occasions, the conqueror rode in a triumphal chariot, crowned with laurel; while the captive king followed him on foot, loaded with chains, and making, next to the conqueror, the most striking part of the show. Now, if, in a Roman triumph, some of the spectators had taken the chained king on foot, for the victorious general in the chariot, because the one immediately followed the other, they would have been guilty of a mistake, not unlike that of our opponents, who take the carnal Jew, "sold under sin," and groaning as he goes along, for the Christian believer, who "walks in the Spirit," exults in the liberty of God's children, and always triumphs in Christ.

5. To see the propriety of the preceding observation, we need only take notice of the contrariety there is between the bondage of the carnal penitent, described in Rom. vii. 14, &c., and the liberty of the spiritual man, described in the beginning of that very chapter: the one says, "Who shall deliver me?" Sin revives; it works in him all manner of concupiscence; yea, it works death in him: he is "carnal, sold under sin," forced by his bad habits to do what he is ashamed of, and kept from doing what he sees his duty. "In him, that is, in his flesh, dwells no good thing." Sin dwelleth in him. How to perform that which is good he finds not. Though he has a desire to be better, yet still he does not do good: he does evil : "evil is present with him." His "inward man," his reason and conscience, approve, yea, delight in, God's law," that is, in that which is right; but still he does it not; his good resolutions are no sooner made than they are broken; for "another law in his members wars against the law of his mind," that is, his carnal appetites oppose dictates of his conscience, and "bring him into captivity to the law of sin," so that, like a poor chained slave, he has just liberty enough to rattle his chains, and to say, "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death," from this complete assemblage of corruption, misery, and death!" Is it not ridiculous to conclude, that, because this groaning slave has now and then a hope of deliverance, and, at times, thanks God through Jesus Christ for that hope, he is actually a par

the

taker of the liberty which is thus described in the beginning of the chapter ?" Ye are become dead to the law," the Mosaic dispensation, "that ye should be married to him who is raised from the dead, that," instead of omitting to do good, and doing evil," we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh," in the state of the carnal man, sold under sin, a sure proof this that the apostle was no more in that state,-"the motions of sin, which were by the law," abstracted from the gospel promise, "did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the" curse of the moral as well as from the bondage of the Mosaic "law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve God in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." Rom. vii. 4-6. Immediately after this glorious profession of liberty, the apostle, in his own person, by way of contrast, describes, to the end of the chapter, the poor, lame, sinful obedience of those who serve God in the oldness of the letter;" so that nothing can be more unreasonable, than to take this description for a description of the obedience of those who serve God in newness of the spirit.” We have therefore, in Rom. vii. 4-6, a strong rampart against the mistake which our opponents build on the rest of the chapter.

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6. This mistake will appear still more astonishing, if we read Rom. vi., where the apostle particularly describes the liberty of those who "serve God in newness of the spirit," according to the glorious privileges of the new covenant. Is darkness more contrary to light, than the preceding description of the carnal Jew is to the following description of the spiritual Christian?" How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Our old man is crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." Note: the carnal Jew, though against his conscience, still serves the law of sin." Rom. vii. 25. "Now, he that is dead is freed from sin. Reckon ye yourselves also to be dead indeed unto sin. Yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead." Note: the carnal Jew says, "Sin revived, and I died." Rom. vii. 9. But

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"Sin shall

the spiritual Christian is alive from the dead. not have dominion over you," now you are spiritual. You need not say, "I do the evil that I hate, and the evil I would not, that I do;" "for you are not under the law," under the weak dispensation of the law of Moses, "but under grace," under the powerful, gracious dispensation of Christ. "God be thanked, that," whereas "ye were the servants of sin," when you carnally served God "in the oldness of the letter," ye have obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine which was delivered you;" that is, ye have heartily embraced the gospel of Christ, who gives rest to all that come to him travailing and heavy laden. 'Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. But now being "carnal, sold under sin, ye serve the law of sin? No; just the reverse-" But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." Rom. vi. 2—22. Is it possible to reconcile this description of Christian liberty, with the preceding description of Jewish bondage? Can a man at the same time exult in the one, and groan under the other? When our opponents assert it, do they not confound the Mosaic and the Christian dispensation? the workings of the Spirit of bondage, and the workings of the Spirit of adoption? And yet, astonishing! they charge us with confounding law and gospel.

