Law & Gospel

“But what should the believer do, when the law comes to charge him, and command him to obey upon pain of death, or to curse him for his disobedience? Why, he may even say in the words of Luther, who, upon the point of justification, was as sound as any since his day;
‘O law, Christ is my righteousness, my treasure, and my work; I confess, O law, that I am neither godly nor righteous, but yet this I am sure of, that he is godly and righteous for me.’ His obedience answered both the godliness required in the first table of the law, and the righteousness in the second table.

The believer may say to the law, O law, I am dead to thee, and married to another Husband, even Jesus Christ; and therefore, cannot bring forth any children, any fruit, any acts of obedience to thy threatening commands: but, behold, I run to my sweet husband, who hath suggard and sweetened the law, with a gospel-dress and form; which, giving strength to obey, and shewing the believer’s freedom from the wrath of God, ‘encourages the believer, as our Confession of Faith speaks, being free from the curse of the moral law, and delivered from everlasting damnation, to yield obedience to God;’ not out of slavish fear, but a child-like love, and a willing mind.”

--Ralph Erskine, “Law-Death, Gospel-Life,” in The Works of Ralph Erskine, p. 62, vol. 2