From J. C. Philpot's Daily Portions
October 23 "O wretched man that I am!" Romans 7:24 These feelings which the Apostle groaned under are
experienced by all the quickened family. Blessed then be the name of God
most High, that he inspired him to trace out and leave upon record his
experience, that we might derive comfort and relief from it. What would we
otherwise have thought? We would have reasoned thus--'Here is an apostle
perfectly holy, perpetually heavenly-minded, having nothing but the image of
Christ in him, continually living to the Lord's glory, and unceasingly
enjoying communion with him!' We would have viewed him as a perfect saint,
if he had not told us what he was; and then, having viewed him as a perfect
saint, we would have turned our desponding eyes into our own bosom, and seen
such an dreadful contrast, that we would despair of ever being saved at all!
But seeing the soul conflict which the Apostle passed through, and feeling a
measure of the same in our own bosom, it encourages, supports, and leads the
soul on to believe that this is the way in which the saints are called to
travel, however rough, rugged, and perplexing it may be to them. Be assured, then, if you have never cried out from the
depths of your soul, "O wretched man that I am!" you are dead in sin, or
dead in a profession. If internal guilt, misery, and condemnation never
forced that cry from your bosom, depend upon it, the life and power of God
is not in your soul. But if there has been, and still is, from time to time,
this cry in your breast, forced out of it by the pressure of sin and guilt,
you have a testimony that the same Lord who taught Paul is teaching you.