Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-11-20

ASSSa hlo 10 u US vi OH CAAS oNAhNNoS
prophets aad apostles of whose inward
experience the Bible gives us any
account. See Hodge. (3.) Paul, at
one period of his ministry, tells us
that he found law in his members
hat when he would do good, evil
was present with him. That same
apostle in his old age, declares that
le had not attained-that he was not
'already perfect He calls himself
''the chief of sinners. He says also,
Il keep my body in subjection lest
after having preaehed to others l,
myself, should become a castaway."
He declares, moreover, that 1--WE
wrestle with flesh and blood"-that is,
A corrupt nature. And finally adds,
hat Christ eUer lives to make inter-
;esSjon for us and, that if any man
sin, We have an advocate with the
ather. The apostle James says, ''In
n;.ny things we offend all" Isaiah
says, ''W Oe is me for am und0ae,
because l am man Of uncleanllness
and | dwell in the midst of a people
Of unclean lips; for mine eyes have
seen the King, the Lord of Hosts"
To this correspond the confessions of
Jacob, Job, David and the Old Tes-
lament Saints, without exception
Nc man ever did, or ever will, stand
up before God and say, ''Oh! Lord, L
an rs holy as Thy law commands. Oh!
Heavenly Father, l am as perfect as
Thou art" Let him that standeth
take heed lest he fall. a. Christ
taught his disciples to pray for the for
gi7cncss Of their sins as often as they
prayed for bread, which last, the he.
lever must do every day to the end
Of life. Yes, forgive US our trespass-
es, as we forgive those who trespass
against us, is petition that every
disciple OF Jesus is expected to offer
while he remains in this body of flesh.
(j) When Adam was in q state of
innocence he could have kept the
Law, but when he sinned and died,
his ability to do all things written in
the law was lost. What then? Must
the perfect law of God he lowered? !?
No; the law is as imnutable as God.
We could SIS soon change the one as
otler. But if by the deeds Of tho
Law no living flesh can he be justified,
then of what avail is the law! 1t is
not the fault of the law that it can
neither justify nor sanctify; for if
the law-cannot deliver from the guilt
and free us from the power Of sin, it
is nevertheless spiritual, holy, just
and good. 1t cemmends itself to the
reason and the conscience as being
Just what 1t ought to be, requiring
neither more or less than what is
right should be demanded and threat
cming no penalty, which want Of con-
tormity to its requirements does not
justly merit. What is the effect OF
holding up that ideal standard of
moral perfection to which we are
bound to be conformcd on the penal
ty Of DEATH The apostle tells us (a)
\ great increase Of knowledge. He
mad not known lust. Had not the law
~tiiAis ilou oitsAiL IlOG Np.Nl- w
\ sense OF guilt or Of just exposure
10 the penalty Of the law. of which
our whole lives arc continued trans
grcssiOn. CD 4 sense of utter help
lcssuess. The standard although holy,
Just and good, is too high. We know
We can never Of ourselves conform tC
il; neither can we make satisfaction
for former transgressiOns. (d) The
result OF the whole is despair. The
law kills. 1t destroys not only self.
rompIacency, but all hope of ever
being able to effect our own salvation.
! (c) And thus il leads the sinner tc
look out of himself for salvation, foI
| dcliverancc from the power rs well as
| the guilt of sin. The law does not
| cannot save, but is schoolmaster +.
| lead rs to Christ. Hence, no sooner
| had Adam fallen than the law as 8
condition of life passed away, anC
| the whole race were taught to look &c
that "secd OF the woman who shoulC
bruisG the serpent's head" Every
sacriicial rite of the Old Testament
! pointed to mans ruin and foreshad
owed a Redeemer-oGe able TO save
all. The testimony of Jesus is the
spirit Of prophecy.
No respectable state ever lowers it
standard of law; but it provides fo
the exercise of clemency through
methods that do not conflict with law
Paul says, ''Ye are not under The
law, but under grace" " Moses de
scribeth the Righteousness which is o
the law, that the man which doctl
those things shall live by them.
;his was the covenant with Adam
but now the terms are, "He that be
HsceH on the Son hath cyerlastin!
life" The law of the spirit of life il
Christ Jesus makes the believer fre
from the law of sin and death. Their
is no condemnation to the believer
for he is passed from death unto life
The 6elierer is complete in Christ
Christ Jesus supplies to the believe
all that he demands. Nov we know,
says Paul, "that what things soeve
the law saith, it saith to them who ar
under the law that every mouth ma
be stopped and all the world may be
come guilty before God. Therefore
by the deeds OF the law, there shal
be no flesh justified in his sight. F0
| by the lar is the kRo1cledge of sin, 70
all have sinned and come short of th
glory of God. How then are we to b
saved? The apostle answers, ''We ar
justified freely by His grace, througI
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus
And the righteousness which is Q
faith speaketh On this wise: "Say no
IN thine heart who shall ascend int
Heaven, that is to bring Christ dow
from above, or who shall descend int
the deep, that is bring up Christ again
from the dead" "But what saith it
the word is nigh thee, even in th,
mouth and in thy heart; that is, tn
word OF faith which we preach, tina
if thou shalt confess with thy moutl
the Lord Jesus, and believe in thin
heart that God hath raised Him frou
the dead, thou shalt he saved" Th
apostle says (Heb. vii, 19): $50
the tdao made nothing perfect, but tn
/ hrin oi nor in of n battnr faith did ,