XVI. The Law and the Gospel.

The law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. This is the route ordained of God, there is no other way. Both are necessary to our salvation. The law reveals to us our lost condition. We must be made to see our danger, before we will apply the remedy; the Gospel is the remedy. The law declares that we are diseased. “From the soul of the foot even unto the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores. They have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.” Isaiah 1:6.

The sight that God gives of our natural condition is not very flattering. The sinner is inclined to think himself pretty good, until God makes these revelations. Then, as the eye is turned inward, we are often overwhelmed as we gaze upon our own hearts when under the direct rays of the Holy Ghost. We loathe ourselves when God we see, and at the same time, we hear the law proclaiming, “That the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Now the sinner is burdened with his own guilt. There seems to be a mountain’s weight upon him, and from the very depths of his soul he cries out: “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Rom. 7:24. I, that speak in righteousness, mighty to save! I from Edom, the land of Bozra, with garments dyed in blood. The sinner hears the voice; he listens—he looks away to Calvary—to the cross; he sees the bleeding victim, he hears words of comfort. “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.” Isaiah 45:22.

There must be harmony between the law and the gospel. If we deal in the law exclusively, we shall fail to get men saved to God. If we stop declaring the law, we shall fail to reach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must be made to know that we are sick, before we will apply the remedy. The servant of God must cry aloud, and spare not; lift up their voice like a trumpet and show the people their sins, and Israel their transgressions. The great mass of professors seem to ignore the law altogether. It has become very unpopular to tell the people that they are sinners, and on their way to hell, and unless they repent, they will surely perish. But on the other hand, they are made to believe, and that too, by preachers, that they are naturally very good, and that we almost confer a great favor on the Almighty, by letting Him bless us. A man will never give up his sins, until he becomes sick of them. Hence he should be made sick as soon as possible, and as sick as possible. Make him so, by declaring the law to him, that he will disgorge freely and fully, throwing up anything that caused a bilious state of soul. When this is accomplished, you can safely apply the gospel remedy, without much fear of a speedy relapse, or of healing slightly. There is not much danger of the disease returning, where the system has been thoroughly purged by law remedies. But to give the sweatmeats of the gospel to them that need the law, tends to aggravate the case, and make it worse. But, says one, does not the blood cleanse us from our sins? Yes, the blood is the foundation, if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness—Glory to God! But to illustrate: In passing a marble factory we see a large block of marble upon skids. The block upon which we look is about eight feet long, five thick, and four wide. A set of gang-saws, propelled by steam power, are cutting this huge piece of marble up into slabs, about two inches thick. Above this piece of marble is placed a conductor of water, conveying it the whole length of the marble, and to every saw. On the top of this marble is placed a bushel or two of sand. The water falling upon this, washes it down upon the saws, causing them to execute their design more rapidly upon the marble. Now, to the point: Our hearts are naturally hard, stony. We have to be squared by the law; these saws represent the law. Whatever the law condemns, must be abandoned. The water falling upon the marble, represents the gospel. We need to mix in a good deal of the gospel with the law. The sand falling upon the saw is repentance and confession. To make the law cut, we need to confess our sins; this brings us directly to the blood. O, glory to God! Its good to live where the blood is continually dropping upon our hearts. Bless God for the squaring process of the law, and the polishing touches of the gospel. Brother, please mix well your preparations with a proper amount of law and gospel. After dosing out law, until your hearers are in a state of despair, introduce them to the banqueting house of corn and wine, and oil; let them feast to their heart’s content, until “Old things have passed away, and all things become new.”