Romans 7

1. At death they are freed from a body of sin. There are in the best reliquiae peccati, some remainders and relics of corruption (Romans 7:24). O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death!

The moral law is to keep us within the bounds of our duty; sin is a going beyond our bounds. 2. The Law of God; it is not the law of an inferior prince that is broken, but of Jehovah, who gives laws as well to angels as men; it is a law that is just, and holy, and good (Romans 7…

Quest. But who can obey God in all things? Ans. An adopted heir of heaven, though he cannot obey every precept perfectly, yet he does evangelically: 1. He approves of every command (Romans 7:16). I consent to the law that it [reconstructed: is] good.

No man can feel sin but by grace. A wicked man is insensible; lay a 100 weight upon a dead man, he does not complain, but the being sensible of corruption, argues a gracious principle (Romans 7:21). Again, from where is it that there is a combat with sin, but from the life of gr…

The Law of God is a hedge to keep us within the bounds of sobriety and piety. Use 2. If God spoke all these words of the Moral Law, then it condemns, first, the Marcionites and Manichees, who spoke slightly, indeed, blasphemously of the Moral Law; they say it is below a Christia…

I was held before conversion (says Austin) not with an iron [reconstructed: chain], but with the obstinacy of my own will. Sin is the enslaver; sin is called, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a law (Romans 7:23), because it has such a binding power over a man: And it is said, 〈 in non…

2. The threats and prohibitions of the moral law reach the heart: the law of God forbids not only the act of sin, but the desire and inclination: not only does it forbid adultery, but lusting (Matthew 5:28). Not only stealing but coveting (Romans 7:7). Lex humana ligat manum, le…

Third, we grieve that we can do no better. When we fail, we weep: we prefer bills of complaint against ourselves, and judge ourselves for our failings (Romans 7:24). Fourth, we do elicere conatum, we endeavor to obey every Commandment (Philippians 3:14): I press toward the mark.

In old age the fair blossoms of beauty fall; so original sin is the Old Man, because it has withered our beauty, and made us deformed in God's eye. 2. Original concupiscence is called the law of sin (Romans 7:25). Original sin has vim coactivam, the power of a law.

What would a Christian give to have his chains taken off, to be rid of vain thoughts. How did Paul (that bird of paradise) bemoan himself for his sins (Romans 7:24). We cannot act either our duties or graces without sin.

It is not said, You shall not take away his house: but, You shall not covet it. These lustings and desires after the forbidden fruit are sinful (Romans 7:7). The law has said, You shall not covet.

A man sweats at his recreation, tires himself with hunting, but there is a delight he takes in it which sweetens it: (Romans 7:22) I delight in the Law of God, in the inner man, Gr. [illegible], I take pleasure. Not only is the kingdom of Heaven delightful, but the way there:

Answ. Though we cannot do all God's will legally, yet we may evangelically; which is, 1. When we mourn that we can do God's will no better, when we fail we weep (Romans 7:24). 2. When it is the desire of our soul to do God's whole will (Psalm 119:5): O that my ways were directed…

Quest. If sin in the regenerate is not quite done away, then how far must one put off the old man that he may be a new creature? Answ. 1. There must be a grieving for the remains of corruption (Romans 7:24). O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death?

And because such examples of men cast off are presented to them to show them what advantage God might take against them — they, mistaking, think they read their own destiny laid before them in them, and conclude that God will deal so with them. And thus, as the apostle says of s…

1. That he knows what ends and intentions and thoughts and lusts such corrupt hearts as ours usually produce and bring forth in all men, and therefore can imagine what selfish motives, etc., may be stirring in such and such actions, and so lay them to our charge, and so often hi…

Fourthly, hence also we learn, what a regenerate man does most feel in himself; namely, original sin, the corruption of his nature: for, that hangs on fast, and hinders him in the practice of all good duties. This, Paul knew well; and therefore confesses, that he saw another Law…

Answer. By means of faith, which does revive and refresh the dead heart of man, by bringing to his remembrance the merciful promises of God. Saint Paul pressed with corruption, cried out: O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Romans 7:24. Ye…

We are here admonished to be displeased with ourselves, for our slack and imperfect obedience to God, and for our hypocrisy, private pride, presumption, deadness of spirit, and many other wants which break out when we are in doing God's will. There is no servant of God, but has…

Lastly, if all mankind be shut up under unbelief, the duty of every man is, to labor in using all good means whereby we may be delivered from this bondage, and to pray to God with David, Create in me a [reconstructed: clean] heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (Psal…

The righteous man says, What a pleasure is it! I delight in the law of God in the inner man (Romans 7:22). As the bee delights to suck the flower, so does a holy person to obey God; it is amor elicitus, he does duty out of love to duty; he prays out of love to prayer: when he si…

Again, the philosophers knew that lust with consent was evil even by the light of nature. But Paul — a learned Pharisee and therefore more than a philosopher — knew not lust to be sin, that is forbidden in this commandment, Romans 7. Therefore the lust forbidden here is without…

Reason 1. (Romans 7:17) Paul says directly: It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me: that is, original sin. The Papists answer again, that it is so called improperly: because it comes of sin and also is an occasion of sin to be done.

