Fc'r th<' RP<'st.le is not here speaking of hmmm nnturo in its soole.1 e.epeots, as wo ftnd it so p0""Nfully expounded for us in Bishop Butlor's • Sermons upon Human Nature,' but in its Church aspect, the relation of the individue.1 to the one body which he.a He organic existence " in Christ." The npostle would have us to believe that we a.re united as clesely to our fellow-believers as the members of one body are to one e.nother, In fact, we are members one of e.nother. A. selfish individualism is out of the question ; we are bound to the body of believers by i vital and eternal ties, Hence we are to consider in this section the constitution of the body of Christ, that is the Church. And- L BELIEVKBS ABB TO REGARD THEMSELVES AS OllGANIOALLY UNITED, AND ARE 00::S-sEQUE~~y TO OO-OPERATE FOR THE OOMMON END, (Vers. 4, 5.) We are not mee.nt t-o be isolated units, but members in sympathy. We are "joint-heirs" with Jesus Christ ; we are consequently partners with one another in the great Christian enterprise, Co-operation, rather than competition, should be the guiding star of Christian people. We are distinctly made for the Christian Church, and it is our duty to promote the happiness and welfare of all our fellow-believers. Organic connection implies co-opera- tion and sympathy of the sincerest character. IL A£ HEMBEBS O!o"E OF ANOTHER, BELIEVERS WILL FIND THEMSELVES DISTRIBUTED n. A v ARIETY OF POSITIO~"S, JUST AS THE MEMBERS OF THE BODY. (Vors. 6-8.) While belierers are members one of another, we a.re not reduced to a dead level of uniformity, Edification is doubtless to be in the body as every joint supplieth it, but the joints are not all alike; if they were, it would be a curious medley-a conglomeration of mere atoms, ""hich we should have in place of a body. In the body there is subordination of member t.o member, and part to part. The foot is not to usurp the place of the head, nor the hand that of the eye, else will the body be turned upside down, and become a monstro- sity instead of a thing and form of beauty. Consequently, we find that in the apostolic Chnrch there were a variety of offices, and the apostle here specifies the spirit in which they should be filled and their duties discharged. Let us briefly notice the offices as here described. 1. Prophecy. The apostle puts this in the very forefront. Parallel passages go t.o prove that it was most highly esteemed in the apostolic Church. Thus it is placed immediately after the working of miracles (1 Cor. xii. 10). In another place it is spoken af as" the gift of prophecy," and is associated with the ''understanding of all mysteries, and of all knowledge" (1 Cor. xiii. 2). It is further represented as the necessary adjunct t.o speaking with tongues (1 Cor. xiv. 6, 22). And it was evidently regarded as the prime requisite in the edification of the public congregation ; for St. Panl dec!a.res, " If all prophesy, a.nd there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned., he is convinced of all. he is judged of all: and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth" (1 Cor. xiv. 24, 25). Now, the more this matter is looked into, the more clearly are we landed in the conclusion that we have the pro- phetical office continued in Christ's Church in the ministry of the Word. Every minister who is called by Christ to the preaching of the gospel, and endowed by him for the work, is a prophet of the Highest jwt as really as Elijah or John the Baptist. If, then. to any of us this grace of prophecy has been committed, we must exercise it " according to the proportion of faith " ( a.,,al<o')llav .,-ijs 1rltr'l'<"'s). That is, " the prophet must be true and sincere, com.mnoicating only what God bas given him." Moreover, and chiefly, must he show no disposition to exaggerations in the exposition of religion, but must give to each subject its due place and proportion.1 Hence Dr. Shedd, in his ' Commentary ' upon the passage, declares, " This injunction of St. Paul is the key to systematic theology. No alleged Christian tenet can be correct which conflicts with c,ther Christian tenets. All Christian truth must be consistent with Christianity. For example, the Deity of C,'hrist supposes the doctrine of the Trinity; monergistio regene- ration involves the doctrine of election; and an infinite atonement for sin, by God i.r,ca.mate, Jc,gicalJy implies an infinite _penalty for sin." 2. The diaconate, For it is ,:;videotly to this pariicular ministry (3uucovlav) the apostle is here referring. To the ar,r,sv,lic Churcb this eet of officers was given to attend to the temporalities of the Ciiurd,, c,specially the care of the poor, the Hick, and such like. 'fhe idea, then, Is that 1 <)f. <;,,ull,uro'g • 'J'h,mg-Lts ,,u Per,j()ur,J I!cli;;-irm,' po.rt iv. eh. vii., "Of tho llliec.1.iiol
L.L&...t ~ lj,.dJ~f·f ,Jf E~1lzg•·ru.tir1J.lb W ll-4,;ligi,:,u." OH, XII, 1-21.J THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. 887