Page:The works of the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., late fellow of Lincoln-College, Oxford (IA worksofrevjohnwe3wesl).pdf/86

 means, either of bringing us to faith, or of ''stirring up that gift of God'' in our soul.

6. It therefore behoves all who desire either to come to Christ, or to ''walk in Him whom they have received, to take heed how they make void the law through faith''; to secure us effectually against which, let us enquire, first, which are the most usual ways of making void the law through faith, and secondly, How we may follow the apostle, and by faith establish the law.

I. 1. Let us, first, inquire, Which are the most usual ways of making void the law through faith. Now the way for a preacher to make it all void at a stroke, is, Not to preach it at all. This is just the same thing, as to blot it out of the oracles of God. More especially when it is done with design; when it is made a rule, "Not to preach the law:" and the very phrase, "A preacher of the law," is used as a term of reproach, as tho' it meant little less than, "an enemy to the gospel."

2. All this proceeds from the deepest ignorance of the nature, properties and use of the law: and proves that those who act thus, either know not Christ, are utter strangers to living faith: or at least, that they are but babes in Christ, and as such unskilled in the word of righteousness.

3. Their grand plea is this: "That preaching the gospel (that is, according to their judgment, the speaking of nothing but the sufferings and merits of Christ) answers all the ends of the law."