Their hearts are under the power of their lusts, and therefore it is no wonder they go after their lusts even when they are about holy things (Ezekiel 33:31). (2) Involuntary and lamented distractions (Romans 7:21-24): 'I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is prese…

But there is a taint come upon the souls of all men by sin, so as this alliance is thereby worn out, indeed forfeited, until it be restored. Now therefore these souls (the only subject of our discourse) being such as God has wrought, and so are become his workmanship by a new an…

The second thing to be used in way of remedie, for the staying of the mind in this tentation, is, that though it should be graunted, that the foresaid euill and blasphemous thoughts are our sins, yet we are to remember, that they may through the mercy and goodnesse of God, be pa…

And though sometimes they will say their faith is weak, yet they cannot be beaten from it, but that they believe; and their faith is up and down as their security stands or falls. This the apostle makes clear from his own experience (Romans 7:9), where before his conversion he s…

Faith holds the sinner going to Christ, and the sense of its own sinfulness and worthlessness keeps him under holy fear and in the exercise of humility. Paul once thought himself a confident man (as we may see in Romans 7:9), but when he was brought to believe in Christ, he sees…

2. Experience also confirms it; go through all the men and women that ever were in the world (our blessed Lord Jesus being excepted, as not descending of Adam by the ordinary way of generation) and that will be found true which the Apostle has (Romans 3), "There is none that doe…

It's Christ that died, or rather, who is risen again, etc. And it's said in Romans 7, that we are delivered from the law being dead to that wherein we were held; the law had us in prison, and a lock on the door, and had us under irons, but our Lord came, and (as Samson did in an…

For we showed before, that Christ is here proposed as our pattern, and we are bidden purify ourselves as he is pure. But this we say, that none living here on the earth are without sin; the most perfect men that are on this side of eternity, carry about with them a body of death…

There is such a humor and natural inclination in all, and it is a good token when it is discovered and becomes a binder and the ground of a challenge — not only that they have sinned in this and that and the other duty, but that they have gone whoring after their feckless perfor…

3. A passing from the one to the other, a passing from our own righteousness to Christ's righteousness, a passing from our natural condition to Jesus Christ, a real passing from death in ourselves, to life in Him. Most part, think faith to be a conceit, a humor, or a guessing, t…

For while he is so, he cannot know what is sin, and what is not sin; what is faith, and what is presumption, unless it be by guess; and people will never be suitably affected with sin by guess. The Apostle Paul (as it is, Romans 7:9): "Before the law came, I was alive" — that is…

If so, then what means the good opinion that many of you have of yourselves? This is even the thing that the Apostle says of himself before his conversion (Romans 7:9): Before the law came, I was alive, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died; That is before the c…

This is the very hinge of our consolation, [reconstructed: agreeing] to take with our debt, and to betake [reconstructed: our] selves to him, according to the [reconstructed: gospel], trusting for salvation on that ground. [reconstructed: 2]. It is these who are essaying and pra…

(3.) That a man must be so far from being troubled for sin, that he must take no notice of his sin, nor of his repentance. Indeed, Doctor Crisp, volume 3, Sermon 1, pages 20, 21, 22, says, there was no cause why Paul (Romans 7) should fear sin, or a body of death; because in tha…

Assertion 9. There are more vehement stirrings and wrestlings in a natural spirit under the law; as the bullock is most unruly at the first yoking: and green wood casts most smoke. Paul (Romans 7) was slain by the law; but this makes more way for Christ: and though it does not m…

5. In the kingdom of perfection there shall be no in-dwelling of a body of sin, no sin, no uncleanness of heart, no turning of the love and liking of the soul off God; but the most perfect in this life sin, and carry an in-dwelling body of sin with them (Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesias…

For my name's sake you have labored, and have not fainted (1 Corinthians 15:58). Be steadfast, unmoveable, always abundant in the work of the Lord — there is activity in the Spirit to lust against the flesh (Galatians 5:17; Romans 7:15). Nor is the blessedness of the Saints only…

This is to make John (who only prepared the way for Christ) to be the Messiah indeed (as many of the Jews thought) — that is, to think the eminent work of John's ministry (which was to humble and so prepare men for Christ) to be their attaining Christ himself. But if you be wear…

All relations that are natural, such as between father and child, husband and wife, brother and brother, etc. look what world they are made for, in that world they forever hold, and can never be dissolved. These fleshly relations indeed do cease in that other world, because they…

The very presence of a duty, and the thoughts of it, is a horror to such souls in such cases; we have been too busy in our own strength, and too mighty in the grace we have received, and rather aimed at ourselves than at him, and then no marvel if God leave us to a world of dead…

In Heaven there is neither sin nor misery. 1. To begin with sin: that is the worst evil, because it makes us hateful to God, and grieves the saints most (Romans 7:24): Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death. If any man had cause to complain o…

But it must be earnest and vehement as against the enemy of God, and our souls. Paul's resistance in his conflicts was with serious dislikes, and deep groans (Romans 7:19): The good that I would I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do, and (verse 24): Oh wretched man…

Or will you balk any divine commands to gratify a lazy humor, or a base lust? God forbid; methinks, if you cannot obey as you ought, yet you should take God's part, and plead for obedience: Paul does so (Romans 7:15-16). Though he says, What I would, that do I not, But what I ha…

But in that we are in the flesh, and have as yet the remnants of sin in us, we are under the law, and yet not under the curse, because the remnants of sin are not imputed to us for Christ's sake in whom we believe. For the flesh is an enemy to God, and that concupiscence which y…

But we are careless, indeed we make light of sin and a matter of nothing: which although it bring with it the sting and remorse of conscience, yet notwithstanding we think it not to be of such weight and force but that by some little work or merit we may put it away. This senten…

Another use of the law is divine and spiritual, which is (as Paul says) to increase transgressions: that is to say, to reveal to a man his sin, his blindness, his misery, his impiety, ignorance, hatred and contempt of God, death, hell, the judgment and deserved wrath of God. Of…

True it is, that of all things in the world, the law is most excellent: yet is it not able to quiet a troubled conscience, but increases terrors, and drives it to desperation. For by the law, sin is made beyond measure sinful (Romans 7:13). Therefore the afflicted and troubled c…