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The law of works we introduce,

As if old merit were in ufe,

When man could life by doing won,

Ev'n though the work by grace were done.
Old Adam in his innocence

Deriv'd his power of doing hence:
As all he could was wholly due;
So all the working ftrength, he knew,
Was only from the grace of God,
Who with fuch favour did him load:
Yet was the promise to his act,
That he might merit by compact.
No merit but of paction could
Of men or angels e'er be told;
The God-man only was fo high
To merit by condignity

Were life now promis'd to our act,
Or to our works by paction tack'd;
Though God fhould his affiftance grant,
'Tis ftill a doing covenant.

Though Heav'n its helping grace fhould yield,
Yet merit's ftill upon the field;

We caft the name, yet ftill 'tis found
Difclaim'd but with a verbal found.
If one fhould borrow tools from you,
That he fome famous work might do;
When once his work is well prepar'd,
He fure deferves his due reward;
Yea, juftly may he claim his due,.
Although he borrow'd tools from you:
Ev'n thus the borrow'd strength of grace
Can't hinder merit to take place.

From whence foe'er we borrow pow'rs,
If life depend on works of ours;

Or if we make the gospel thus

In any fort depend on us;

We give the law the gofpel-place,

Rewards of debt the room of grace;

We mix heav'n's treasures with our trash,
And magnify corrupted flesh.

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The new and gospel covenant
No promife to our works will grant
But to the doing of our Head,
And in him to each gofpel-deed.
To godliness, which is great gáin,
Promife is faid to appertain:
But know, left you the gofpel mar,
In whom it is we godly are:
To him and to his righteousness
Still primar❜ly the promife is;
And not ev'n to the gracious deed,
Save in and through the glorious Head.
Pray let us here obferve the odds,
How law and grace take counter roads.
The law of works no promife fpake
Unto the agent, but the act;
It primar❜ly no promise made
Unto the perfon, but the deed:
Whate'er the doing perfon fhar'd,
'Twas for his deed he had reward.
The law of grace o'erturns the fcále,
And makes the quite reverfe prevail:
Its promife lights not on the deed,
But on the doing perfon's head;
Not for his doing, but for this,
Because in Chrift his portion is;
Which union to the living Princé,
His living works and deeds evince.
Good fruits have promife in this view,
As union to the BRANCH they fhew;
To whom the promifes pertain,
In him all Yea, and all Amen.
Obferve, pray; for if here we err,
And do not Chrift alone prefer,
But think the promife partly ftands
On our obeying new commands;
Th' old cov'nant-place to works we give,
Or mingle Grace with Do and Live;
We overcloud the gofpel-charms,
And also break our working arms.

More honour to the law profefs,
But giving more, we give it lefs:
Its heavy yoke in vain we draw,
By turning gofpel into law.
We rob grace of its joyful found,
And bury Chrift in Mofes ground:
At best we run a legal race
Upon the field of gospel grace.

PARAGRAPH III.

The Gospel no NEW LAW; but a joyful found of Grace and Mercy.

LAW-precepts in a gospel mold,

We may as gofpel-doctrine hold,
But gofpel-calls in legal dress,
The joyful found of grace fupprefs.
Faith and repentance may be taught,
And yet no gofpel-tidings brought;
If as mere duties thefe we prefs,
And not as parts of promis'd blifs.
If only precepts we préfènt,
Though urg'd with strongeft argument,
We leave the weak'ned finner's hope
In darkness of defpair to grope.
The man whom legal precepts chase,
As yet eftrang'd to fov'reign grace,
Miftaking evangelic charms,
As if they flood on legal terms,
Looks to himself, though dead in fin,
For grounds of faith and hope within!
Hence fears and fetters grow and fwell,
Since nought's within but fin and hell.
But faith that looks to promis'd grace,
Clean out of felf the foul will chafe,
To Chrift for righteoufnefs and ftrength,
And finds the joyful reft at length.
Proud flesh and blood will startle here,
And hardly fuch report can bear,
That Heav'n all faving flore will give
To them that work not, but believe.

Yet not of works, but 'tis the race
Of faith, that it may be of grace:
For faith does nothing but agree
To welcome this falvation free.

"Come down, Zaccbeus; quickly come,
"Salvation's brought unto thy home:
"In vain thou climb'ft the legal tree;
"Salvation freely comes to thee.
"Thou dream'ft of coming up to terms,
"Come down into my faving arms;
"Down, down, and get a pardon free,
"On terms already wrought by me.
"Behold the bleffings of my blood,
Bought for thy everlasting good,
"And freely all to be convey'd
Upon the price already paid.

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"I know thou haft no good, and fee "I cannot ftand on terms with thee, "Whose fall has left thee nought to claim, "Nor aught to boaft but fin and fhame." The law of heavy hard commands Confirms the wak'ned finner's bands; But grace proclaims relieving news, And scenes of matchlefs mercy fhews. No precept clogs the gospel-call, But therein grace is all in all; No law is here but that of grace, Which brings relief in ev'ry cafe. The gofpel is the promise fair Of grace, all ruins to repair; And leaves no finner room to say, "Alas! this debt I cannot pay; "This grievous yoke I cannot bear, "This high demand I cannot clear." Grace ftops the mouth of fuch complaints, And ftore of full fupply prefents. The glorious gospel is (in brief,) A fov'reign word of fweet relief; Not clogg'd with cumberfome commands, To bind the foul's receiving hands.

'Tis joyful news of fov'reign grace,
That reigns in ftate through righteousness,
To ranfum from all threat'ning woes,
And anfwer all commanding Do's.
This gofpel comes with help indeed,
Adapted unto finners need.

Thefe joyful news that fuit their case,
Are chariots of his drawing grace.
'Tis here the Spirit pow'rful rides,
The fountains of the deep divides;
The King of glory's fplendor fhews,
And wins the heart with welcome news.

PARAGRAPH IV.

The Gospel further defcribed, as a Bundle of good News,

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In threats against the tempting fnake;

So may the gofpel in commands,
Yet nor in threats or precepts ftands:
But 'tis a doctrine of free grants
To finners, that they may be faints:
A joyful found of royal gifts,
To obviate unbelieving fhifts:
A promife of divine fupplies,
To work all gracious qualities
In thofe, who proneft to rebel,
Are only qualify'd for hell.
Courting vile finners, ev'n the chief,
It leaves no cloak for unbelief;
But ev'n on grofs Manaffehs calls,
On Mary Magdalens and Sauls.
'Tis good news of a fountain ope'
For fin and filth; a door of hope
For those that lie in blood and gore,
And of a falve for ev'ry fore.
Glad news of fight unto the blind;
Of light unto the dark'ned mind;
Of healing to the deadly fick;
And mercy both to Jew and Greek.

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