The Believer's Principles Concerning The Law & the Gospel

by Ralph Erskine (1685-1752)

The following selection is taken from Erskine's Gospel Sonnets as found in "The Sermons and Practical Works of Ralph Erskine" (Glasgow: W. Smith and J. Bryce Booksellers, 1778) vol. 10, pp. 257-283. The original title appears above as it was originally printed. The electronic edition of this text has been newly type set and edited by Shane Rosenthal for Reformation Ink. In numerous cases antiquated characters have been replaced and the spelling has been modernized. In some instances sections have been edited for clarity. This particular version therefore is not in the public domain. It may be copied and distributed only for personal or educational use.

SECTION I.
The Mystery of Law & Gospel

 

Though law-commands and gospel-grace

Agree in mutual joint embrace;

Yet law and gospel in a flock

Can never draw an equal yoke.

 

The law of works, the law of grace,

Can't stand together in one place;

The brighter scene destroys the dark,

As Dagon fell before the ark.

 

They harmonize like marry'd pairs,

Yet are at odds, and keep not squares:

As mercy stands from merit far,

The letter and the Spirit jar.

 

The law does gospel-comforts harm,

The gospel breaks the legal arm;

Yet both exalt each other's horn,

And garlands bring their head t' adorn.

 

I through the law am dead to it,

To legal works and self-conceit;

Yet, lo! through gospel-grace I live,

And to the law due honour give.

 

The law great room for boasting makes,

But grace my pride an boasting breaks;

Yet all my boasts the law does kill

And grace makes room to boast my fill.

 

The gospel makes me keep the law;

Yet from its painful service draw:

It does all law-demands fulfill,

Yet makes them wholly void and null.

 

The gospel gives me no command,

Yet by obeying it I stand.

To strict obedience though it call,

Does bind to none, but promise all.

 

The law does strict commandment give,

That I the gospel-news believe;

But yet it teaches no such thing,

Nor e'er could gospel-tidings bring.

 

If I the law as a cov'nant obey

I am not in the gospel-way,

Which does to sweet obedience draw:

Yet is the gospel no new law.

 

The gospel give the law, I see,

Sufficient strength to justify;

Yet I may say in truth it is

The law that gives the gospel this.

 

For as the law no sinner clears,

But who the gospel-garment wears;

So none are justify'd by grace,

Unless the law-demand have place.

 

Again the law, which yet seems worse,

Gives gospel-news condemning force;

Yet they are news that never can,

Nor ever will condemn a man.

 

Dread threat'nings to the law pertain,

Not to the gospel's golden chain:

Yet all law-threats and Sinai's ire

To gospel-grace are wall of fire.

 

The righteous law sets free none

Of Adam's guitly race, save one;

Who being charged, for this cause

By God's just law condem-ned was.

 

Yet free of guilt it did him see;

Hence fully clear'd, and set him free:

Yet, had not guilt his soul involv'd,

By law he could not been absolv'd.

 

But he withal condemn'd and spoil'd

The law of works, which him assail'd

And now the law is (in these views)

The marrow of the gospel-news.

 

The law can justify no man

That is a sinner; yet it can

Thus favour sinful men, and free

The chief of sinners, guilty me.

 

The gospel too acquitteth none

That have not put perfection on;

And yet it cleareth none (I grant)

But those who all perfection want.

 

Those that with gospel-clearance meet,

Must by the law be found complete;

Yet never could (again I grant)

The gospel justify a saint.

 

All perfect persons it controls,

And justifies ungodly souls;

Yet still no man its grace partakes,

But whom it truly godly makes.

 

The law withstands the gospel path,

Which yet its approbation hath:

The gospel thwarts the legal way,

Yet will approve the law for ay.

 

Hence though the gospel's comely frame

Doth openly the law condemn;

Yet they are blind, who never saw

The gospel justify the law.

 

Thus gospel-grace, and law-commands,

Both bind and loose each other's hands:

They can't agree on any terms,

Yet hug each other in their arms.

