For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus
These words are of difficult interpretation. They may be
understood of the Gospel revealing and declaring deliverance from
the law of Moses; wherefore there can be "no condemnation", (
Romans 8:1 ) ,
by it. The Gospel may be designed by "the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus"; which may be called a law, not as
succeeding the law of works, by which that is abrogated; nor as
requiring conditions to be performed, or as enjoining duties to
be observed, or as delivering out threatenings in case of
disobedience; but as it is a doctrine, order, and chain of
truths, as the Hebrew word (hrwt) signifies, and which is sometimes used for the
Gospel, ( Isaiah 2:3 ) ( 42:4 ) as (nomov) is, ( Romans 3:27 ) . It may
be called the law, or doctrine "of the Spirit", because the
Spirit is the author of it, and makes it powerful and effectual
to the good of souls; by it the Spirit of God is conveyed into
the heart; and the substance of it are spiritual things: and the
"law of the Spirit of life", because it discovers the way of life
and salvation by Christ; is the means of quickening dead sinners;
of working faith in them, by which they live on Christ, and of
reviving drooping saints; and also it affords spiritual food, for
the support of life: and this may be said to be "in Christ", or
by him, inasmuch as it comes from, and is concerning him; he is
the sum, the substance, and subject matter of it:
the law of sin and death
may intend the law of Moses, called "the law of sin"; not as if
it was sinful, or commanded or encouraged sin, for it severely
prohibits it; but because by it, through the corruption of man's
nature, sin is irritated, and made to abound; it is the strength
of sin, and by it is the knowledge of it: and it may be called
"the law of death", because it threatened with death, in case of
disobedience; it sentences and adjudges transgressors to death;
and when it is attended with power, it strikes dead all a man's
hopes of life, by obedience to it; it leaves persons dead as it
finds them, and gives no life, nor hopes of it; by it none can
live, or be justified: now, though Christ is the author of
deliverance from it, yet the Gospel is the means of revealing and
declaring this deliverance; which designs not an exemption from
obedience to it, but freedom from the curse and condemnation of
it; and this sense well agrees with ( Romans 8:1 ) ; likewise
the words are capable of being understood of the power and
efficacy of the Spirit of God, in delivering regenerate persons
from the dominion and tyranny of sin; and which may be considered
as a reason why they "walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit", ( Romans 8:1 ) : "life"
may well be ascribed to the Spirit of God, or be called the
Spirit of life, because he has life in himself as the Father and
Son have; and is the author of life to others, of natural life to
all men as creatures, and of spiritual life to the people of God
in regeneration; and is a quickening spirit to them afterwards,
as he will be to the dead bodies of the saints in the
resurrection: by "the law" of the Spirit may be meant, the energy
and power of the Spirit in conversion; which work requires power,
and a man has no power of himself to effect it; but there is a
power in the Spirit, which works irresistibly, though not by any
force or compulsion to the will, but it moves upon it sweetly,
powerfully, and effectually: and all this may be said to be "in
Christ": the life which the Spirit is the author and giver of, is
in Christ as the head of his people, the proper repository of all
grace, and the fountain of life; the Spirit himself is in him,
both as God and as man, and as Mediator, hence the saints receive
him and his gifts and graces from him; and the law of the Spirit,
or his power and efficacy in working, is "in" or "by" Christ,
through his sufferings and death, and in consequence of his
mediation: now this powerful and quickening efficacy of the
Spirit delivers regenerate persons from the force and tyranny of
sin, called here "the law of sin and death"; a "law of sin",
because it has power and dominion over unregenerate persons, its
throne is in the heart of man, and its laws are many and
powerful; and "the law of death", because its reign is
tyrannical, barbarous and cruel, it is unto death: and from its
governing influence, and tyrannical power, does the Spirit of God
free his people in regeneration; not from the being of sin; nor
from the rage of it, and disturbance it gives; nor from such
power of it, but that they may fall into sin; but so as that sin
does not properly reign over them, nor legally, nor universally,
or so as to bring a death on their graces, and their persons into
condemnation. Once more, those words may be understood of the
holiness of Christ's human nature, as a branch of our
justification, and freedom from the guilt of sin, and
condemnation by it: for as "the law of sin and death" may design
inherent corruption, and the force and power of it in the saints;
so the opposite to it, "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ",
may mean the purity and holiness of his human nature. That
Christ's human nature is pure and holy is certain, from express
texts of Scripture, from its union to the Son of God, from the
ends and purposes of its assumption, from the inefficacy of
Satan's temptations, and from the whole course of his life and
conversation; for though he was in the likeness of sinful flesh,
was reckoned a sinner by men, was attended with infirmities, the
effects of sin, though not sinful, had all the sins of his people
imputed to him, and endured afflictions, and at last death; yet
his nature was pure and untainted: for he did not descend from
Adam by ordinary generation; and though made of a woman, yet the
flesh he took of her was sanctified by the Holy Ghost; his body
was prepared by God, and curiously wrought by the Spirit, from
whom his whole human nature received a fulness of habitual
holiness: and this may be called "the Spirit of life" in him,
because he is a quickening Spirit in regeneration, justification,
and the resurrection from the dead; "the law" of it, because the
holiness of his nature lies in, arises from, and is conformable
to a law that is within him, written on his heart; and because,
together with his obedience and death, it has a force, power, and
authority, to free from condemnation; for this is not a mere
necessary qualification of him to be the Mediator, or what
renders his obedience, sacrifice, and intercession, efficacious
and valuable, or is merely exemplary to us, but is what is
imputed to us, as a part of our justification. The law requires a
holy nature of us, we have not one, Christ assumed one for us,
and so is the end of the law, or answers the requirement of the
law in this respect, as well as in all others: and hence, though
sanctification begun in us, does not free us from the being of
sin, and all its force and power, yet perfect sanctification in
Christ frees from all condemnation by it.