Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-10-21

2l-Conmentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
l. II beseech you therefore by the mer-
cies of God that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy. acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service" BY the
mercy which provides redemption freely
for the sinner, which justifes and sancti-
fes and puts the justly condemned in the
place of no condemnation, with the assur
ance of no eparation-because of this great
love and grace Of God it is surely reasona-
BILE service Or. V. margin, spiritual wor
ship'D to do what is acceptable or well
pleasing unto Him in yielding our bodies a
living sacrifice. The sacrifices on the altar
were dead sacrifices, soon consumed. We
are to go on living a daily death unto self
that this life OF Christ may be made mani
fest in our bodies Gil Cor. iv, III.
q And be not conformed to this world,
but be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind that we may prove what is that
good and acceptable and perfect will of
God" Not of the world" is the repeated
statement of our Lord concerning his dis
ciples in John xvii. That we may be con-
formed to the image of Christ is the way
it is stated in Rom. viii, 20; ii Cor. iii, 49,
8. "For | 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 ac-
cording as God hath dealt to every man the
measure of faith" In the matter of saliva
ton there is no room for boasting for all is
of grace from. iii, 81; Eph. ii, S, o.; it is the
undeserved favor of God to every one with
ont exception. In the matter of Christian
life there is no room for boasting either, for
whether it be much labor or much holiness
we can only say, Not !, but Christ, !" Not
|, but the grace of God" Gal ii, 90 Cor
XIV, 10Y. There is no room for self, but
Christ must be all.
4. For as we have many membersin one
body, and all members have not the same
of1ice'-all believers are members of His
body Eph. V, 30), many members, yet but
one body Il Cor. xii, 2o), all controlled by
tic one Head and guided by the same Spirit.
5. so we, being many, are one body in
Christ, and every one members one of an
other" The church is His body, the full
ness of Him that filleth all in all (Eph. j.,
23). No member of our bodies can say to
another, Il do not need YOU" but in a
healthy body each member waits upon the
other, and feet and hands cheerfully ac-
complish the pleasure of the eyes and of
the mind. So should it be in the 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" The manifestation of
the Spirit is given to every man to profit
withal, the same Spirit dividing to every
man severally as He will q Cor xii, 7-l1),
and the perfection of the Christian life is to
be completely filled and continually con-
trolled by this Blessed Spirit whom God
is more willing to give to those who truly
seek than parents are to give good things
to their children Duke xi, 49,.
I. "Or ministry, let. us wait on our min
istering; Or he that teacheth on teaching"
Young defines prophecy to be the public
exposition Of the word. Ministry is service
acting as IL deacon. Teaching is instruc-
ton, or making to know.
8. "Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation;
he that givcth, let him do it with simple
ity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that
sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness" To OK
hort is to call near TO, to cheer, or encour-
age. Imparting is to be liberal, and SO with
zeal and joy God is in all things to be glori-
\ =
any bondage in any sense whatever, the
whole matter is simplified by putting Gal
ii, 20, with the first two verses of our lesson
and letting the Lord Jesus be the sole rule
in our bodies.
o. Let love be without Discrimination
Abhor that which is evil Cleave to thai
which is good" In II Cor. vi, g.; Pet. i,
%, the Holy Spirit is associated with un
feigned love- for where He controls tier.
can be no hypocrisy. Therefore be filled
with the Spirit (Eph. v, 1920. Thus also
the evil will become distasteful and the
good attractive.
10. BE kindly affectionate one to anoth-
er with brotherly love. in honor preferring
one another" Or, as in Eph iv, So BE
ye kind one to another, tender hearted, for
giving one another, even as God for Christ's
sake hath forgiven you" and walk in love
In lowliness Of mind let each esteem other
better than themselves phil. ii, 81, seeking
the welfare of Others rather than your own
II. mot slothful in business, fervent in
spirit, serving the Lord" In the R. V. the
first clause reads, In diligence not sloth-
full" The last clause will cover the other
two, for If we do all things heartily as to the
Lord and not unto men, knowing that of
the Lord we shall receive the reward of the
inheritance, for we serve the Lord Christ
Col iii, %, 24), all will be well.
u. Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribu-
lation, continuing instant in prayer" Re-
joicing in hope of the glory of God, and
glorying in tribulations also, is the way it
is stated in chapter V. 30. Contemplating
the glory to be revealed enables us to think
little of present sufferings (ehapter viii, 49,
IL. Distributing to the necessity Of
saints; given to hospitality" Ministering
to the saints is our only way of minister
ing to Christ, and all done for even the
least is counted as done to Himself (Math
XIV, 10; x, AZ As TO the latter clause, it Is
written, "Be not forgetful to entertain
strangers, for thereby some have enter
tanned angels unawares" (Heh. xiii, %
Compare Gen. xviii, ,, -, with xix, Is
IL we consider ourselves and all we have
as the Lords, we will be ready both to en-
terrain and distribute.
IA. BLESS them which prosecute you;
bless and eul &C not So our Lord taught,
Love your enemies, bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you and
pray for them which despitefully use you
and prosecute you, that We may be the chill
dren of your Father which is in heaven"
(Math. V, ~. Even the law taught, Thou
shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart;
thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge"
u4ev. xix, IL, Isl.
Is. Rejoice with them that do rejoice
and weep with them that weep" Because
we are members of one body each i.ember
zhould rejoice or suffer with the other mem
bers, being animated by one spirit and
joined to one head. The rest of the chap
ter is just as practical as the verses we have
considered. Be contented with mean
things verse 49, remembering Him who
became poor for us. Instead of INDUCING
in wrath, rather give place TO the wrath Of
God Verse 49, r. " marginl
Obedience to the first verse. the complete
yielding of ones self to the Lord. that He
may be the sole occupant Of these bodies.
will