The Law Commands and Makes Us Know

The Law com­mands and makes us know
What du­ties to our God we owe;
But ’tis the Gos­pel must re­veal
Where lies our strength to do His will.

The Law dis­co­vers guilt and sin
And shows how vile our hearts have been;
The Gos­pel on­ly can ex­press
Forgiving love and cleans­ing grace.

What curs­es doth the Law de­nounce
Against the man that fails but once!
But in the Gos­pel Christ ap­pears,
Pardoning the guilt of nu­mer­ous years.

My soul, no more at­tempt to draw
Thy life and com­fort from the Law.
Fly to the hope the Gos­pel gives;
The man that trusts the pro­mise lives.

Words: Isaac Watts, 1709.