 

Those that divide them, cannot be

The friends of truth and verity;

Yet those that dare confound the two,

Destroy them both, and gender woe.

 

This paradox non can decipher,

That plow not with the gospel-heifer.

 

 

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SECTION II.
The Difference Betwixt the Law and the Gospel.

 

The law supposing I have all,

Does ever for perfection call;

The gospel suits my total want,

And all the law can seek does grant.

 

The law could promise life to me,

If my obedience perfect be;

But grace does promise life upon

My Lord's obedience alone.

 

The law says, Do, and life you'll win;

But grace says, Live, for all is done;

The former cannot ease my grief,

The latter yields me full relief.

 

By law convinc'd of sinful breach;
By gospel-grace I comfort reach:
The one my condemnation bears;

The other justifies and clears.

 

The law shews my errors are great;

The gospel freely pays my debt:

The first does me the bankrupt curse;

The last does bless and fill my purse.

 

The law will not abate a mite,

The gospel all the sum will quite;

There God in threat'nings is array'd

But here in promises display'd.

 

The law and gospel disagree,

Like Hagar, Sarah, bond and free:

The former's Hagar's servitude;

The latter Sarah's happy brood.

 

To Sinai black, and Zion fair,

The word does law and grace compare.

Their cursing and their blessing vye

With Ebal and Gerizzim high.

 

The law excludes not boasting vain,

But rather feeds it to my bane;

But gospel grace allows no boasts,

Save in the King, the Lord of Hosts.

 

The law still irritates my sin,

And hardens my proud heart therein;

By grace's melting pow'r renews,

And my corruption strong subdues.

 

The law with thunder, Sinai-like,

Does always dread and terror speak:

The gospel makes a joyful noise,

And charms me with a still, calm voice.

 

The legal trumpet war proclaims,

In wrathful threats, and fire, and flames:

The gospel-pipe, a peaceful sound,

Which spreads a kindly breath around.

 

The law is weak through sinful flesh;

The gospel brings recruits afresh:

The first a killing letter wears;

The last a quick'ning spirit bears.

 

The law that seeks perfection's height,

Yet gives no strength, nor offers might;

But precious gospel-tidings glad

Declare where all is to be had.

 

From me alone the law does crave,

What grace affirms in Christ I have:

When therefore law-pursuits enthral,

I send the law to grace for all.

 

The law brings terror to molest,

The gospel gives the weary rest;

The one does flags of death display,

The other shows the living way.

 

The law by Moses was expressed;

The glorious gospel came by Christ:

The first dim nature's light may trace;

The last is only known by grace.

 

The law may rouse me from my sloth,

To faith and to repentance both:

And though the law commandeth each,

Yet neither of them can it teach.

 

Nor will accept for current coin

The duties which it does enjoin:

It seeks all, but accepts no less

Than constant, perfect righteousness.

 

The gospel on the other hand,

Although it issue no command,

But strictly view'd, does whole consist

In promises and offers blessed;

 

Yet does it many duties teach,

Which legal light could never reach:

Thus faith, repentance, and the like,

Are fire that gospel-engines strike.

 

They have acceptance here through grace,

The law affords them no such place:

Yet still they come through both their hands,

Through gospel-teachings, law-commands.

 

The law's a house of bondage sore,

The gospel opens the prison-door:

The first me hamper'd in its net;

The last at freedom kindly set.

 

The precept craves, the gospel gives;

While that me presses, this relieves;

And or affords the strength I lack,

Or takes the burden off my back.

 

The law requires on pain of death;

The gospel courts with loving breath:

While that conveys a deadly wound;

This makes me perfect, whole, and found.

 

There viewing how diseas'd I am,

I here perceive the healing balm:

Afflicted there with sense of need,

But here refresh'd with meet remede.

 

The law's a charge for what I owe;

The gospel my discharge to show:

The one a scene of fears doth ope;

The other is the door of hope.

 

An angry God the law reveal'd

The gospel shows him reconcil'd:

By that I know he was displeas'd;

By this I see his wrath appeas'd.

