2. The back slider

[What has the world ever done to deserve your regard?— And has Jesus ever "been a wilderness to you," that he should forfeit it?"

If you return to the world, and forsake Christ, your state will be worse than everd▬▬▬]

e Jer. ii. 31.

d Heb. x. 38. 2 Pet. ii. 20, 21.

XXXII. THE EXTENT AND GROUNDS OF CHRISTIAN

OBEDIENCE.

Rom. xiv. 7-9. None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

TO exercise Christian forbearance is no small attainment

There is continual need of it in the Christian worldThere are many things of an indifferent nature, which we are at liberty either to do or forbear

But all do not see their Christian liberty with equal clearness

Hence the weak are apt to judge the strong, and the strong to despise the weak

Thus the Jews and Gentiles at Rome disputed respecting the use of certain meats, and the observance of certain days

The apostle shews, that, though the two parties differed in their conduct, they were equally accepted of God

He grounds his assertion on the idea that both of them acted from a conscientious desire to please and honour God

I. The extent of Christian obedience

If we were to judge from the practice of mankind, we should think that very little was required of us

But we must judge by the unerring standard of God's

word

Both the law and the gospel require the obedience of the heart

And in this the Christian labours to approve himself to God

1. He renounces self

[Self is the idol of the unregenerate world

They study only to please and exalt self in every part of their life

They have no higher view in courting or shunning deathBut the Christian sees the sinfulness of thus idolizing self

He therefore endeavours to suppress its workings, and mortify its desires

He determines never to make the indulgence of self his chief aim-]

2. He devotes himself to the Lord

L

[He studies to do his will, and gain his approbationHe seeks to glorify his name in every action of lifeHe considers that he is the Lord's property, both by creation and redemption

He strives therefore to honour him with every faculty of body and soul-]

This is not a mere theory, but a living picture of Christianity

[The apostle lays down an universal rule to this effectHe himself conformed to it in an eminent degreeEvery true Christian, according to his measure, conforms to it; "none of us," &c.-]

Such obedience, however, will not spring from any but evangelical principles

II. The grounds of it

All possible obedience is due from us to God by creation

But God has acquired a new right over us by redemption

Christ has died, risen, and revived

[He died to make atonement for our guilt

He rose for our justification before God-
He revived, and lives to carry on the work-]

He has done this with an express view to reduce us to allegiance

a 1 Cor. x. 31.

b Phil. i. 20.

VOL. I.

Xx

[He undertook to save men from their sins, and not in them

Paul repeatedly declares this to have been the end of our Lord's death

Peter speaks to the same effect,d and our Lord himself also confirms this truth

The same was also the end of his resurrection and ascension

And in all that he is now doing, he keeps the same object in view-]

What he has done is therefore the proper ground of our obedience

[We are still as much as ever bound by the laws of our

creation

But we should be particularly affected with redeeming love

This should stir us up to the most unreserved obedienceThe apostle requires such obedience, on this very ground— We shall surely render it, if we have any interest in redemption]

INFER

1. How few real Christians are there in the world! [If living to ourselves were Christianity, there would be Christians without number

But nothing less than an entire devotedness to God can entitle us to the name

How few then are there to be found!

The text might be reversed in almost every assembly of professing Christians —

Let us judge ourselves by this criterion

Let us rest in no partial or hypocritical services

Let us cry to God for his Spirit to renew us in our inward man].

2. How reasonable is the Christian life!

[Christian obedience is often ridiculed as preciseness, and needless scrupulosity

It is deemed a mark of a weak and enthusiastic mind-
But it is justly called a reasonable service*—

Who can ever estimate the obligation arising from the death of Christ?

Who can sufficiently praise him for what he is now doing for us in heaven?

Is it reasonable that we should defeat the ends of all his love?

Ought we not rather to requite it to the utmost of our power?

Should we account any thing too much to do for him?Let all then confess the reasonableness of being devoted to Christ

Let every Christian exert himself more and more, disregarding ridicule and contempt1-]

1 1.Cor. xv. 58.

XXXIII. THE GREATNESS AND PRECIOUSNESS OF THE PROMISES.

2 Pet. i. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

COMMENTATORS are not agreed with respect to the connexion of these words"

Nor is it of any great importance for us to enter into the difficulties of it

The words themselves, whatever the precise connexion of them may be, are replete with instruction and comfort

We shall take occasion from them to consider.

I. The exceeding greatness and preciousness of the promises

God, in infinite mercy, has given us many "promises?? [Fallen man could not claim any thing at God's

handsb

We were deserving of nothing but his wrath and indig

nation

But he was pleased to send his own Son to die for us

a Some connect d'av with "glory and virtue" in the preceding verse, and understands it thus; "by which glorious energy of the gospel are given to us," &c. Others, understanding the third verse parenthetically, connect d' with "God and Christ” in ver. 2. and translate the words "by whom," &c.

b Ps. cxliii. 2.

e Ps. cxxx. 3. ·

And for the sake of Christ has promised us many bles

sings-]

These promises are "exceeding great"

[They offer the pardon of all our sinsd

They warrant us to expect strength for the performance of all our duties

They call us to enjoy the most intimate fellowship with God

They assure us of everlasting happiness and glory

Neither are the wants of the body, or the conveniencies of life overlookedh-]

No wonder then that they should be "precious" [We cannot ascertain their full value

But every true Christian can adopt the language of Davidi-]

But the preciousness of them will further appear,

consider

II. The end for which they are given

if we

God would have us to be partakers of the divine

nature

[The divine nature does not import the divine essenceNor does it mean a personal union with God

To partake of the divine nature in these respects was the peculiar honour of Jesus Christ

But the divine nature has respect to the moral perfections of the Deity—

Of these God would have us to partake abundantly-]

It is for this end that he has given the promises
[He does not intend merely to save us from destruction-
He has laid a plan for our everlasting happiness-
But holiness is essential to happiness-

We could not enjoy his presence, if we did not bear his image

He has therefore given us promises, in order to make us holy

And the promises, if duly applied, always operate in this manner-]

Ther suitableness to this end will be manifest, while we contemplate

III. The effects they invariably produce

d Isai. i. 18.

g John x. 28.

i Ps. cxix. 111.

e 2 Cor. xii. 9.

f 2 Cor. vi. 16.

h Matt. vi. 33. 2 Pet. i, 3. 1 Tim. iv. 8.

k Col. iii. 10.