he law. As some one has observed: When the
law was given, three thousand men lost life; but when grace and
truth came at Pentecost, three thousand obtained life. Under the
law, if a man became a drunkard the magistrates would take him out
and stone him to death. When the prodigal came home, grace met him
and embraced him. Law says, Stone him!--grace says, Embrace him! Law
says, Smite him!--grace says, Kiss him! Law went after him, and
bound him; grace said, loose him and let him go! Law tells me how
crooked I am; grace comes and makes me straight.

I pity those who are always hanging around Sinai, hoping to get life
there. I have an old friend in Chicago who is always lingering at
Sinai. He is a very good man; but I think he will have a different
story to tell when he gets home to heaven. He thinks I preach free
grace too much; and I must confess I do like to speak of the free
grace of God. This friend of mine feels as though he has a kind of
mission to follow me; and whenever he gets a chance he comes in with
the thunders of Sinai. I never yet met him but he was thundering
away from Horeb. The last time I was in Chicago, I said to him, "Are
you still lingering around Sinai?" "Yes," said he, "I believe in the
law." I have made inquiries, and I never heard of any one being
converted under his preaching: the effects have always dwindled and
died out. If the law is the door to heaven, there is no hope for any
of us. A perfect God can only have a perfect standard. He that
offends in one point is guilty of all: so "all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God."

Paul says to the Galatians: "Is the law then against the promises of
God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have
given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But
the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith
of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before
faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which
should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our
schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by
faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a
schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Jesus
Christ."

THE SOFTENING POWER OF GRACE.

So we see that the law cannot give life; all it can do is to bring
us to Him who is the life. The law is said to be "a schoolmaster."
Perhaps some of you do not know