coming to revoke any part of this . This is a law which never can be broken , which ' stands fast as the faithful witness in heaven .' . . . This was from the beginning of the world , being ' written not on tables of stone ,' but on the hearts of all the children of men , when they came out of the hands of the Creator . And however the letters once wrote by the finger of God are now in a great measure defaced by sin , yet can they not wholly be blotted out , while we have any consciousness of good and evil . Every part of this law must remain in force upon all mankind , and in all ages ; as not depending either on time or place , or any other circumstances liable to change , but on the nature of God , and the nature of man , and their unchangeable relation to each other .
"' I am not come to destroy , but to fulfill .' . . . Without question , His meaning in this place is ( consistently with all that goes before and follows after ), --I am come to establish it in its fullness , in spite of all the glosses of men : I am come to place in a full and clear view whatsoever was dark or obscure therein : I am come to declare the true and full import of every part of it ; to show the length and breadth , the entire extent , of every commandment contained therein , and the height and depth , the inconceivable purity and spirituality of it in all its branches ." --Wesley , sermon 25 .
Wesley declared the perfect harmony of the law and the gospel . " There is , therefore , the closest connection that can be conceived , between the law and the gospel . On the one hand , the law continually makes way for , and points us to , the gospel ; on the other , the gospel continually leads us to a more exact fulfilling of the law . The law , for instance , requires us to love God , to love our neighbour , to be meek , humble , or holy . We feel that we are not sufficient for these things ; yea , that ' with man this is impossible ;' but we see a promise of God to give us that love , and to make us humble , meek , and holy : we lay hold of this gospel , of these glad tidings ; it is done unto us according to our faith ; and ' the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us ,' through faith which is in Christ Jesus . . . .
" In the highest rank of the enemies of the gospel of Christ ," said Wesley , " are they who openly and explicitly ' judge the law ' itself , and ' speak evil of the law ;' who teach men to break ( to dissolve , to loose , to untie the obligation of ) not one only , whether of the least or of the greatest , but all the commandments at a stroke . . . . The most surprising of all the circumstances that attend this strong delusion , is that they who are given up to it , really believe that they honour Christ by overthrowing His law , and that they are magnifying His office while they are destroying His doctrine ! Yea , they honour Him just as Judas did when he said , ' Hail , Master , and kissed Him .' And He may as justly say to every one of them , ' Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss ? It is no other than betraying Him with a kiss , to talk of His blood , and take away His crown ; to set light by any part of His law , under pretense of advancing His gospel . Nor indeed can anyone escape this charge , who preaches faith in any such a manner as either directly or indirectly tends to set aside any branch of obedience : who preaches Christ so as to disannul , or weaken in any wise , the least of the commandments of God ." -- Ibid .
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