Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	body_n	member_n	mystical_a	1,520	5	10.6674	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37291	A paraphrase and commentary upon the epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans by William Day ...	Day, William, ca. 1605-1684.	1666 (1666)	Wing D473; ESTC R6047	560,180	444

of another and therefore we have only a certain measure of gifts every one of us none hath all He giveth a reason why he said to every man the measure of faith By which he meaneth onely a measure or certain portion not a deal or quantity without measure As we have many members in one body i. e. As we in these natural bodies of ours have many members in one body as Eyes Ears Hands Feet c. And all members have not the same office i. e. And all these members have not the same but divers and different offices as the Eyes to see the Ears to hear the Hands to handle the Feet to walk so that one member does not all duties nor hath all faculties and all instruments conducing to all duties Ver. 5. So we being many i. e. So we Christians being many individual Persons Are one body in Christ i. e. Are one Mysticall body under Christ our head or make up one Mystical body under Christ our head In is put here for Vnder as Chap. 7.6 And every one members one of another i. e. And every one of us being none of us is a compleat body body by himself is but a member only of others as I of thee and thou of me and therefore none of us all hath all the gifts of an whole body given to himself but every one hath different and Several gifts whereby he ministreth that to another which that other hath not and that other doth the like to him A member of a body may be said to be a member not only in relation of the whole body but also in relation to any or all the particular members of that body as being a fellow-member with it or them And therefore the Apostle saith And every one members one of another Now if in the mystical body of Christ we are but members and members one of another and so several and distinct members we must needs have as the members of the natural body have their offices not one all gifts but every one several and distinct gifts And this the Apostle would have us gather from hence The Apostle should rather say And members one of another than members of that one body to teach that every Christian should labour not onely for the good of the whole but also for the good of every part that so every one may be kindly affectioned one towards another and not one exalt himself above or carry himself proudly towards another Ver. 6. Having then gifts differing to wit one from another c. q. d. Having then gifts none of us all all gifts but every one his particular gifts differing one from another and so one wanting that gift which another hath let us not carry ourselves proudly and arrogantly one towards another as though one had all and another none at all or but little in comparison of him According to the grace given to us i. e. As God hath giuen to every one of us by his grace or favour Or according to the grace and favour which God hath vouchsafed to us Here is also in this word Grace and in the word Given arguments to repress pride Whether Prophesie i. e. Whether we have the gift of Prophesie By Prophesie some understand prophesie here as it is most properly taken Viz. For that by which future things are foretold Others take it for prophesie as prophesie is said to be a gift of interpreting and expounding hard places of Scripture Others include both these gifts here under this one name Let us prophesie according to the proportion of faith That is let us exercise that gift of prophesie soberly according to the measure of it not exceeding or going beyond what we have therein According to the proportion of Faith That is according to the proportion or measure of that gift not running out or presuming either of other gifts which we have not or of a greater measure of that than we have By proportion he meaneth the same thing here as he did by measure ver 3. And by faith is to be meant here a gift bestowed upon us by reason of our faith as ver 3. But in particular by faith is meant here the gift of prophesie spoken of in this verse Ver. 7. Or ministery let us wait on our ministery or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on exhortation c. This being rendred word for word out of the Greek will run thus Or ministery in ministery Or he that teacheth in teaching or he that exhorteth in exhortation where there is a defect or Ellipsis to be made up and according to the context it seemeth to me that it may be most probably made up thus Or having a ministery let us carry ourselves soberly in that ministery according to the measure or proportion of Faith that is according to the measure or proportion of that gift Or he that teacheth let him carry himself soberly in teaching according to the measure or proportion of faith that is according to the measure or proportion of that gift Or he that exhorteth let him carry himself soberly in exhortation according to the measure or proportion of faith that is according to the measure or proportion of that gift Or Ministery i. e. Or whether Ministery The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred Ministery may in it self be applyed to offices and functions in the Common-wealth as well as in the Church For the Magistrate is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The Minister of God Chap. 13.4 But surely here it must be understood of some office or function in the Church But what office or function is here meant is questionable Some therefore take it for the office of an Evangelist because S. Paul reckoning up the like particulars names Evangelists after Prophets Ephes 4.11 And Evangelists might stand in as much need of this admonition as the Prophets did of the former Others take this of the particular office of a Deacon because of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Others take it generally for all or any Ecclesiastical office q. d. Or having the gift of any Ecclesiastical office or Ministery as of a Bishop a Presbyter or a Deacon c. On our Ministery The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is for here is an Ellipsis as I said let us carry our selves soberly in our Ministery according to the measure or proportion of faith that is according to the measure or proportion of our gift or Ministery Or he that teacheth i. e. Or he that hath the gift of teaching To teach signifieth here the gift to explain and deliver to others what he knows himself in apt and convenient words so that he may be plainly and easily understood In teaching i. e. Let him carry himself soberly in teaching according to the measure or proportion of faith that is according to the measure or proportion of that his gift Ver. 8. Or he that Exhorteth i. e. Or he that hath the gift of

