Rom. viii. 2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the laio of sin and death.
THE world in general account it liberty to give loose to their passions. But such freedom is indeed the sorest bondage to sin and Satan a. None possess true liberty but those who are freed by Christ b. The state of the demoniacs when healed by Christ re- sembled theirs c. Paul was made a glorious example of it to all ages. He was once under condemnation,
a Rom. vi. 1G. b John viii. 36. c Luke viii. 35.
both because he adhered to the covenant of works, and was governed by his own impetuous will : he now rejoiced in a freedom from the sin that he had indulged, and from the curse to which he had sub- jected himself. " The law of," &c.
We shall first explain, and then improve the text — I. Explain it —
It is not needful to state the various interpretations given of the text. We shall adopt that which seems most easy, and agreeable to the context. We will begin with explaining the terms. " The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus " is the Gospel covenant, as confirmed to us in Christ, and revealed to us by the Spirit —
[The " Spirit of life " is the Holy Ghost, who is the author and preserver of spiritual lifed. The "law" of the Spirit is the Gospel as revealed and applied by him : it is called a law because it has all the essential properties of a law6: it is often spoken of as a law both by prophets and Apostlesf: it is said to be the law of the Spirit "in Christ Jesus," because the blessings of the Gospel are treasured up in Christ, confirmed to us through Christ, and received by ns from Christ \]
" The law of sin and death " may be understood either of the covenant of works or of our indwelling corruption —
[The covenant of works is a " law " to which all are by nature subject: it is called the "law of sin and death," be- cause both sin and death come by that lawh. Our indwelling corruption also operates as "a law" within us1; it invariably hurries us on to " sin and death k."]
d John iii. 5. Eph. iii. 16.
e A law is a precept enforced with sanctions : and such is the Gospel : it is a precept, 1 John iii. 23 ; and it is enforced with the most encouraging and awful sanctions, Mark xvi. 16.
f Isai. ii. 3. Rom. iii. 27.
s Col. i. 19. 2 Cor. i. 20. John i. 16.
h Without that law there had been no transgression, and, conse- quently, no sin (which is the transgression of a law) ; nor death (which is the penalty inflicted for transgression). Compare 1 John iii. 4. Rom. v. 13. 1 Cor. xv. 56. Hence it is called "the minis- tration of death and of condemnation." 2 Cor. iii. 7, 9.
; Rom. vii. 23. k Rom. vii. 5.