Romans 7

Romans 7:1

Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man, as long as he liveth?

That ye may therefore fully understand in what terms ye stand with the Law, I shall make use of that similitude of the husband and wife, which is most plain and familiar. Know ye not therefore, brethren, for I speak to those Jewish Christians that do well know the Law, that the Mosaical Law hath dominion over any man, that is subject unto it, so long as the said Law is in force?

Romans 7:2

For the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

Take the instance of a husband and wife: let the husband be the Law; let us converts to Christianity be the wife: so then, the woman, which hath a husband, is bound by the Law to live with her husband, and to be subject unto him, so long as he liveth; but if her husband be once dead, she is loosed from any further bond to her husband, or observance of him.

Romans 7:3

So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, &c.

If then, while her husband is alive, she takes her own liberty, to forsake her husband’s bed, and to marry with another man, &c.

Romans 7:4

Wherefore, my brethren, ye are also become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Even so it is with you, my brethren: while the Law lived, and stood in his full force and vigour, ye were bound to hold you close unto it, and to observe it with all care and due respects; but now, that the Mosaical Law is dead to you, and you to it, by that all-sufficient sacrifice which Christ offered up in his flesh for us, ye are now discharged from the Law, and are free to be married to another, even to Christ, the Son of God, who is raised from the dead, that we should, upon our happy marriage with him, bring forth fruit unto God.

Romans 7:5

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

For which better fruit, we have both more occasion and better helps, then we formerly had; for, while we were carnal and under the power of the Law, the motions of our sinful and corrupt nature took occasion by the Law, to stir us unto evil; and accordingly drew from us those effects, which did justly procure our eternal death.

Romans 7:6

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

But now, we are delivered from that miserable servitude and hard exaction, and woeful curse of the Law; that rigorous and cruel bondage, under which we were held, being expired; that we should lead a new life, with our husband Christ Jesus, and should serve him in that sanctity and real obedience, which is wrought by the Spirit of Renovation in us, and not in the outward and fashionable knowledge of the Law, without any true change of the heart.

Romans 7:7

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

What shall we say then? If there be a kind of necessity, to be delivered from the Law; and the motions of sin working in us, by the Law bring forth fruit unto death; it should seem, that the Law is sin, and that it is not only unprofitable, but exceeding mischievous and pernicious to the soul: Nay, God forbid we should so think: the Law doth not cause sin, but it descries it, and shews the heinousness of it; for I had not known or observed lust to be a sin, if the Law had not said, Thou shalt not covet: some gross outward actions might be easily discernible to be foul and sinful; but, for this secret concupiscence of the heart, I could not have discovered it to be that, which it is, sin, had it not been for the light of God’s Law.

Romans 7:8

But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

Indeed the Law was given, for the forbiddance and restraint of sin, and ought to have that use in us; but, through our corruption, it falls out contrarily, that the Law, shewing and inhibiting sin and not giving power to avoid and restrain it, gives occasion to our impetuous desires and lusts, so much more eagerly to pursue forbidden pleasures: for had not the

Romans 7:9

For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

Take me, if you please, for an example: for I, before I enquired carefully into the Law, lived in a free and careless security, making no difference of my actions; but, when once I came to take notice of the Commandment, which restrained and forbad my sinful lusts and affections, now my corruptions began to gather head, and, as it were, seemed to receive a new life and vigour: so as I, by the force of them, fell into a spiritual death, and lay under that miserable estate.

Romans 7:10

And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

And so that Commandment, which was ordained to be a rule of life, and, if I could have kept it, a means of life also, I found to be unto me, through my own corruption, an occasion of death. So also verse 11.

Romans 7:13

Was that then which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

Was then the Law, which is good, turned evil, and, in its own nature deadly unto me? God forbid: the fault is not in the Law, but in my own depravedness; for sin, that it might appear every way like itself, harmful and deadly, wrought death in me, by occasion of that Law, which is in itself good and holy: so as hereupon, that sin, which, in the time of my security, seemed not worthy of any note, appeared to be exceedingly foul and sinful.

Romans 7:14

For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

For the Law, we know, is a heavenly, spiritual, and divine thing, and therefore is not of a hurtful and killing nature; but I am an earthly, carnal, and sinful creature, as of myself; altogether given up to the power of sin, and, as it were, sold under it to a hard and cruel servitude.

Romans 7:15

For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

And, even now, in the state of my regeneration, I am divided in myself; for that which I do, as being overcome with the force of my corruptions, I allow not, as renewed: for, that good which I would do, upon the good motions of God’s Spirit in me, that I do not; but that, which, in my spiritual and regenerated part I hate, that, through the sway of my carnal affections, I do.

Romans 7:16

If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

If then my inordinate affections carry me to do the thing, which I would not do, and I find a reluctance in myself against it; this very strife, that is in me, shews, that I am sufficiently convinced, that the Law which forbids this that I do, is good.

Romans 7:17

Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Now, then, it is no more I, who am a spiritual and renewed person, that do this evil; but it is that corrupt nature, which dwelleth in me: for I do it not with the whole sway of my will, but my prevalent corruption is guilty of it.

Romans 7:18

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

For I know that in me, that is, in my nature as it is in itself and of itself, there dwelleth no goodness at all: for I can, so long and so far as I follow the motion of God’s Spirit, indeed will that which is good; but, as I am carried away with the frailty of my flesh, how to perform that good which I will, I find no power at all.

Romans 7:20

Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Now, if I be drawn so with the force of my remaining corruption, that I do unwillingly commit that sin which I would not, it is no more I, the regenerate man, that do it; but that wicked nature of mine, which dwelleth in me.

Romans 7:21

I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

I find then a kind of forcible power of secret corruption lurking within me, which so draws me awry, that, when I would do good, I am, in the mean while, declined to evil.

Romans 7:22

For I delight in the law of God, after the inward man:

For I delight in the law of God, as I am a regenerate man:

Romans 7:23

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

But I see and feel another secret power of corruption, striving and fighting against the powerful inclination of my regenerate part; and so prevailing oftentimes with me, as that I am overcarried by that sway of sin, which is in my corrupted nature.

Romans 7:24

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

O that I, wretched man that I am, might once be delivered from this mass of inward corruption which dwells in this mortal and sinful flesh of mine!