 

The law thus shews the divine ire,

And nothing but consuming fire.

The gospel brings the olive branch,

And blood the burning fire to quench.

 

The law still shows a fiery face,

The gospel shows a throne of grace;

There justice rides alone in state,

But here she takes the mercy-seat.

 

In Sum:

 

Lo! in the law JEHOVAH dwells,

But Jesus is conceal'd;

Whereas the gospel's nothing else

But Jesus Christ reveal'd.

 

 

 

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SECTION III.
The Harmony Betwixt the Law and the Gospel.

 

The law's a tutor much in vogue,

To gospel-grace a pedagogue;

The gospel to the law no less

Than its full end for righteousness.

 

When once the fiery law of God

Has chas'd me to the gospel-road;

Then back unto the holy law

Most kindly gospel-grace will draw.

 

When I the gospel-news believe,

Obedience to the law I give:

And that both in its fed'ral dress,

And as a rule of holiness.

 

Lo! in my Head I render all

For which the fiery law can call:

His blood unto its fire was fuel,

His Spirit shapes me to its rule.

 

When law and gospel kindly meet,

To serve each other both unite:

Sweet promises, and stern commands,

Do work to one another's hands.

 

The divine law demands no less

Than human perfect righteousness:

The gospel gives it this and more.

Ev'n divine righteousness in store.

 

Whate'er the righteous law require,

The gospel grants its whole desire.

Are law-commands exceeding broad?

So is the righteousness of God.

 

How great soe'er the legal charge,

The gospel-payment's equal large:

No less by man the law can bray,

When grace provides a God to pay.

 

The law makes gospel-banquets sweet;

The gospel makes the law complete:

Law-fruits to grace's storehouse draw;

Grace decks and magnifies the law.

 

Both law and gospel cloths combine,

To make each other's lustre shine:

The gospel all law-breakers shames;

The law all gospel-slighters damns.

 

The law is holy, just, and good;

All this the gospel seals with blood,

And clears the royal law's just dues

With dearly purchas'd revenues.

 

The law commands me to believe;

The gospel saving faith does give:

The law injoins me to repent;

The gospel give my tears a vent.

 

What in the gospel-mint is coin'd,

The same is in the law injoin'd:

Whatever gospel-tidings teach,

The law's authority doth reach.

 

Here join the law and gospel hands,

What this me teaches that commands:

What virtuous forms the gospel please

The same the law doth authorize.

 

And thus the law-commandment seals

Whatever gospel-grace reveals:

The gospel also for my good

Seals all the law-demands with blood.

 

The law most perfect still remains,

And ev'ry duty full contains:

The gospel its perfection speaks,

And therefore gives whate'er it seeks.

 

Next, what by law I'm bound unto,

The same the gospel makes me do:

What preceptively that can crave,

This effectively can ingrave.

 

All that by precepts Heav'n expects,

Free grace by promises effects:

To what the law by fear may move,

To that the gospel leads by love.

 

The righteous law condemns each man

That dare reject the gospel-plan:

The holy gospel none will save,

On whom it won't the law ingrave.

 

When Christ the tree of life did climb,

I see both law and grace in him:

In him the law its end does gain;

In him the promise is Amen.

 

The law make grace's pasture sweet,

Grace makes the law my sav'ry meat;

Yea, sweeter than the honey-comb,

When grace and mercy brings it home.

 

The precepts of the law me show

What fruits of gratitude I owe;

But gospel-grace begets the brood,

And moves me to the gratitude.

 

Law-terrors parch the putrid sore;

And gospel-grace applies the cure:

The one plows up the fallow-ground;

The other sows the seed around.

 

A rigid matter was the law,

Demanding brick, denying straw;

But when with gospel-tongue it sings,

It bids me fly, and gives me wings.

 

In Sum,

 

Both law and gospel close unite,

Are seen with more solace,

Where truth and mercy kindly meet,

In fair Immanuel's face.