slave are indeed his own acts, but not being performed with the full assent and consent of his soul, they are not fair tests of the real state of his feelings. The propriety and truth of this representation of the state of the believer, and of the influence of the law, is reasserted and con- firmed in vs. 18 — 20. The law presents duty clearly ; the heart and conscience of the believer assent to its excellence; but what can the law do in destroying the power of our inward corruptions 1 These evil prin- ciples remain, as far as the law is concerned, in full force. The authori- tative declaration that a thing must not be done, does not destroy the inclination to do it.
The result, therefore, is, that notwithstanding the assent of the mind to the excellence of the law, the power of sin remains, so that, when we would do good, evil is present with us, v. 21. We delight in the law after the inward man, but this does not destroy the power of sin in our members, vs. 22, 23. This inward conflict the law can never end. It only makes us sensible of our helpless and degraded condition, v. 24 ; and drives us to seek victory whence alone it can be obtained, i. e. as the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord, v. 25.