he uses. It is certainly strong language to say of himself, "I am carnal, sold under sin." But this differs as widely from what is said of Ahab, who "sold himself to work iniquity," as the motion of a volunteer differs from the motion of a person who is dragged in chains. To understand the Apostle, we must consider the subject on which he is writing. He is com- paring himself with the spiritual and perfect law of God. To fulfil that in its utmost extent, was his continual aim : but by reason of his indwelling corruption he could not attain his aim : and this may well account for the strong terms in which he speaks of his corrupt nature. And, if we compare his language with that which the holiest men that ever existed have used in reference to themselves, we shall find that there is a perfect agreement between them. " Behold, I am vile ! " says Job ; " I repent and abhor myself in dust and ashes." David also complains, " My soul cleaveth to the dust." And the Prophet Isaiah, on being favoured with a vision of the Deity himself, exclaimed, " Woe is me, I am undone ! I am a man of unclean lips." And it is a fact, that the most eminent saints in every age have felt a suitableness in the language of St. Paul to express their own experience, just as they have also in those expressions of our Liturgy, " We are tied and bound with the chain of our sins ; but do thou, O Lord, of the pitifulness of thy great mercy, loose us !"]
Having shewn that the passage relates the Apostle's own experience, we will proceed to shew,
II. Its true import —
The Apostle is speaking of that corrupt principle, which, notwithstanding his attainments, still remained within him, and kept him from that perfect con- formity to the law of God to which he aspired. This principle he represents as having the force of a law, which he was not able fully to resist. He had indeed within himself a principle of grace which kept him from ever yielding a willing obedience to his indwell- ing corruption ; but it did not so free him from the workings of corruption, but that he still offended God in many things ;
1. In a way of occasional aberration —
[To conceive of this subject aright, we may suppose the holy and perfect law of God to be a perfectly straight line on which we are to walk ; and the corrupt principle within us to be operating on all our faculties to turn us from it. Sometimes it blinds the understanding, so that we do not distinctly see