Last Sunday in our little Reformed Baptist church we sang this wonderful Lutheran hymn, which is almost a sermon in itself about the place of the law in our lives. It is an old hymn, penned by Mat­thi­as Loy in 1873.

The Hymn My Notes
The law of God is good and wise,
And sets His will before our eyes,
Shows us the way of righteousness,
And dooms to death when we transgress.		 A summary
The law is good, but dooms transgressors
Its light of holiness imparts
The knowledge of our sinful hearts,
That we may see our lost estate
And seek deliverance ere too late.		 Its use for sinners
As a tutor, shows our lost state
To those who help in Christ have found
And would in works of love abound
It shows what deeds are His delight
And should be done as good and right.
 Its use for believers
It shows us a good way by which to live, pleasing God.
When men the offered help disdain
And willfully in sin remain,
Its terror in their ear resounds
And keeps their wickedness in bounds.
 Its use in society
It still keeps people in check from too much wickedness. So our world is a safer place.
The law is good, but since the fall
Its holiness condemns us all;
It dooms us for our sin to die
And has no power to justify.		 The doom
By its very goodness and holiness, it condemns sinners and cannot justify them.
To Jesus we for refuge flee,
Who from the curse has set us free,
And humbly worship at His throne,
Saved by His grace through faith alone.		 The hope
But Jesus can justify by grace through faith