3$ tt)e believer ICnbzv TLaw? » ? t^e. T a t e Z 3 . I f . ( T t e t l a t t ô.
AID a dear f r i e n d—" Is the believer under law in any s e n s e ?" " P a u l says n o t . " " N o t for holy living and as a rule o f. l i f e ? " " A r e y o u ?" " Y e s . " " D o you
life we find t h at the law is made only for the lawless, and he that is under law, and bound in fetters of iron to t he floor of his cell cannot keep the law. The truly loyal citizen is above the law. So a true Christian keeps the law. He delights in it. I t is the rejoicing of his heart. The law never made a man holy and never will. The law never gave life to a sinful man. If God could have found such a law, then Christ would not have died. The law is just as incompetent to help a saint as to save a sinner. But what the law could not do, grace can do. See the contrast. The law produces sin and death—grace, justification and life. " D o and l i v e ," says the law. " L i v e and d o , " says grace. The law, " P a y what thou owe s t ." Grace, " I freely f o r g i v e ." " T h e wages of sin - is d e a t h "—l aw. " T h e g i ft of God is eternal life,"—grace. The law curses for the least sin; grace saves the very chiefest sinnner. The law tells man what he must do. Grace—what Christ has done. The law addresses the old nature,—grace, the new. The law drives by its terrors. Grace draws by its over- flowing mercies. The law demands holiness which it has no power to impart; grace gives what it demands. Grace first brings ils salvation and , then teaches us to live soberly, righteously; and godly, in this world. Grace makes us to love God's law, and keep it, too, because it redeems us from the law and its curse—translating us from . the kingdom of darkness into thé kingdom of His dear Son. Whom not having seen we love, and in whose service we rejoice with j o y that is unspeakable and full of glory.
keep, the l a w ? " " N o , not p e r f e c t l y ." " T h e n are you cursed by it? ' f or it is written, cursed is every one who continu- eth not in all things written in the book of t h e law to do them.' If you go back to the law, and d o n 't keep it, ye are fallen from grace, says P a u l . " Gal. 3:4. " B u t does not the believer keep the l a w ? " said my friend. " A h , that is wholly a different question: the believeT does keep the law, but the law does not keep the believer. I delight in the law. I t is more precious than gold." You must not. confound things as wide as heaven and earth apart. .The believer keeps the law, and " d o t h not commit .sin, because he is not under law, but under g r a c e ." The law gives us a knowledge of sin, and of-duty, too, but gives us bo help or inspiration to do it. Grace
Iftol? Scriptures*
^ r o m D r .
" O n t h e X P o r k o f
3 f o l ? S p i r i t "
MONG the divine works of art produced b y - t he Holy Spirit, the Sacred Scripture stands first. It may seem • incredible t h at the' printed pages of a book should excel His spiritual work in hu-
out hesitation. Objectors can never have considered what this Holy Book is, or any other book, writing or language is, or what the putting down of a world of thought in a collection of Sacred Scripture means. A book is not merely paper printed in ink, but is like a portrait—a collection of lines and features' in which we see the likeness of a person.
man hearts, yet we assign to the Holy Scripture the most conspicuous place with-
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