except we, after having found a Father so kind and bountiful, do strive in our turn to dedicate
ourselves wholly to him.^377
And what Paul says, in thus exhorting us, ought to have more power over us, inasmuch as he
excels all others in setting forth the grace of God. Iron indeed must be the heart which is not kindled
by the doctrine which has been laid down into love towards God, whose kindness towards itself it
finds to have been so abounding. Where then are they who think that all exhortations to a holy life
are nullified, if the salvation of men depends on the grace of God alone, since by no precepts, by
no sanctions, is a pious mind so framed to render obedience to God, as by a serious meditation on
the Divine goodness towards it?
We may also observe here the benevolence of the Apostle’s spirit, — that he preferred to deal
with the faithful by admonitions and friendly exhortations rather than by strict commands; for he
knew that he could prevail more with the teachable in this way than in any other.
That ye present your bodies, etc. It is then the beginning of a right course in good works, when
we understand that we are consecrated to the Lord; for it hence follows, that we must cease to live
to ourselves, in order that we may devote all the actions of our life to his service.
There are then two things to be considered here, — the first, that we are the Lord’s, — and
secondly, that we ought on this account to be holy, for it is an indignity to God’s holiness, that
anything, not first consecrated, should be offered to him. These two things being admitted, it then
follows that holiness is to be practiced through life, and that we are guilty of a kind of sacrilege
when we relapse into uncleanness, as it is nothing else than to profane what is consecrated.
But there is throughout a great suitableness in the expressions. He says first, that our body ought
to be offered a sacrifice to God; by which he implies that we are not our own, but have entirely
passed over so as to become the property of God; which cannot be, except we renounce ourselves
and thus deny ourselves. Then, secondly, by adding two adjectives, he shows what sort of sacrifice
this ought to be. By calling it living, he intimates, that we are sacrificed to the Lord for this end,
— that our former life being destroyed in us, we may be raised up to a new life. By the term holy,
he points out that which necessarily belongs to a sacrifice, already noticed; for a victim is then only
approved, when it had been previously made holy. By the third word, acceptable, he reminds us,
that our life is framed aright, when this sacrifice is so made as to be pleasing to God: he brings to
us at the same time no common consolation; for he teaches us, that our work is pleasing and
acceptable to God when we devote ourselves to purity and holiness.
By bodies he means not only our bones and skin, but the whole mass of which we are composed;
and he adopted this word, that he might more fully designate all that we are: for the members of
the body are the instruments by which we execute our purposes.^378 He indeed requires from us
(^377) By “mercies,” the Apostle refers, as some think, to the various sects of God’s mercy, such as election, vocation, justification,
and final salvation. Grotius considers that God’s attributes are referred to, such as are described in Exodus 34:6,7. Erasmus,
quoting Origen, says, that the plural is used for amplification, in order to show the greatness of God’s mercy, as though the
Apostle had said, “by God’s great mercy.” Schleusner renders the clause, “per summam Dei benignitatem — by God’s great
kindness,” that is, in bringing you to the knowledge of the gospel. So “Father of mercies,” in 2 Corinthians 1:3, may mean “most
merciful Father,” or the meaning may be, “the Father of all blessings,” as mercy signifies sometimes what mercy bestows,
(Philippians 2:1,) as grace or favor often means the gift which flows from it. According to this view, “mercies” here are the
blessings which God bestows, even the blessings of redemption. — Ed.
(^378) The word μ , “bodies,” he seems to have used, because of the similitude he adopts respecting sacrifices; for the bodies
of beasts we are to consecrate our own bodies. As he meant before by “members,” chapter 6:13, the whole man, so he means
here by “bodies,” that is, themselves.