bride are now encumbered with debt, and we owe nothing but love to him, because he first loved us, died for us, rose for us, lives for us, and has betrothed us to himself. And what, Susan, means Paul by the "oldness of the letter?"

Susan.-The old law, as propounded on Sinai, written and engraven on stones, with its curses annexed.

Olympas.-And what, James, by "newness of spirit?"

James.-A new spirit; not of fear of penalty, but a spirit of love and gratitude.

Olympas.-And why, Henry, asks Paul, "Is the law sin, then?" Henry.-I know not, unless freeing us from its penalty would seem to indicate that its curse was unrighteous, or uncalled for; which, I think, could not be entertained.

Olympas. And how, Susan, does Paul respond to the question? Susan.--He not only denies the imputation, but affirms that sin was revealed by the law. The law, you once told us, was, in one sense, a revelation of sin, and the gospel a revelation of right

eousness.

Olympas.-True. The purity of the law developed our impurity; its righteousness our unrighteousness; its holiness our unholiness ; and its goodness our wickedness.

And why, Henry, are we delivered from so good a law?

Henry. We are only delivered from its curse, because we broke it and dishonored it.

Olympas.-Is it not, then, as dispensed by Jesus, a rule of life to us? I mean the law of ten commandments.

Henry.-I think you have taught us, not exactly in the letter of it, because you say the fourth commandment is not a rule of life to us, but the spirit of it, or the requirements of love being the fulfilling of its precepts. We are, in that sense, still under its re

quisitions.

Olympas. You have, I perceive, not fully comprehended my exposition of it. "Love is," indeed, "the fulfilling of the law;" and all that pertains to that principle is re-enacted by Jesus Christ, but with new motives, and with stronger arguments, than the law contained. But now the precepts of the law are not given to us with the threatening of the annexed curse. "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all the things written in the law, to do them." Christ was made a curse for us, and died accursed on the cross. Would you, Susan, repeat

is not given to us to bring us to heaven.

It

those beautiful lines from Dr. Watts, which I have so often commended to your attention?

Susan.

"Tis not the law of ten commands,
On holy Sinai given,

Or sent to man by Moses' hands,
Can bring us safe to heaven.

"Tis not the blood that Aaron spilt,
Or smoke of sweetest smell,
Can buy a pardon for our guilt,
Or save our souls from hell.

Aaron, the priest, resigns his breath,
At God's immediate will,

And in the desert yields to death,
Upon the appointed hill.

And see, on Jordan's yonder side,
The Tribes of Israel stand,

While Moses bowed his head and died,
Short of the promised land.

Israel rejoice! Now Joshua leads;
He'll bring your tribes to rest:
So far the Saviour's name exceeds
The ruler and the priest."

Olympas.--That is sound doctrine and good poetry.

Joshua, or

Still, the

Jesus, and not Moses, gives to Christians the rule of life. law of love, or the sum of the ten precepts, is the supreme constitutional law of the realms of Messiah, our lawgiver and our judge.

"Without the law sin was dead." The law, then, gave life and power to sin to condemn. It never justified nor saved one sinner. It quickened sin and killed the sinner. Yes, says Paul, the commandment which was a rule of life, became death to every one under it; because, if once broken, it killed for ever. Still, "the law is holy," and "the commandment holy, just, and good." Now, the making of this good law death to those to whom it was given, is the best proof of its inadequacy to save any sinner. Sin, indeed, manifests itself in all its hideous deformity, in making that holy, just, and good law, death to every man that seeks pardon or life. by keeping it; or, to quote Paul, "sin manifests itself an exceeding great sinner"_ -a most wicked and abominable thing-a monster of most hateful mien-" working death in us" by a law so reasonable, so beautiful, so holy, just and good. Sin is dead in every man ignorant of the requisitions of the divine law. Hence, says Paul of himself, "I was once alive without the law." He did not understand it. But when the commandment came, or when he understood the spirit and purport of the law, sin revived and he died. The precepts of the law, when brought to his conscience, condemned him to death. Even the sin of his nature, excited by the sentence and the spirit of the law, first deceived him and then slew him. Such were the

workings of the law upon fallen humanity, in the person of Paul, before his conversion to Christ, and such will it always be in those who are not enlightened and sanctified by the gospel.

Susan will read the remainder of the chapter, which will shed still more light on this subject.

Susan." Has, then, that which is good become death to me?

By no means. But sin becomes death, in order that it might manifest itself, causing death to me by that which is good; so that sin, (through the commandment,) might be an exceedingly great sinner. Besides, we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I do not approve; since it is not what I desire that I do; but I do that which I hate. If, now, I do that which I do not desire, I consent to the law that it is good. But now it is no longer I myself who do this; but sin which dwells in me. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, there dwells no good thing; for to desire what is good, is easy for me; but to do it, I find difficult. For the good which I desire, that I do not; but the evil which I desire not, that I do. Now, if I do that which I do not desire, it is no longer I who do it; but sin, which dwells in me. I find, then, that it is a law to me, when desirous to do good, that evil is near me. For I take pleasure in the law of God, as to the inner man; but I perceive another law, in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and making me a captive to the law of sin, which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death? I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! Wherefore, then, indeed, I myself serve, with my mind, the law of God; but, with the flesh, the law of sin.

