x z. e. The Corruption of our Nature, the depraved Bent and Biaſs of the Seal, called before Luft, z i.e. Being ſtirr'd up or drawn forth by the Prohibition of the Law, The Law did not prop.rly give occafion, but ſm took it. The Law (as before) is not the cauſ- of fn, tho' by accident ir 1s the occaſion of it. In a Drop. it is notthe Drink that is to be blamed for increaſing the Diſ- ene, bur the 11] habit of Body. Such is the depravedneſs of Man's Niue, that the things which are Forbidden, are the more deſired : The more the Law would dam up the Torrent of ſinful Luffs, the higher do they ſwell. The Law was given to reſtrain fin, but through Gur Corrupz:on it falls out contrarily. The Law inhibiting ſin, and not g1ving Power to avoid it, Our impetuous Lufts take occaſion or ad- _ vantage from thence the more eager]y to purſue it. # 2. e. Inordi- nate Afectrons, and Inclinations of all forts. b i. e. Without the knowlenge of rhe Law. cz. e, Comparatively aead. Sinhath not /o much Power, cither to Territie the Conſcience, or to ſtir up inor- dipat- 4fefions ; it is like a fleepy Lyon that ſtirs not.
9 For 1 was alive without the Jaw once 4 ; but when the commandment came e, finreviv'd f, and] died 7.
a 75 d. Take me if you pleaſe for an Inſtance. Before I knew the Lew aright, and underſtood the divine and ſpiritual Meaning ot it; or whiltthe Law ſtood afar off, and was not brought home to my Conſcience; I was alive, that is, in my own Conceit. I chought my ſelf in as good condition as any Man living. My Con- ference never gave me any Trouble. So it was with me ONCe, or heretofore, when I was a Phariſee, or in an unregencrate State, e 7, e. When it came nearer to my Conſcience : when I came to know and underſtand the Spiritual meaning and extent of it, that it condemned ſinful Lufts, Afe&ions, and Inclinations, fi. 6, Its Sin-
Sinfulneſs and Guilt appear'd ; and T had alively Senſe printed upon my Sou! : Or my Corruptions began to gather H.. and ſeenr'd, as 1t were,. to receive new Vigor and Life. * my own Opinion and Feeling. I felt my Conſcience dead! ed. I was convinced I was in a State of Death anq » I loſt the Confidence I formerly had of my Good Efare. 10 And the commandment * which was v7 life I found ro be unto death þ.
hq. . So it came to pals, that the Commandment which asin'd to be a Rule of Zife; and if I could have kept it, a ys,y. c Life alſo. chap. 10. 5. Gal. 3. 12, I found it to be to me (ron I my Corruption and Tranſgreſſion) an occaſion of Degth - Mes, me over to Puniſhment, and ſo by Accident it tendeth t- Fs + Some by Life and Death, here do underſtand Peace and Percy; By of Spirit. i
11 For ſintaking occaſion; by the commandment q ceived me &, and by it flew me /.
7 See the Notes on wer. 8. & 5.e. Seduced and drew mc aſd. Heb, 3. 13. James 1. 14. Li, e. Tt drove me into Defpai, £ delivered me over to Death and Damnation, and made me Oh; ous thereunto.
12 Wherefore mz * the law # is holy, and the mandment o holv, and juſt, and good ». - |
» And ſo the ObjeGQion wer. 7. was a groundlefſs Objc&ign.; 1 4 though the Law were the occaſion of Sin, or verc made advintio. of by Sin, as ver. 8. yet it was not th: Cauſe of ir, chit on 1 hands is acknowledg'd to be Holy, &c. » The 7.aw iy all ti; Branches of it. - o Particularly the Preceptive part of the Law, ;x every particular Precept. p The three Epithers here given the 135 of God, may be thus diſtinguiſhed : "Tis Holy in reſpeG of the (.. remonaal Part ; 'tis Juf? in reſpe&t of the Judicial Part; and G; in reſpe& of the Moral Part of it. Or elſe the Law is Holy, ;;- teacheth usour Duty unto God : Juſt, as it ſheweth us our Ducr ty our Neighbour : Good, in regard of the Effect and End ; as it wii, Gooaneſs in the Obſerver thercof, and is Conducive to lis rempoy and eternal Good. : TEs
12 Was then that which 1s good, made Each uny me? God forbid q. Pur fin that it mignc appear li, workinz death in me, by that which is good, » ; that ſy by the commandment might become exceeding infuls.
q Another Anticipation. The Apoſtle denics, that thu p; Law was in its own nature deadly, or the cauſe of Death to hin; the Fault was not in the Law, but in his own dcpraved Nay, But the plain Caſc is this that follows. r "That Si», that ſo jt mjgh; appearevery way like it felf, wrought Dearh it him by occ:liong that Law, which yet in its ſelf is Holy, Juſt, and Good, ; $9; hereupon Sin,which in the time of his Ignorance and Unregenericy, ſeem'd not worthy of any Notice, appear'd to be exceeding F:/ ant Sinful. Sin is ſo Evil, that he can't call it by a worſe Name chin its own. Hierom thinketh, That the Apoſtle h-re commits Sole ciſm by joyning an Adjefive of the Maſculine Gender, with Subſtantive of the Feminine ; But Beza and Eraſmus have obſerved, Thar this 1s uſual in the Attick DialeF, See the like, cha), 1, 5, Some read Sinner for Sinjsl, and make the Apoſtle to ſpeik of Sin as of a certain Perſon; and therefore all along, the Contcxr, $ is ſaid to Work, to be Dead, to Revive, to Deceive, to Kill, &: which is properly attributed to Perſons, and not to things.
14 For we know that the law is Spiritual 7: but Iam carnal «, fold under fin ».