Yet they are blind, who never saw

The gospel justify the law. o

Thus gospel grace, and law commands,
Both bind and loose each other's hands:

They can't agree on any terms, p
Yet hug each other in their arms. q

is of the law, That the man which doeth those things, shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

o Rom. iii. 31. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

p Gal. iv. 21-26. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons; the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free-woman. But he who was of the bond-woman was born after the flesh; but he of the free-woman was by promise. Which things are an allegory; for those are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all.

Those that divide them cannot be

The friends of truth and verity; r

q Psalm. lxxxiv. 10. Mercy and truth are met together: righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

7 Matt. xiii. 23. Wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Rom. ii. 23. Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law, dishonorest thou God? Ver. 25, 26. For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law; but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore, if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? Matt. xix. 6. What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. Chap. iii. 15. And Jesus answering, said unto him [John], Suffer it to be so now for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. