prophecy, 251.
Simpson (J. G.), Christian Ideals, 111.
Temple (F.), Bu^by Sermons, i. 282.
Watson (J.), The Inspiration of our Faith, 122.
"Wilberforce (S.), Sermons, 237.
Christian World Pulpit, lix. 161 (Gore) ; Ixv. 45 (Stewart) ; Ixxix. 276 (Roberts).
Contemporary Pulpit, 2nd Ser., v. 40 (Vaughan) ; vii. 38 (Maurice).
196
In Fashion or in Favour.
Be not fashioned according to this world : but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.— Rom. xii. 2.
1. The great aim of St. Paul in the first eleven chapters of the Epistle to the Romans is to convince his readers that men of no race or class, whether Jews or Gentiles, can claim eternal life on the ground of their own merits, but, in order to receive it, must be content to accept it humbly and thankfully from the grace of God. His own summary of his whole argument is, " For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all." To this mercy or grace he traces the calling, the election, the justification, the sanctification, the peace, the joys, the hopes, and, in a word, all the blessings shown by him to be included in the portion of a Christian. These glorious privileges are all mercies, pure mercies of God.