Wesley Corpus

For what did our Lord do with the law He abolished it.” Friend.--However, ought not we, after we believe in him, to obey all the commandments of Christ? Ant.--Obey law / works / commandments / O what “legal ness is in your spirit !” So, I suppose, “your comforts vanish away when you are not assured that you obey all Christ’s commandments !” On the contrary, “a spiritual man beholdeth justifying grace in believing, without his obedience to commands for external worship and good works.” Friend.--But how does this agree with numberless texts of Scripture? in particular, with those words of our Lord, “Think not that I am come to destroy” (or abolish) “the law: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law. Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. v. 17, &c.) Ant.--I tell you plainly, I will not reason. Friend.--That is as much as to say, “I will not be con vinced: I love darkness rather than light.” Ant.--No; it is you that are in darkness. I was so till a few weeks since. But now my eyes are opened. I see my liberty now. Now I am free. I was in bondage long enough. Friend.--What are you free from ? Ant.--From sin, and hell, and the devil, and the law. Friend.--You put the law of God in goodly company. But how came you to be free from the law 7 % % Ant.--Christ made me free from it. Friend.--What I from his own law? Pray, where is that written? Ant.--Here, Galatians iii. 13: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.” Friend.--What is this to the purpose? This tells me, that “Christ hath redeemed us” (all that believe) “from the curse,” or punishment, justly due to our past transgressions of God’s law, But it speaks not a word of redeeming us from the law, any more than from love or heaven. But what do you mean by bondage? Ant--Why, the being bound to keep the law. Friend.--You have no tittle of Scripture for this.