for carnal licentiousness and lasciviousness. But now, in the 16th verse, he produces a remedy, by which they will be able to restrain and curb [impetum] the assaults and the power of the flesh; and which is, if they walk in the Spirit, it shall then come to pass, that they shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh.

In the 17th verse a Reason is added, that is deduced from the contrariety or contest which subsists between the flesh and the Spirit, and from either the end or the result of this contest,

(1.) The contrariety or contest is described in these words: "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh." From which is manifest the necessity both of the Exhortation, not to abuse their Christian liberty to carnal licentiousness, and not to fulfil the lusts of the flesh; and of the Remedy, by which alone the lusts of the flesh can be curbed and restrained, and which is this," if they walk in the Spirit, that lusteth against the flesh." For it is from this enmity and contrariety which subsists between the flesh and the Spirit that the conclusion is drawn, "If ye walk in the Spirit, ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh." From this it is alsó manifest, that this latter mode of rendering is better adapted to the meaning of the apostle.

(2.) The end or result of this contest is described in these words: "And these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would." I have said that the end or the issue of the contest is here described; because some persons suppose, that its issue, and not its end, is pointed out in this passage. (i.) But the particle, wa, " that," which is used by the apostle, signifies the end or intention, and not the result or issue; and this interpretation is entirely agreeable to the mind of the apostle. "For the Spirit lusteth against the flesh" for this purpose, "that we may not do those things" which we lust according to the flesh, and " which we would:" The consequence of which is, "if we walk in the Spirit, we shall not fulfil the desires of the flesh." And, on the contrary, since "the flesh also lusteth against the Spirit" for this purpose, "that we may not do those things which we lust according to the Spirit;" it follows, that if we walk in the flesh or according to the flesh, we shall not fulfil the desires of the Spirit. But this rendering is agreeable to the scope or design of the apostle," that ye may not do what things soever ye would according to the flesh."

(ii.) If we assert that the result or issue is here signified, the the meaning will likewise be two-fold. For it will be possible for it to be as follows: "The flesh and the Spirit are contrary the

one to the other; so that ye cannot do those things which according to the Spirit ye would:" It may likewise be this: "So that ye cannot do those things which according to the flesh ye would." That is, this contest obtains the following result, "that ye cannot do those things which according to the Spirit ye would;” or, “that ye cannot do those things which according to the flesh ye would." But let us see which of these two meanings is the more suitable: Truly, the latter of them is. It is not only more suitable, but likewise necessary, if the apostle is here treating about the issue or result. This will be still more apparent from the absurdity of the admonition, if the passage be explained in the other sense: The apostle admonishes the Galatians, "to walk in the Spirit, and not to fulfil the desires of the flesh;" (for we will now retain this rendering of the latter clause, as that which is more consentaneous with the meaning that explains the passage concerning this issue or result;) and the persuasion to this will then be: "For the flesh and the Spirit are contrary the one to the other, by this result, that ye cannot do those things which according to the Spirit ye would." This indeed is not to exhort, but to dissuade and dehort by a forewarning of the unhappy result.

Besides, reason itself requires, according to [logical] scientific usage, that what has been proposed be drawn out in the Conclusion; otherwise the parts of connexion will be broken. But the Proposition was either this, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh :" Or it was this," Walk in the Spirit, and fulfil not the lusts of the flesh." I am desirous to have it demonstrated to me, by what means this Proposition can be concluded from the 18th verse understood about the issue or result, by which the flesh hinders the Galatians from doing that which according to the Spirit they would. But it has been already shewn, that each of these Propositions may be fairly concluded from the passage, when understood as relating to the end or intention of the conflict, nay, when also understood as referring to the issue or result when the Spirit is the conqueror. It is apparent, therefore, not only that this is the end or design of the contest which is here mentioned from the lusting of the Spirit, but that this is likewise its issue or result from the strength and power of the Spirit,-that, when the flesh is subdued, the Spirit comes off as the conqueror; and that the man who, by the Spirit, wages war against the flesh, and who walks in the Spirit, does not fulfil the lusts of the flesh.

From these is inferred a Consectary in the 18th verse: "But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law :" That is, if ye

walk in the Spirit, if under the guidance of the Spirit, ye contend against the lusts of the flesh, and contend so as not to fulfil them; from these circumstances you may assuredly conclude, that ye are not under the law.

In this Consectary we see, that the phrases, " to be under the law," and "not to fulfil the lusts of the flesh," are opposed to each other: For the latter of them is descriptive of the proper effect of the guidance of the Spirit. Wherefore, the phrases, "to be under the law," and "to fulfil the lusts of the flesh," are consentaneous and of the same import. But this is the very thing which is asserted in Romans vi, 14, "For sin shall not have dominion over you: For ye are not under the law, but under grace." From this it is apparent, that the dominion of sin, which is the cause why the lusts of the flesh are fulfilled, prevails in those persons who are under the law. But since the dominion of sin does not obtain in those who are under grace, (and, in fact, on this account, because they are under grace,) it is therefore evident that these phrases, "to be under grace," and "to be led by the Spirit," are consentaneous, nay, that they are exactly the same. For the effect of each of them is one and alike, and that is, to prevent sin from having dominion over a man, and to hinder man from fulfilling the lusts of the flesh: Which is also explained at great length in Romans viii, in a manner agreeable to that which is briefly laid down in this 17th verse, that is, "The Spirit is contrary to the flesh for this purpose, that men may not do those things which, according to the flesh, they would." But, from Romans vii, it is very plain, that the result of that contest is different from the one upon which the apostle is here treating: For, in that chapter, the man does that which, after the flesh, he would, and does not what he is said to will after the inward man; the law of God, the law of the mind, and the inward man, vainly attempting to restrain the power of sin and to hinder the lusts.of the flesh, because all these [strive as they may] are debilitated through the flesh.

