St. Paul defcribes the State of an unregenerate Few, or Heathen; for what he says equally belongs to both. This he does in order to fhew them the Neceflity of Redemption through Christ, inafmuch as neither the Law of Mofes, nor of Nature, could free them from the Power and Dominion of Sin, nor, confequently, from Death, which ever follows clofe at the Heels of Sin. That this was the Apoftle's Intent, appears from the Lamentation he makes over the State of Nature, and the Remedy he immediately propofes of Faith through Chrift: O wretched Man that I am, who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death! I thank God through Jefus Christ our Lord. And then in this eighth Chapter he fets forth the Power of Redemption, fhewing, in every Part, how it fupplies the Weakneffes and Infirmities both of the Law and of Nature. The unregenerate Man was brought into Captivity to the Law of Sin, Chap. vii. 23. But the Law of the Spirit of Life in Chrift Jefus bath made us free from the Law of Sin and of Death, Ver 2. In the unregenerate Man there dwelleth no good Thing, Ver. 18: But in the Chriftian dwelleth the Spirit of Chrift, Ver. 9. So that the Apostle's main Design here here is, I think, pretty evident. But, to clear the Matter before us, we must more particularly examine what he fays of the unregenerate Man's Condition. He defcribes him as under the moft wretched Slavery, obeying Sin, with the greatest Reluctance to his own Mind and Reafon: That which I do, I allow not: For what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. Ver. 15. His Mind he allows to be uncorrupted, and to ftand firm to the Law of God, approving the Things which are good; but then the Lufts and Appetites of the Flesh are too ftrong for it, and force it into the Obedience of the Law of Sin, which it hates and condemns: I find a Law, fays he, that, when I would do Good, Evil is prefent with me: For I delight in the Law of God after the inward Man. But I fee 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. Ver. 21, 22, 23. See then the divided Empire of Sin and Reafon : Reafon approves what is just and holy, confents to, and delights in the Law of God; but Sin captivates and enthrals it, and makes the Man the Slave of Sin, though the Admirer and Approver Approver of Virtue. The Upfhot of the whole Matter is, as St. Paul in the last Verse expreffes it, With the Mind, or Spirit, I ferve the Law of God, but with the Flesh the Law of Sin. And now confider what Affistance this Condition requires: The Man's Spirit is right and pure; it loves, it delights in, it approves the Law of God; and, could he follow the Dictates of his Reason, and obey the Law of God as well as love it, and practise Holinefs as well as approve it, he would want no other Evidence of his being the Son and Servant of God: His Servants ye are, fays the Apostle, to whom ye obey. The Man who is taken captive, and carried into Slavery, obeys by Force his Tyrant's Law; but he loves his own Country and King, and longs to come under the Obedience of his natural Prince again. As to his own Mind, he knows whofe Subject he is, and would be; but outward Neceffity fhews him that he is a Slave by the conftrained Obedience he yields to the foreign Law. Take off Force, and the Man's own Inclinations will return him foon to his natural Obedience. And this is not unlike the Cafe St. Paul puts the unregenerate Man in: He loves God and his Law: but he obeys the Tyrant, Sin. Destroy the Power R of of Sin, and reafon will return him to the Obedience of God, and foon fhew whose true Son and Servant he is. So that the Evidence of Reason, even in the State of Nature, fhews us that we are the Servants and Sons of God: But Power constrains us, Luft and Appetite rule over us, and woful Experience fhews us that we are the Slaves of Sin. Now, to complete this Evidence of our Minds, and to render it convincing to ourselves and others, that we are indeed the Children of God, what more is wanting, than to destroy the Power of Sin, and to give us up to follow the Dictates of Reason in obeying the just Laws and Commands of God? For this is a complete Evidence that any Man is the Son and Servant of God, that he loves him, that he obeys him, and keeps his Commandments. You fee then what the Evidence of our own Spirit is': It loves and delights in the Law of God, and is restlefs to obey the Law it loves: With the Mind I ferve the Law of God, but with the Flefh the Law of Sin: Which Words I ́defire you to bear in your Memory, whilst I set forth to you the Evidence of the Spirit of .God. In the eighth Chapter St. Paul tells us, that the Redemption by Christ Jefus has put an an End to the wretched Captivity we lived under: The Law of the Spirit of Life in Chrift Jefus bath made me free from the Law here fignifies Power; for Power is a Law to those who live under it. Now then the Power of the Spirit has deftroyed the Power of Sin. The Power of Sin was oppofite to the Mind and Reason of Man; fo that Man, whilft he lived under that Power, was a Slave. But the Power of the Spirit is on Reafon's Side, and works together with it; fo that to be under this Power is a State of Freedom and Liberty: And therefore 'tis juftly faid, that the Law of the Spirit of Life hath made us free. The Confequence of our being under the Power of the Spirit is, that we walk not after the Flesh, but the Spirit, Ver. 4; that we mind the Things of the Spirit, Ver. 5; that we mortify the Deeds of the Body, Ver. 13; that we are the Sons of God, Ver. 14; that we cry Abba, Father, Ver. 15. These are the Fruits of the Spirit. Now, to walk after the Spirit, and to do the Deeds of the Spirit, is to walk according to our own Mind and Reason; for Reafon approved the Things of God, and the Things of the Spirit are the Things of God. To cry Abba, Father, proceeds from a fettled and undisturbed Mind, |