and the obligation thence arising to the practice of all godliness:

vi. 14. ἁμαρτια γαρ ύμων 8 κυριεύσει, &c.

"For sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace."

5. Lastly, from the final events of a life of sin, and a life of holiness; which are no less different, than death and life eternal :

vi. 23. τα γαρ οψωνια της ἁμαρτίας, &c.

"For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

THESE Several considerations, thus separately enumerated, in the Epistle itself are connected together in a very wonderful, yet natural manner; and altogether constitute a weight of argument for Christian holiness, such as we shall not easily find elsewhere in so small a compass.

CHAPTER VII.

IN Chapter VI. ver. 14, the Apostle advanced this argument for the Sanctification of Christians: "Sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace :" evidently including this Proposition, That the Gospel is more efficacious, as a means of Sanctification, than the Law.

THIS Proposition he pursues, in its two parts, in Chapters VII. and VIII.

IN Chapter VII. ver. 7-24, he shews the utter inefficacy of the Law to Sanctification.

IN Chapter VII. ver. 25; and Chapter VIII. 1-11; he shews how the grace of God's Holy Spirit under the Gospel, supplies that great defect of the Law.

IF the reason alleged vi. 14, for Christian Sanctification, not obscurely intimated the inefficacy of the Law; verses 4, 5, 6, of Chapter VII. are still more calculated to call forth the animadversion of the Jew: especially

vii. 5. ότε γαρ ημεν εν τη σαρκι, &c.

"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."

ACCORDINGLY, we have two objections of the Jew, springing from this verse: the 1st in ver. 7, relating to the tempting power of sin under the law; the 2d in ver. 13, relating to the condemning power of sin under the law and in his reply to these objections, the Apostle introduces a complete proof of the inefficacy of the Law to Sanctification.

For the right understanding of his answers, it must be noted, that as the objections relate to the effects of sin under the law, the replies must be understood to relate to the Jews as a people; i. e. although the Apostle, to avoid offence, seems to describe himself; yet his description must be understood of the moral and religious state of the Jewish nation, as it existed under the pedagogy of the Law, without those aids of grace which are now supplied by the Gospel.

THE 1st objection, relating to the tempting power of sin under the Law, is this:

vii. 7. τι εν ερεμεν ; ὁ νομος ἁμαρτια ;

"What shall we say then? Is the Law sin?”

As if he should say, Those "motions of sins which did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death," you said, "were by the Law:" Do you mean to imply by this, that the Law is the Cause of sin?

THE Apostle's answer is contained in ver. 7-12. God forbid, he says: the Law is not the Cause of sin; on the contrary, it detected and strictly prohibited sin : but it was made an occasion of sin, by the evil propensities of our nature: these were excited and provoked by the prohibitions of the Law; and first drew us into sin, and then by sin subjected us to death.

vii. 8. 11. αφορμην δε λαβεσα ή άμαρτια δια της εντολης, &c.

"But sin taking occasion by the command

ment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence; for without the law sin was dead:-for sin taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me."

In all this, however, no blame attaches to the Law; so that he can conclude,

vii. 12. ὡσε ὁ μὲν νομος άγιος, &c.

"Wherefore the Law is holy; and the commandment holy, and just, and good :"

WHICH is a sufficient answer to the objection: However, although the Law be cleared of blame, as to its being a cause of sin; yet its inefficacy as a means of Sanctification is clearly enough implied:

vii. 9, 10. εγω δε εζων χωρις νομε ποτε, &c.

"For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death."