9. IF ANY one urge this as an Objection, "It likewise befals "the best of the regenerate, that they do not the things which, "according to the Spirit, they would, but that they fulfil the "lusts of the flesh;" I perfectly assent to the truth of this, if the small addition be made, that "this SOMETIMES happens to the regenerate." For if such be their general practice, they do not now walk in the Spirit; though this a property of the regenerate. I say, that Romans vii does not describe what sometimes befals the pious, and that it contains a description of the state of that man about whom the apostle is there treating, that is, of a

man who is under the law, before he is led by the guidance of grace, and is governed by the motions of the Holy Spirit. This is confirmed by the passage in Gal. v, 16—18.

Then I reply, Such a case as this does not occur from the circumstance of the Spirit, who has for a long time maintained a strenuous contest with the desires of the flesh, being at length conquered, and yielding on account of impotence or weakness: But it happens, because the man is either overtaken with temptation and overcome, before he begins to oppose to it the arms of the Spirit and of grace; or, in the progress of the conflict, he throws out of his hands those arms which, at the commencement, he began to use; or he uses them no longer, having begun the battle in the Spirit, but ending in the flesh. In no other way than in this can it happen, that the flesh, the world and Satan can overcome us; because "greater is He who is in us, than he that is in the world," as has already been pointed out in several passages. (P. 568.) Without manifest ignominy and contumely poured on Divine Grace and on the Spirit of Christ, no other cause can be assigned why the pious, and those who are placed under grace, should SOMETIMES be conquered by the flesh, the world and Satan: For either the Spirit that is in us is not the stronger of the two; or, while lusting and fighting against the flesh, He overcomes. And how can it possibly come to pass, that He who has conquered the flesh while it was still in its full strength, and has thus subjected us to Himself, should not be able to gain the victory over the flesh when it is crucified and [mortificata] dead in the body of Christ?

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10. To the THIRD REASON (p. 566) it is objected: "Even "the regenerate may in some degree and relatively be said to be "captives under sin, that is, so far as they are not yet fully "regenerated, and still feel within themselves the motions of the "flesh lusting against the Spirit; from which they are not completely delivered while they continue in this mortal body.”— I grant the antecedent, but I deny the consequence: For so far are the Scriptures from ascribing the detention of the regenerate as captives under sin, to the imperfection of regeneration and to the remains of the flesh, that they are said with respect to this very regeneration to be freed from the yoke and slavery of sin and from the tyranny of the Devil. "The remains of sin [supersunt] survive in the regenerate," and, "The regenerate are detained as captives by the remains of sin," are contradictory affirmations: For the former of the two is a token of sin conquered and overcome; the latter attributes victory and triumph to sin. After the Holy Spirit has commenced the mortification

and death of sin, what is the act of the same Spirit respecting sin ? Undoubtedly it is the persecution of the remains of sin, that He may subdue and extinguish them until they no longer exist; "and when their place is sought after, it is no more to be found," as St. Augustine has elegantly observed, when treating on this matter in a passage of his Works.

But the cause why such an opinion as this is entertained, is because" deliverance from sin" and "slavery under its tyrannical power," "a being loosed from the chains of Satan" and "captivity under his tyranny," are so accounted as if they can concur together, as the phrase is, in remiss degrees, and meet together in one subject; in much the same manner as the colour of white and that of black meet together in green, and heat and cold meet together in lukewarmness. Yet this matter stands in a situation vastly different: For liberty cannot consist with even the smallest portion of servitude or captivity; though it may labour under great difficulties in resisting its assaulting foes, and though it may occasionally come out of the conflict with [aliquam] something like a defeat. But if the matter stood in the relation of the similies which have been adduced, yet even then it could not be said, "This man is partly free from sin, and partly its slave and captive;" but a necessity would then arise for the existence of a third thing from these two, which might obtain the name of " a medium between the extremes," belonging neither to this nor to that. But I am desirous to see some passage of Scripture adduced, where that is said about the regenerate, and about those who are placed under grace, which is ascribed to the man about whom the apostle is treating, or what is equivalent to it.

ISAIAH LXIV. 6.

11. BUT a passage is produced from the Prophet Isaiah to prove, that pious persons, and those who are placed under grace are, by the law of their members, brought into captivity, under the law of sin: The degree of correctness with which such an affirmation is made, will be very manifest from a comparison of the two passages. That in Isaiah, (lxiv, 6,) says, " But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." The passage in Romans, (vii, 23,) now under investigation, is this, "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."