severally as he will*." On the other hand, they who have the lowest office have no reason for discontent : for they, in their place, are as necessary to the perfection of the whole, as any other member whatever. If they have a lower office than others, they have comparatively less responsibility : and, if they discharge their office conscientiously for the good of the whole and the glory of God, their improvement of their one talent will as certainly be acknowledged and rewarded by God, as the improvement which others may make of their ten talents.]
2. Our mutual dependence —
[No man is independent: no man is sufficient for his own welfare : no man can say to any other, I have no need of youb. Every one is in want of many things that must be sub- plied by others : the eye needs the foot, as much as the foot needs the eye. No member possesses any thing for itself alone : the eye sees not for itself, nor does the ear hear for itself: it is for the whole that every member's faculties are given ; and for the whole must they be employed. If any mem- ber be afflicted, all the rest must sympathize with it, and admi- nister to it : and if any member be particularly benefited, all the others must be partakers of its joy. Every one must con- sider the concerns of others as its ownc: nor must any one draw back from the most self-denying offices for the good of others. Is a hand bruised? the feet, the eye, the tongue, the ear, must all exert their respective talents to procure relief. No one must refuse to do what in him lies for the good of the others. The same members that now put forth their powers for the relief of one that is afflicted, may soon need from it a return of the same kind offices : and if any should say, I will give myself no trouble about this afflicted member, he will soon be made to see, that, by producing a schism in the body, he does the greatest injury to himself; it being impossible either to impart, or to withhold, the required assistance, with- out participating in the effects of its own conduct.]
3. Our individual interest —
[The interest of every individual member is, to get its own powers invigorated and enlarged. The more penetrating the eye, or the more expert the hand, the more it will be able to advance the good of the whole. Now every member of the Church being united unto Christ as his living Head, he should seek from Christ such gracious communications as may fit him more for the discharge of every office to which he is called.
* 1 Cor. xii. 4—11. b 1 Cor. xii. 11—23.
c 1 Cor. xii. 25, 26. with Phil. ii. 4. 1 I 2
484 ROMANS, XII. 4—8. [l<J07.
Whatever situation the member may hold in the body, its duty, and its interest also, is the same. It will not be advanced by intruding into the offices of another, but by fulfilling its own, and getting a greater measure of activity and vigour in the discharge of them. In truth, each is advanced only in propor- tion as it contributes to the welfare of others. The feet, whilst keeping the whole body in health, enjoy health themselves : the hands, whilst they procure sustenance for the whole body, are themselves strengthened: and in seeking the good of the whole, each advances most the glory of that blessed Saviour, whose members they ared. The Saviour's glory and the welfare of the Church are so identified, that they cannot be separated from each other6.
Thus we see the truth and propriety of the comparison in our text : for as all the members of our body are united to the head, and to each other by the head ; as they also receive life and nourishment from the head, and act in subserviency to it and by its direction ; and finally, as they all have precisely the same interests, and have a perfect communion with each other in all that relates to their welfare ; so it is with the Church of God: all are united to Christ by faith: all, by virtue of their union with him, are united to each other in him : all have their separate endowments for the good of the whole : all should look upon each other as members of their own body, as much as his hands or feet are : and all should feel with, and act for, every other member, precisely as for himself. O that this our relation to Christ and to each other were felt and realized among the saints of every communion under heaven !]