Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

VI. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

Then ye ran wild and loose, according to your own vain and sinful lusts; but now, when ye look back upon that lawless condition, bethink yourselves what fruit or benefit ye found in those ways of wickedness, whereof ye are now ashamed: alas! what good was to be hoped for from them, whose end is nothing but death and damnation ?

VI. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

But now, contrarily, being set free from the service of sin, and being admitted to be the servants of God, ye have abundance of contentment hereby; and this estate yields you the most comfortable and sweet fruit of holiness here, and of eternal life hereafter.

VI. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now, therefore, compare the issue of both these services together; and ye shall easily see which Master to serve and obey: the wages, that sin shall pay you in the end, is death, both of body and soul; but the gift, that God bestows upon his followers, is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

VII. 1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man, as long as he liveth?

That ye may therefore fully understand in what terms ye stand with the Law, I shall make use of that similitude of the husband and wife, which is most plain and familiar. Know ye not therefore, brethren, for I speak to those Jewish Christians that do well know the Law, that the Mosaical Law hath dominion over any man, that is subject unto it, so long as the said Law is in force?

VII. 2 For the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

Take the instance of a husband and wife: let the husband be the Law; let us converts to Christianity be the wife: so then, the woman, which hath a husband, is bound by the Law to live with her husband, and to be subject unto him, so long as he liveth; but if her husband be once dead, she is loosed from any further bond to her husband, or observance of him.

VII. 3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, &c.

If then, while her husband is alive, she takes her own liberty, to forsake her husband's bed, and to marry with another man, &c.

VII. 4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye are also become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Even so it is with you, my brethren: while the Law lived, and stood in his full force and vigour, ye were bound to hold you close unto it, and to observe it with all care and due respects; but now, that the Mosaical Law is dead to you, and you to it, by that all-sufficient sacrifice which Christ offered up in his flesh for us, ye are now discharged from the Law, and are free to be married to another, even to Christ, the Son of God, who is raised from the dead, that we should, upon our happy marriage with him, bring forth fruit unto God.

VII. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

For which better fruit, we have both more occasion and better helps, than we formerly had; for, while we were carnal and under the power of the Law, the motions of our sinful and corrupt nature took occasion by the Law, to stir us unto evil; and accordingly drew from us those effects, which did justly procure our eternal death.

VII. 6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

But now, we are delivered from that miserable servitude and hard exaction, and woeful curse of the Law; that rigorous and cruel bondage, under which we were held, being expired; that we should lead a new life, with our husband Christ Jesus, and should serve him in that sanctity and real obedience, which is wrought by the Spirit of Renovation in us, and not in the outward and fashionable knowledge of the Law, without any true change of the heart.

VII. 7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

What shall we say then? If there be a kind of necessity, to be delivered from the Law; and the motions of sin working in us, by the Law bring forth fruit unto death; it should seem, that the Law is sin, and that it is not only unprofitable, but exceeding mischievous and pernicious to the soul: Nay, God forbid we should so think the Law doth not cause sin, but it descries it, and shews the heinousness of it; for I had not known or observed lust to be a sin, if the Law had not said, Thou shalt not covet: some gross outward actions might be easily discernible to be foul and sinful; but, for this secret concupiscence of the heart, I could not have discovered it to be that, which it is, sin, had it not been for the light of God's Law.

VII. 8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was

dead.

Indeed the Law was given, for the forbiddance and restraint of sin, and ought to have that use in us; but, through our corruption, it falls out contrarily, that the Law, shewing and inhibiting

sin and not giving power to avoid and restrain it, gives occasion. to our impetuous desires and lusts, so much more eagerly to pursue forbidden pleasures: for had not the Law strictly restrained us from the yieldance unto sin, sin had not had such force to put itself upon us.

VII. 9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

Take me, if you please, for an example: for I, before I enquired carefully into the Law, lived in a free and careless security, making no difference of my actions; but, when once I came to take notice of the Commandment, which restrained and forbad my sinful lusts and affections, now my corruptions began to gather head, and, as it were, seemed to receive a new life and vigour : so as I, by the force of them, fell into a spiritual death, and lay under that miserable estate.

VII. 10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

And so that Commandment, which was ordained to be a rule of life, and, if I could have kept it, a means of life also, I found to be unto me, through my own corruption, an occasion of death. So also verse 11.