7. We shall see their mistake is a still more glaring light, if we pass to Romans viii., and consider the description which St. Paul continues to give us of the glorious liberty of those who have done with "the oldness of the" Jewish "letter, and serve God in newness of the spirit." The poor Jew, carnally sticking in the letter, is condemned for all he does, if his conscience is awake. But "there is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus," who are come up to the privileges of the Christian dispensation, "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus," the power of the quickening Spirit given me and my fellow-believers, under the spiritual

and perfect dispensation of Christ Jesus, "hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law," the letter of the Mosaic dispensation, "could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law," the spiritual obedience which the moral law of Moses, adopted by Christ, requires, "might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For," so far from professing, that I am "carnal and sold under sin," I declare, that "to be carnallyminded is death." Well may, then, the carnal Jew groan, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” "But to be spiritually-minded is life and peace. So then they that are in the flesh," that is, carnal, sold under sin, "cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his;" he is, at best, a disciple of Moses, a poor carnal Jew; and remains still a stranger to the glorious privileges of the Christian dispensation. "But if Christ be in you, the body is dead," weak, and full of the seeds of death, "because of" original "sin; but the spirit is life," strong and full of immortality, "because of" implanted and living "righteousness. For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear," like the poor carnal man, who, through fear and anguish, groans out, "O wretched man that I am!" "But ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we," who walk in newness of the Spirit, and please God, we, who have the Spirit of Christ, "cry, Abba, Father; the Spirit itself bearing witness with our spirits, that we are the children of God and if children, then heirs; heirs of God," whom we please, "and joint heirs with Christ," through whom we please God. Rom. viii. 1-17.

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This glorious liberty, which God's children enjoy in their souls under the perfection of the Christian dispensation, will one day extend to their bodies which are "dead," that is, infirm, and condemned to die, "because of" original "sin ;" and with respect to the body only it is that the apostle says, Rom. viii. 23, "We ourselves also, who have the

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frst fruits of the Spirit, groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption" of our outward man, "that is, the redemption of our body: for," with respect to the body, whose imperfection is so great a clog to the soul, saved by hope." In the mean time " we know that all things work together for good to them that love God. Who shall separate us" that love God, and walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, "from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress," &c., do it? Nay, in all these things, much more in respect of sin and carnal-mindedness, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Rom. viii. 23—37.

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And that this abundant victory extends to the destruction of the carnal mind we prove by these words of the context: "To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace: because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh" (they that are carnally minded) cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh," (ye are not carnally minded,) "but in the Spirit," (ye are spiritually minded,) "if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you." For "where the Spirit of the Lord is," and dwells as a Spirit of adoption, "there is" constant "liberty;" and "if any man hath not that Spirit," or if he hath it only as a "spirit of bondage," to make him groan, "O wretched man!" he may, indeed, be a servant of God in the land of his spiritual captivity, but he is none of Christ's free men. He may serve God "in the oldness of the letter," as a Jew, but he does not serve him "in newness of the Spirit," as a Christian; for, I repeat it, "where the Spirit of Christ is," and dwells according to the fulness of the Christian dispensation, "there is liberty," a glorious liberty, which is the very reverse of the bondage that Mr. Hill pleads for during the term of life. See Romans viii. 14-21.

Whether, therefore, we consider Romans vii., vi., or viii., it appears indubitable that the sense which our opponents fix upon Rom vii. 14, &c., is entirely contrary to the apostle's meaning, to the context, and to the design