Apostle having delivered in the former part of this Epistle the Doctrine of Faith cometh here to give precepts of manners And to connect or knit this to his former Subject He infers this as a duty arising from that For when that his Doctrine of faith hath set out and shewen many mercies of God to us He beseecheth the Romans here in consideration of those mercies to shew themselves thankful to God by an holy living and conversation of life I beseech you therefore c. q. d. Being therefore you have received many mercies from God as I have shewed you in the former part of my Epistle I beseech you Brethren by those mercies c. Brethren He calleth the Romans Brethren because they were Christians as he was And Christians because they have the same God for their Father and the same Church for their Mother are called Brethren By the mercies of God i. e. By the mercies which God hath shewed you The Apostle beginneth this part of his Epistle with a vehement obsecration and an earnest obtestation whereby he beseecheth the Romans by those mercies which he had mentioned and commended to them in the former part of his Epistle and which they had received that they would present their bodies a living sacrifice c. By the mercies of God This is a vehement obtestation which is a most effectuall kind of reasoning or manner of perswading Like unto this is that most earnest and passionate prayer in the Letany of our Church viz. By thine Agony and bloody sweat by thy Cross and Passion c Good Lord deliver us which manner of praying Some have prophanely called swearing but you see that the Apostle useth this same manner of speaking and he may be a president for it without exception That you present your bodies a living sacrifice i. e. That ye offer your selves as a living Sacrifice to God Your Bodies i e. Your selves By the Body is here meant not the Body only but the body and soul too that is the whole man by a Synechdoche But he seemeth to say your bodies rather than your selves in some allusion to the Jewish Sacrifices where the bodies of the beasts which were offered for a burnt-offering were consumed or burnt on the Altar to the glory of God A living sacrifice i. e. As a living Holocaust or Burnt-offering as I may so speak The Apostle in this alludes to the Sacrifices of the Jews and among them to the Holocaust or whole burnt-offering where the Beast or Carcase of the beast which was offered or sacrificed was wholly burnt or consumed with fire to the glory of God And this he doth to signifie that we should offer to God our whole selves and all our actions Yet he saith a living sacrifice in opposition to that That those Sacrifices which the Jews offered were slain But this is not required of us that we should slay our selves or be slain by being made a Sacrifice here Then we offer our bodies that is our selves a living Sacrifice to God when we direct all our actions and do all which we do to his glory according to the exposition which the Apostle gives of his meaning in the last words of this verse Holy i e. An holy Sacrifice That is a sacrifice pure and separate from all uncleanness Yea a sacrifice sanctified by the holy Ghost as our Apostle speaks Chap. 15. ver 16. The sacrifices of the Old Law were called holy and were so accounted But if they were called and accounted holy Surely the bodies of Christians may be called and accounted holy much more being that they are purified from sin by the blood of Christ 1 John 1.7 and sanctified by the holy Ghost Rom. 15 16. There is an allusion therefore here to the sacrifices of the Law and their holiness when he bids us offer our bodies an Holy Sacrifice Acceptable unto God i e. Such as is well-pleasing unto God who because he is pure delighteth and is well-pleased with that only which is pure The Burnt sacrifice was said to be an offering of a sweet savour unto the Lord Levit. 1.9 In allusion to this would the Apostle have our sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God And indeed if such sacrifices were as a sweet savour unto God acceptable and well pleasing to him much more may the bodies and actions of Christians be acceptable to him See 2 Cor. 2 15. Phil. 4.18 Which is your reasonable service He interpreteth here what he meant by their bodies He meaneth by that themselves that is their reasonable service By a Synechdochical Metonymie Your reasonable service By the reasonable service here spoken of is meant the service of the spirit or of the soul which is a reasonable soul that is q. d. your spiritual service or the service of your spiritual souls Or by the reasonable service is meant the service of the whole man as it is reasonable or guided by the reasonable soul directed by Gods word He opposeth here this reasonable service or service of the spirit to that bodily service which was used under the old Law and which consisted for the most part in slaying and sacrificing beasts and birds c. or rather he opposeth it to the beasts and birds themselves which were sacrificed which were but brute and unreasonable creatures Ver. 2. And be not conformed to this world q. d. And for this end or for this cause be not conformed to this world Be not conformed to this world i. e. Be not conformed or be not like to the men which love the pleasures and profits and other vanities of this world all which ye have renounced in your Baptism To this world By the world is here meant by a Metonymie the men which live in the world and then by a Synechdoche not any men which live in the world but such as are given to the pleasures and profits and other vanities of the world But be ye transformed i. e. But be ye transformed and become like to those which are of another yea a more heavenly carriage and conversation By the renewing of your mind This he saith because their mind was corrupt And from thence this transformation must begin That ye may prove what is that good and acceptable will of God i. e. That ye may know and approve of that good and acceptable will of God by which ye are to regulate and square your Reasonable service That ye may prove i. e. That ye may know and approve or like of for so may the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the word in the Greek signifie By a Metaphor from Goldsmiths which try Gold by their touch-stone and upon trial know it to be true Gold and approve of it for such What is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God i. e. What is that will of God by which we should guide our Reasonable service which is a good will a perfect will and a will acceptable or pleasing to God and