VII. 13 Was that then which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

Was then the Law, which is good, turned evil, and, in its own nature deadly unto me? God forbid: the fault is not in the Law, but in my own depravedness; for sin, that it might appear every way like itself, harmful and deadly, wrought death in me, by occasion of that Law, which is in itself good and holy: so as hereupon, that sin, which, in the time of my security, seemed not worthy of any note, appeared to be exceedingly foul and sinful.

VII. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

For the Law, we know, is a heavenly, spiritual, and divine thing, and therefore is not of a hurtful and killing nature; but I am an earthly, carnal, and sinful creature, as of myself; altogether given up to the power of sin, and, as it were, sold under it to a hard and cruel servitude.

VII. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

And, even now, in the state of my regeneration, I am divided in myself; for that which I do, as being overcome with the force of my corruptions, I allow not, as renewed: for, that good which I would do, upon the good motions of God's Spirit in me, that I do not; but that, which, in my spiritual and regenerated part I hate, that, through the sway of my carnal affections, I do.

VII. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

If then my inordinate affections carry me to do the thing, which I

would not do, and I find a reluctance in myself against it; this very strife, that is in me, shews, that I am sufficiently convinced, that the Law, which forbids this that I do, is good.

VII. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Now, then, it is no more I, who am a spiritual and renewed person, that do this evil; but it is that corrupt nature, which dwelleth in me: for I do it not with the whole sway of my will, but my prevalent corruption is guilty of it.

VII. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

For I know that in me, that is, in my nature as it is in itself and of itself, there dwelleth no goodness at all: for I can, so long and so far as I follow the motion of God's Spirit, indeed will that which is good; but, as I am carried away with the frailty of my flesh, how to perform that good which I will, I find no power at all.

VII. 20 Now if do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Now, if I be drawn so with the force of my remaining corruption, that I do unwillingly commit that sin which I would not, it is no more I, the regenerate man, that do it; but that wicked nature of mine, which dwelleth in me.

VII. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

I find then a kind of forcible power of secret corruption lurking within me, which so draws me awry, that, when I would do good, I am, in the mean while, declined to evil.

VII. 22 For I delight in the law of God, after the inward man: For I delight in the law of God, as I am a regenerate man :

VII. 23 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.

But I see and feel another secret power of corruption, striving and fighting against the powerful inclination of my regenerate part; and so prevailing oftentimes with me, as that I am overcarried by that sway of sin, which is in my corrupted nature.

VII. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Oh that I, wretched man that I am, might once be delivered from this mass of inward corruption which dwells in this mortal and sinful flesh of mine!

VII. 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

But, in the mean time, howsoever I am much cumbered and vexed with these inbred and stubborn corruptions of mine: yet, have I no cause to be too much dejected herewith; but rather to rest patiently and contentedly upon the mercy of God; and to be heartily thankful unto him, through Jesus Christ our Lord, for this

grace that he hath wrought in me, to struggle against these my wicked corruptions, and in some good measure to master and overcome them. So then, in that I am renewed, I give my obedience to the powerful motions of God's Spirit; but, in that I am unregenerate and carnal, I am carried to the obedience of those sinful motions, which my vicious nature is ready to suggest

unto me.

VIII. 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Such is the case, not of myself only, but of all those that are, as I am, regenerate persons: there is therefore now no condemnation, howsoever there may be much trouble and vexation, to them which are in Christ Jesus, being engrafted into him, and made one with him; who, howsoever they may be transported into some sinful actions, by the strength of a temptation or by their own frailty, yet, in respect of the trade and course of their life, walk, not after the guidance and motion of their corrupt nature, but of the Holy Spirit.

VIII. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

For the efficacy and power of that Good Spirit, which giveth life to all faithful ones, applying unto my soul the blood and all-sufficient merits of Christ my Saviour, hath set me free from the tyranny of sin and of death, so as neither of them shall be able to prevail against me.

VIII. S, 4 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For that perfect Righteousness and Justification, which I was not able, by reason of the weakness of my flesh, to attain unto, by fulfilling the Law, God hath graciously wrought out for me; who sent his own Son, to take upon him that nature of ours, which our sin had miserably corrupted, and to make a full satisfaction for sin; and, withal, to take away that guilt and power of sin, whereby it bound me over to condemnation: That the perfect righteousness of the Law might be imputed to us, as fulfilled by us, in that it was by Christ fulfilled for us; which live, not according to the motions of our sinful nature, but according to the motions and directions of his Spirit.

VIII. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.. For they, that are merely natural and carnal men, do mind and affect earthly and carnal matters; but they, that are regenerate and spiritual, mind and affect holy, spiritual, heavenly things.

VIII. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

« FöregåendeFortsätt »