Ancient teachers said that there are four things a preacher should keep in mind in all his sermons; he should give consideration to vices and virtues, to punishments and rewards. And they did well to give this advice, provided that they retained Christ. For the Law concerns itself with these four things: vices contrary to the Law, virtues in accordance with the Law, punishments in accordance with the Law, and rewards in accordance with the Law. But this doctrine does not produce Christians. It is the doctrine of the Law, which does not bring about perfection. The Gospel of grace must be joined to this doctrine of the Law! Then at last the Christian is made complete.
~Martin Luther~
Luther’s Works, Vol. 3: Lectures on Genesis: Chapters 15-20, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 3 (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999), 132–133.
The Old Guys 
Reblogged this on HE STILL SPEAKS!.
Sadly this is the missing ingredient in our modern & postmodern gospel, i.e. Law & Gospel! Our top-tier Reformers, Luther and Calvin, etc. preached it, as did St. Paul! (Gal.4: 1-5, etc.)
Reblogged this on My Delight and My Counsellors.