/ consent to it, v. 16. As /, in the language of the apostle, includes, at» it were, two persons, the new and the old man, the flesh and the spirit, it is necessary to limit the proposition whether he says, " In me there is no good thing," or " I delight in the law of God." The former was true only as to his jlesh ; the latter only as to his inward man. That this * phrase is here expressive of real complacency and delight in the divine excellence as exhibited in the law, seems evident from the following reasons. 1. Because the delight is restricted to the inward man, and not spoken of the soul generally. As the term inward man meant at first the soul in opposition to the body, and as the former is superior to the latter, it naturally became expressive of excellence, and when opposed to some- thing in the soul, indicates its renewed or better feelings. 2. When the Bible makes this opposition between a good and evil principle in man, it uniformly attributes the former to the Holy Spirit, especially when any one is spoken of as hating evil and rejoicing in God. 3. A comparison of the terms " inward man," " law of the mind," " the new man," " the Spirit," as opposed to " the law in the members," " the old man," "the flesh," shows that the former are all employed to designate holy feelings, or the soul considered as renewed ; and the latter tlie reverse. This is peculiarly obvious from what is said in v. 25, where " the flesh," is opposed to "the law of the mind." 4. What is here said of the "inward man" and " the law in the members," is elsewhere said of " the Spirit" and " the flesh." The conflict which is described here, is described also in ch. 8 : 13. Gal. 5 : 17. Col. 3 : 9, 10; precisely the same things are predicated of the evil principle in all these cases, especially in the pas- sage in Galatians. If, therefore, the contest between " the flesh and Spirit" is peculiar to the renewed man, so is also that of which Paul speaks in this chapter.
(23) But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, &c. Another, i. e. other than the " inward man" or " law of the mind." With the one he delighted in the law of God, with the other he was opposed to it. These principles war against each other ; exactly as in Gal. 5 : 17, the flesh and spirit are represented as being con- trary the one to the other, so that we cannot do the things that we would. This law is said to be in my members, i. e. in me ; compare ch. 6 : 13, 19. As he had spoken of the good principle as " the inward man," it was natural to speak of the evil principle as being outward. In my members, therefore, is equivalent to " in my flesh," in my unsanctified nature. What in vs. 17, 20 is ascribed to ' indwelling sin,' is here attributed to ' the law in the members.' The latter is, therefore, but a figurative expres- sion of the same idea. This evil is called a law from its controlling influ- ence ; it regulates the conduct as though it had a right to do so. The law of the mind \s evidently but another expression for the "inward man." This form of expression was adopted from its natural opposition to the phrase " law in the members."
Bringing me into captivity to the law of sin^ which is in my members*