III. The exhortation he founds upon it —
*' Our body and our spirit are entirely God's" property. We are bound therefore to glorify him with both to the uttermost —
[We cannot indeed add any thing to God's glory ™. God however esteems himself glorified by our services". There are many ways in which we may glorify him daily. A devotedness to him is justly called " our i-easonable service"."]
Let the exhortation then have its due effect — [God claims every one of us as his own. Let us not then live as though we were at our own disposal ; let us adopt the resolution of Joshua? — let us yield to him all the members of our bodies^ ; let us glorify him with every faculty of our souls'^; let us never disjoin what was so connected in Paul's experi- ence^ ; let us seek to have that inspired declaration fulfilled in us*—]
Inferences —
We may see from hence,
1. What lamentable ignorance prevails in the Christian world !
[Many are daily violating their baptismal vows without remorse. Though educated in the faith of Christ, they give not themselves to him. This may well be a matter of sur- prise to thoughtful minds. It justly excited the feelings of David ". Let us beg of God to convince us of the evil of such conduct ; let us turn from it with self-lothing and self-abhor- rence^.]
2. How reasonable and delightful is the Christian's duty!
[What more reasonable than that we should be his who bought us? And what so delightful as to be ever glorifying God ? This constitutes the felicity of the perfected saints and angels. We should never be unhappy here if we abounded more in this duty. Let us know, then, and enjoy our inesti- mable privilege. To have honoured God here, will be our crown hereafter.]
m Ps. xvi. 2. n Ps. 1. 23. o Rom. xii. 1.
p Josh. xxiv. l.">. 1 Rom. vi. 13. ^ Ps. ciii. 1.
» Acts xxvii. 23. ' Rom. xiv. 7, 8. " Ps. cxix. 53. ^ Ezek. XXX vi. 31.