The apostle's portrait
This whole struggle of one who is under the law, under the spirit of fear and bondage, is beautifully described by the apostle in the foregoing chapter, speaking in the person of an awakened man.
I, he says, was alive without the law once. Romans 7:9. I had much life, wisdom, strength, and virtue, so I thought. But when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. When the commandment, in its spiritual meaning, came to my heart, with the power of God, my inbred sin was stirred up, fretted, inflamed, and all my virtue died away.
And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be to death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Romans 7:10-11. It came upon me unawares, slew all my hopes, and plainly showed, in the midst of life I was in death.
Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Romans 7:12. I no longer lay the blame on this, but on the corruption of my own heart. I acknowledge that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. Romans 7:14. I now see both the spiritual nature of the law, and my own carnal, devilish heart, sold under sin, totally enslaved, like slaves bought with money, who were absolutely at their master's disposal.
For that which I do, I allow not. For what I would, I do not, but what I hate, that I do. Romans 7:15. Such is the bondage under which I groan, such the tyranny of my hard master. To will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I do not find. For the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. Romans 7:18-19.
I find a law, an inward constraining power, that when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in, or consent to, the law of God, after the inward man. Romans 7:21-22. In my mind: so the apostle explains himself in the words that immediately follow, and so the inward man is understood in all other Greek writers.
But I see another law in my members, another constraining power, warring against the law of my mind, or inward man, and bringing me into captivity to the law, or power, of sin. Romans 7:23. It drags me, as it were, at my conqueror's chariot wheels, into the very thing which my soul abhors.
O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Romans 7:24. Who shall deliver me from this helpless, dying life, from this bondage of sin and misery? Until this is done, I myself, or rather that I, the man I am now personating, with the mind, or inward man, serve the law of God. My mind, my conscience, is on God's side. But with the flesh, with my body, I serve the law of sin. Romans 7:25. I am hurried away by a force I cannot resist.
1771 text
10. This whole struggle of one who is under the law, under the spirit of fear and bondage, is beautifully described by the apostle in the foregoing chapter, speaking in the person of an awaken’d man. I (saith he) was alive without the law once, ver. 9. I had much life, wisdom, strength and virtue; so I thought: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. When the commandment, in its spiritual meaning, came to my heart, with the power of God, my inbred sin was stirred up, fretted, inflamed, and all my virtue died away. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me, ver. 10, 11. It came upon me unawares, slew all my hopes, and plainly shewed, in the midst of life I was in death. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just and good, ver. 12. I no longer lay the blame on this, but on the corruption of my own heart. I acknowledge that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin, ver. 14. I now see both the spiritual nature of the law, and my own carnal, devilish heart; sold under sin, totally inslaved: (like slaves bought with money, who were absolutely at their master’s disposal.) For that which I do, I allow not; for what I would, I do not; but what I hate, that I do, ver. 15. Such is the bondage under which I groan; such the tyranny of my hard master. To will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not. For the good that I would, I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do, ver. 18, 19. I find a law, an inward constraining power, that when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in (or consent to) the law of God, after the inward man: (ver. 21, 22.) In my mind: (so the apostle explains himself in the words that immediately follow: and so ὁ ἔσω ἄνθρωπος, the inward man, is understood in all other Greek writers.) But I see another law in my members, another constraining power, warring against the law of my mind, or inward man, and bringing me into captivity to the law, or power, of sin, ver. 23, dragging me as it were at my conqueror’s chariot-wheels, into the very thing which my soul abhors. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death! ver. 24. Who shall deliver me from this helpless, dying life: from this bondage of sin and misery! Till this is done, I myself (or rather, that I, αὐτὸς ἐγὼ, that man I am now personating) with the mind, or inward man, serve the law of God; my mind, my conscience is on God’s side: but with the flesh; with my body, the law of sin, ver. 25, being hurried away by a force I cannot resist.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 9 in the 1771 Works. Romans 8:15.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.