Olympas.-Our Bro. Aquila will please give us his views on this very interesting, and yet somewhat difficult, passage. The style, indeed, is plain, and the language intelligible; but you are aware that much debate and strife have occurred amongst Christian interpreters on this passage.

Aquila. I am not well read in the controversy to which you allude; nor, indeed, in any one of the prominent questions on Paul's writings. I have read Paul himself, much more than I have read his expositors. The conclusion to which I have come, as to the meaning of this passage, is briefly this:

Paul states a question, and answers it by an illustration. The question is," Has the law"-the good, the holy, and the just law of ten commandments" become death to me?" To which he responds, "By no means." But sin itself, under a law holy, just, and good, has become death to me; and thus it is manifested to be a most hideous and frightful thing, in killing me under a law which my understanding, my conscience, and my heart approve. It proves, then, by its divine spirituality and excellency, that I am carnal, worldly and sensual, as a man-sold under sin, or enslaved to it; of which this is the proof-I approve the law, and yet transgress the law; for that which I do, I do not approve; but, on the contrary, I do that which I hate. It is not, indeed, my proper self, "but sin, SERIES IV.-VOL. I.

9*

that dwells in me," that so works. I am assured that, in my flesh→→ that is, in my fallen and degraded nature, now under the control of animal and instinctive appetites and passions-there is nothing good. In my new heart-my present proper self-I easily desire to do good; but to do it, I find no easy task. For, notwithstanding my desire to do what is perfect, I cannot accomplish it; but the evil which I reprobate, that I involuntarily do. I find, then, a principle or law in me, insubordinate to my volitions; for I take pleasure in the law of God, as to my inner or spiritual man; but I perceive, that while thus willing, intending, and endeavoring to do what my heart approves, there is another principle, or bias, or law-I know not what to call it-in my animal members, and in the constitution of my passions, warring against this law of my mind, which approves and delights in the law of my God, enslaving me to this evil bent or law, which is in my members, and causing in me many a groan, and sigh, and agony, which I cannot express. So that occasionally exclaim, "Wretch that I am, who shall deliver me from this body" and its tumultuous passions, sown with the seeds of all insubordination! Such are the thoughts and conclusions of my own mind on the passage, which I have read at least a hundred times.

Olympas.--And such, too, Bro. Aquila, after many a thought and inquiry on the whole premises, are mine.

Aquila.-Soon after my conversion, sundry treatises were put into my hand on this letter to the Romans, and dissertations, also, on the perfectability of human nature, on sinless perfection, on the essential elements of the new man in Christ, and the old man under a covenant of works. But amongst such learned Christian contro. versialists-so many Lutherans, and Calvinists, and Wesleyans-I could not decide. I was, indeed, for a time, much in favor of the Christian perfection doctrine, as set forth by Wesley, and Law, and Clarke; but on the presumption that Paul was as nearly perfect as any other Christian man, I laid them all aside, not very well pleased, indeed, with their attempts to explain away the chapter. I for a time read the other epistles, in order to understand them, and especially this one; and the result was, a full formed conviction that Paul teaches us that there is an "old man" and a "new man," "flesh and spirit ;" an inward and a perpetual warfare in every sane and well-informed Christian man, similar to that which Paul alledges in this passage, and because of which he exclaimed, "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death!"

Olympas.--And such, substantially, is my conclusion of the whole

A KENTUCKY BAPTIST-THE BIBLE UNION.

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matter. The flesh never gets any better; the old man is never killed while the body lives. Hence, the struggle will continue till the last breath, in the greatest saint that lives. Hence, to the latest moment of his life, the Christian must "fight the good fight of faith," "deny himself," "crucify" and "mortify" the flesh, with its affections and lusts. And the highest Christian perfection attainable in these mortal bodies, is to keep under the body; to restrain, with bit and bridle, its evil propensities; to put off the old man, which is corrupt, and to put on the new, which is renewed after the image of him that has created us unto good works, that we should walk in them.

I have still some farther questions to propound on this seventh chapter, but we must defer them for the present. A. C.

A KENTUCKY BAPTIST AND THE BIBLE UNION.

THERE never has been, I presume to say, any attempt at improve. ment or reformation, especially in religious institutions, doctrines, or practices, that has not had to encounter opposition and abuse on the part of the professed friends of these institutions, doctrines, and practices. It is, too, not unfrequently commenced under fictitious names, and sometimes under false pretences, with some show of candor and assumed zeal for truth and piety.

The Bible Union, and its grand object—an amended version of the Holy Scriptures-is subjected, as a matter of course, to the same ordeal. This may be, upon the whole, a great good. The enemies or opponents to all reformations have, under an all-wise and benevolent moral government, been, though unblessed themselves, great blessings to the human race. It is a monumental fact, that will speak to all eternity, that the sacrifice of Christ, by which a world has been redeemed, was the fruit of an orthodox and zealous defence of religious truth and divine ordinances, on the part of a very sanctimonious priesthood.

Protestantism, itself, as the word intimates, was an opposition to pretended sanctity, and a justifiable zeal for long venerated institutions. Baptists, too, owe their rapid progress, in the present century, to the bold assaults made on their terets, under the guise of great zeal for true religion, divine covenants, and the "dear rights of dear infants" of believing parents.