The Grace of God 45 which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us”—the negative aspect. Grace, then, characterizes the present age, as law char acterized the age from Sinai to Calvary. “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” And this contrast between law as a method and grace as a method runs through the whole Biblical revelation concern ing grace. I t is not, of course, meant that there was no law before Moses, any more than that there was no grace and truth be fore Jesus Christ. The forbidding to Adam of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:17) was law, and surely grace was most sweetly manifested in the seek ing, by the Lord God, of His sinning creatures, and in His clothing them with coats of skins (Gen. 3 :21 )—a beautiful type of Christ “made unto us . . . righteousness” (1 Cor. 1:30). Law, in the sense of some revelation of God’s will, and grace, in the sense of some revelation of God’s goodness, have always existed, and to this Scripture abundantly testifies. But “the law” as an inflexible rule of life was given by Moses, and, from Sinai to Calvary, dominates, characterizes, the time; just as grace dominates, or gives its peculiar character to, the dispensation which begins at Calvary, and has its predicted termination in the rapture of the Church. LAW AND GRACE DIVERSE I t is, however, of the most vital moment to observe that Scripture never, in any dispensation, mingles these two prin ciples. Law always has a place and work distinct and wholly diverse from that of grace. Law is God prohibiting, and re quiring (Ex. 20:1, 17); grace is God beseeching, and bestow ing (2 Cor. 5:18, 21). Law is a ministry of condemnation (Rom. 3 :1 9 ) ; grace, of forgiveness (Eph. 1 :7 ) . Law curses (Gal. 3 :1 0 ) ; grace redeems from that curse (Gal. 3 :1 ) . Law
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