Matthew Poole and continuators on Romans 7:7

7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid . Nay, I had not known sin, but by the Law : for I had not known lust , except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet .

Here is another Anticipation of an Objection, which might arise from what the Apostle had said; ver. 5. That Sin was powerful in us by the Law. Some might Object and say, That the Law then was Sin, i. e. That it was the cause of it, and a factor for it. To this he Answers, by his usual Note of Detestation, God forbid.

i. e. I had not known it so clearly and effectually; so as to humble and drive me to Christ. For otherwise, Nature it self teacheth a difference of good and evil in many things. He adds this as a Reason why the Law cannot be the cause of Sin, because it discovers and reproves Sin; it detects and damns it; and that it so doth, he proves from his own Experience.

i. e. I had not known it to be Sin. By Lust here some understand, that concupiscence, which the Schoolmen call unform'd concupiscence, which hath not the consent of the Will: For the concupiscence to which we Consent, the Heathens themselves know to be Sinful; but that which hath not the Consent of the Will, or the first motions to Sin, they held to be no Sin; as neither did the Pharisees, amongst whom Paul lived; nor do the Papists to this very day. Some by Lust do understand original Sin, which is the Fountain from whence all particular Lusts do flow; the [illegible: 1 word] Furnace from which all sinful Motions, as so many Sparks do continually Arise: This is called Lust likewise, in Iam. 1.14. and this is forbidden in every Commandment; for where any of Sin is prohibited, there the Root also is prohibited; but more particularly it is forbidden in the Tenth Commandment.

Some understand the Law in general; but the Article us'd in the Greek seems to restrain it to a particular Precept. Besides, they are the very words of the Tenth Commandment. But, Why doth he not mention the Objects that are specified in that Commandment; as Thy Neighbours House, Wife, &c? The Answer is, That that was not Material; for the Apostle speaking of inward Concupiscence; which without the Law is latent and undiscovered; it was enough to name the sin it self, seeing the Objects about which it is Conversant, are of all sorts, and can hardly be numbred.

Marginal references: Chap. 3.20.; [illegible: 1 paragraph]; [illegible: 1 word]. 20. [illegible: 1 span]. 5. [illegible: 1 span]. 20.[illegible: 1 letter]