speak who have the Holy Spirit, in representing and presenting things for what they are-divine things for divine, and human things for human. Men devoid of the Holy Spirit, however modest they may be, ever sell the cat for a hare.

I have already stated how I understand the man yields his members to uncleanness, or to sin, which is the same thing, and how he yields them to righteousness.

In saying, "unto holiness," he means that the Christian's aim ought to be sanctification, not only of the mind, which comes to him through election, and through acceptance of God, and through the communication of the Holy Spirit, but also of the body, which man obtains by yielding his members servants to righteousness, putting into execution through them the movements and inspirations of the Holy Spirit, in discharging the duty of Christian regeneration.

VI. 20. For when ye were the bond-servants of sin ye were free from righteousness.

This clause stands connected with what precedes it; and he means, You ought so much the more to attend to this, forasmuch as you know that when you served sin you wholly disregarded righteousness; now, turning over the leaf, remember that you are servants of righteousness, and that you are emancipated from sin.

So that "to be emancipated from righteousness" may be the same as to wholly disregard it; and to be emancipated from sin may be to wholly disregard it; for liberty is opposed to subjection.

From the evil of subjection to sin proceeds the evil of emancipation from righteousness, and from the benefit of bond-service to righteousness proceeds the benefit of emancipation from sin.

VI. 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

Here I note both St. Paul's modesty and his tact; his words express the idea, Since, when you practised vicious courses you reaped no fruit from them, it is fitting that you desist from them, and so much the more so for that their wages is death. And not to brand them as vicious and to aggravate the hideousness of the vices, he says, "in those things whereof ye are now ashamed," assuming that since they were Christians they would feel ashamed at having been vicious.

The mode in which death is the penalty, or wages of sin, has already been rehearsed.

That which is here said to be fruit [Hispanicè, premio], is translated by others "end" [Græcè, Teλos]; and both renderings may stand.

VI. 22. But now being emancipated from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification and the end everlasting life.

St. Paul here adduces four advantages which those Christians had, that respond to four other disadvantages which they had had before they became Christians; as though he should say, Previously you were the servants of sin, subject to your affections and lusts, but now you are free from this servitude and from this subjection, because Christ, when He slew His flesh, slew yours. Previously you served that most cruel tyrant the world, whilst now you serve God. Previously you practised things that you are ashamed of now, whilst now the fruit of your having become servants of God is your sanctification, that you are saints. Previously the wages paid you were death, whilst those you now receive are eternal life. Every one may arrogate this to himself who feels the benefit of Christ, and assumes that all this is specially spoken to him. Here it is to be noted, that St. Paul, in calling these Christians servants of God, does not exclude them from the dignity of sonship; for it is a fact that Christians are sons, be

cause they have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit; whilst they are servants, because God has elected and accepted them as His, and He takes them into His service.

And I understand this acceptance to be that which makes them saints, as everything is sanctified that God takes into His service.

So that sanctification is the fruit of their having become servants of God; whilst they are servants whom God takes into His service, and not they who serve from motives of fancy or interest.

Here, too, when he says "premio" or fruit, others translate "end;" and both renderings may stand; but I understand St. Paul to say that the fruit of the bondservice of sin is death, and that the fruit of sanctification is eternal life. Sanctification is of God's grace and bounty, and eternal life is the fruit of sanctification.

VI. 23. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

St. Paul confirms by these words the former ones, and says that the wages or salary which sin pays to those who serve it, is death, and that the gift or present which God makes them who serve Him is eternal life. And here it is to be observed, that death is ever the penalty of sin, and that eternal life is ever the gift of justification. It is, moreover, to be observed, that when he should have said, "the wages of God is eternal life," to have it correspond with the foregoing, that "the wages of sin is death," he but says, "the gift of God is eternal life," meaning that it is not given as the wages, but as a gift or gratuity; and because the greatest part of the happiness of the just in the life eternal will be to see Christ, St. Paul adds, [with] "through Jesus Christ our Lord."

CHAPTER VII.

VII. 1.—What, 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?

St. Paul having stated that the Christian is not under the Law, but under grace, and holding it to be a thing of great importance, as it indeed is, that this be so understood, he here begins to prove it. And he here means, that since it is a fact that man, whilst he lives in this present life, is subject to the Law, but that dead, he is free from the Law; and since likewise it is a fact that they who are Christians are already dead, for that in becoming members of Christ they really and actually have died in Christ's death; so also it is a fact that Christians are free from the Law, not being under it, but under grace.

Here St. Paul understands that the man who accepts the grace of the gospel by incorporation into Christ, really and effectively dies with Christ, for that Christ having slain upon the cross what he had of Adam, God considers all that as dead which they who are members of Christ have in them of Adam; and because those very persons, who are thus incorporated into Christ, feel within themselves a certain mortification of all that they have of Adam, and a certain abhorrence of all that is carnal and worldly.

From God's considering those as dead who are incorporated into Christ, I understand them to gain two things: the one, that God's justice has been executed upon them, as it has been upon Christ; and the other, that as dead, they are free and exempt from the Law. And from what

they feel within themselves they gain two other things: the one, that they easily come to a resolution as to the world; and the other, that they easily come to a resolution as to themselves. But these advantages, that we Christians gain by Christ's having slain us in His death, are neither to be known nor understood by wisdom or by learning, but they are perfectly apprehended by experience. The satisfaction of divine justice is apprehended when the Christian finds such peace in his conscience that he dares (boldly) appear, with open face, before the judgment of

God.

And freedom from the Law is apprehended when man neither feels himself irritated by it to sin, nor does he feel himself to be the enemy of God by what he is led to do in opposition to the Law's requirements, dragged thereto and conquered by some affection or lust; because such an one, feeling that the Law does not work out its effects upon him, viz., in increasing his sin, and in causing the enmity and anger of God, he apprehends and he knows that he is free from the Law, that he is not under the Law, but under grace.

And the death of all that the man has of Adam is apprehended when the man, being brought by faith to be a member of Christ, feels himself as it were mortified in all the affections and lusts of the flesh, hating from the soul what the flesh naturally loves and craves, wherein lies Christian renovation; and this without his having taken any steps to procure either this mortification or this abhorrence.

And here I understand it to be God's work, for that man cannot ever keep himself up to this mortification, as well because the flesh, whilst it is (susceptible of impression from external agents) passible and mortal, is a weak subject for such perfection, as because the man molested by the vivacity of the affections and lusts that are after the flesh, should exercise himself in the faith wherewith he believes that, incorporated into Christ, he is dead with.