the bondage of the law; for he has offered us, together with himself, as a sacrifice to the Father,
and he regenerates us for this end — that by newness of life we may bring forth fruit unto God:
and we know that the fruits which our heavenly Father requires from us are those of holiness and
righteousness. It is indeed no abatement to our liberty that we serve God; nay, if we desire to enjoy
so great a benefit as there is in Christ, it will not henceforth be right in us to entertain any other
thought but that of promoting the glory of God; for which purpose Christ has connected us with
himself. We shall otherwise remain the bond-slaves, not only of the law, but also of sin and of
death.
Romans 7:5-6
- Quum enim essemus in carne, affectus
peccatorum qui sunt per Legem, in membris
nostris operabantur ad fructificandum morti: - 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. - Nunc vero soluti sumus a Lege, mortui ei
in qua detinebamur; ut serviamus in novitate
spiritus, et non in vetustate literæ. - 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.
5.For when we were,etc. He shows still more clearly by stating the contrary effect, how
unreasonably the zealots of the law acted, who would still detain the faithful under its dominion;
for as long as the literal teaching of the law, unconnected with the Spirit of Christ, rules and bears
sway, the wantonness of the flesh is not restrained, but, on the contrary, breaks out and prevails. It
hence follows, that the kingdom of righteousness is not established, except when Christ emancipates
us from the law. Paul at the same time reminds us of the works which it becomes us to do, when
set free from the law. As long, then, as man is kept under the yoke of the law, he can, as he is
sinning continually, procure nothing for himself but death. Since bondage to the law produces sin
only, then freedom, its opposite, must tend to righteousness; if the former leads to death, then the
latter leads to life. But let us consider the very words of Paul.
In describing our condition during the time we were subject to the dominion of the law, he says,
that we were in the flesh. We hence understand, that all those who are under the law attain nothing
else but this — that their ears are struck by its external sound without any fruit or effect, while they
are inwardly destitute of the Spirit of God. They must therefore necessarily remain altogether sinful
and perverse, until a better remedy succeeds to heal their diseases. Observe also this usual phrase
of Scripture, to be in the flesh; it means to be endued only with the gifts of nature, without that
peculiar grace with which God favors his chosen people. But if this state of life is altogether sinful,
it is evident that no part of our soul is naturally sound, and that the power of free will is no other
than the power of casting evil emotions as darts into all the faculties of the soul.^205
(^205) To be “in the flesh” has two meanings, — to be unrenewed, and in our natural corrupt state, as Calvin says, see Romans
8:8, — and to be subject to external rites and ceremonies as the Jews were, see Galatians 3:3; Philippians 3:4. Its meaning here,
according to Beza and Pareus, is the first; according to Grotius and Hammond, the second; and according to Turrettin and Hodge,
both are included, as the context, in their view, evidently shows. — Ed.