Matthew Poole and continuators on Romans 12:1

1. I Beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God b, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice , holy , acceptable unto God , which is your reasonable service .

Hitherto the Apostle hath Discoursed of matters of Faith; in this, and the following Chapters, he sets down precepts of Holy Life. He useth the word in the plural number, to amplifie and set forth the manifold Mercies of God, in Election, Justification, Adoption, &c. q. d. Seeing you Gentiles have received so many, and so great Mercies from God; seeing he hath preferred you to his Ancient People the Iewes, and hath chosen and called you, when he hath rejected them; as you value these Mercies, let the consideration of them engage you to all manner of Holiness and New Obedience.

Or, well pleasing.

That you Give, Dedicate and Offer up, as Spiritual Priests,

Your selves, or your whole man, a part is put for the whole; the body is named, because it is the Souls Instrument in the service of God.

The Sacrifices of Old were Presented alive to God, and their Blood was shed at the Feet of the Altar: A Beast that dyed of its self, or was Torn by wild Beasts, was not to be Sacrificed: Nay, it was not so much as to be eaten, Exod. 22.31. Levit. 22.8. Conformable hereunto, God will have us Offer up our selves a living Sacrifice, i. e. We must be quickned and Alive to God, and not Dead in Sins and Trespasses.

As the Sacrifices under the Law, were to be without blemish or defect, Exod. 12.5. Levit. 1.10. Deut. 15.21.

Or well pleasing unto God. So were the appointed Sacrifices under the Law, Levit. 1.9, So was the Sacrifice of Christ the Lamb of God, Eph. 5.2. and so are all Spiritual Sacrifices under the Gospel, Phil. 4.18. Heb. 13.16.

Or which is agreeable to Reason; Nothing is more Reasonable, than that you should Devote your selves to God in this manner. Some think this is added, To shew a difference between the Sacrifice here required, and that of the Iews, which was of unreasonable Beasts. Others, by reasonable service, understand spiritual Service, and Expound this place by 1 Pet. 2.5. where you read of Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. Others think, That by reasonable, you must understand such Service, as is according to the Word of God; and this Suits best with the Greek Phrase in the Text. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. The same word is used, 1 Pet. 2.2. and there 'tis rendred the Milk of the Word, and not reasonable Milk. And so the Service or Worship here spoken of, is oppos'd to that Will-worship, of which you read in Col. 2.23.

Marginal references: Or, I exhort you.; Chap. 6.13.16.