serving in newness of spirit in obedience to Christ as our husband. Rom. 7:4-6. In this sense the Apostle delights in the law of God after the inward man, (verse 22,) though the other law in his members stood in great opposition to it. Verse 23. Mind this chapter well, and it will appear so plain that he that runs may read, that the Apostle intends no such thing as to take us from our obedience to the law, nor yet the abrogating of the law, but the contrary. 8. The same Apostle urges the law, in the very letter of it, to the Ephesians. He saith, in chapter 6:1-3, _Children, obey your parents, for this is right; honor thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with promise._ He proves his exhortation to be right from the commandment, and he takes notice of the order of the commandments; it is the first commandment of that second table, and it hath a promise annexed to it. He speaks in the present tense; he does not say it _was_ the first commandment, but it _is_ the first with a promise, _that thy days may be long on the earth_. He urges the promise to them for their encouragement; and to prevent mistakes, he shows the extent of it, that it was not only to the Jews, that they should live long in the land of Canaan, but to the Gentiles also; therefore the interpretation says, _that thy days may be long on the earth_. 9. James gives a full confirmation to what I am treating of. He convinces them of sin by this law, in having the faith of Jesus Christ with respect of persons, as appears by chapter 2:10, 11, _For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all._ He shows what law he means, and how it is that he who offends in one point is guilty of all; because, _He that saith, Do not commit adultery, saith also, Do not kill; now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law._ And John saith, _Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth the law, for sin is the transgression of the law,_ (1 John 3:3, 4;) and in the next verse he explains what law he means, and saith, it was such transgression that Christ was manifested to take away. Now if this law of God was done away by the death of Christ, sin could not be a transgression of it so long after; neither could any be convinced of sin by it, because it was not. But the Apostle saith, _Whosoever commiteth sin transgresseth the law;_ which shows it was in force then, and not only so, but that likewise it should so remain.