Mingling of Grace and Mercy with Law

Consequently, the law was still committed to man, but it was shut up in the ark, not displayed with all its terrors before the eyes of men; it was enclosed in the testimony.
There are many, even of God's children, who think that such is exactly the tenor of the dealings of God with us now; that is, law and grace mingled—grace hindering the action of law—the law bringing us in guilty, but grace interposing to screen the guilty according to the words we read in the early part of Ex. 34. There Jehovah proclaims Himself in the character of lawgiver, though He declares His long-suffering and mercy, as it is said: "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering... forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." But it is also added: "And that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation." Now, you will observe that while such is the principle of God's dealings—that it is not law alone, nor grace alone, but the two together—while this is the case, whenever the mediator comes forward to speak to the people, he has to put a veil upon his face. When he goes into the presence of God the veil is taken off; in the presence of glory there is no veil. But as long as man had to do with the law, even though there was mercy and grace mingled with it, the veil must be put on when he spoke with the people.
In contrast, our position is neither having to do with law alone, nor with law mingled with grace.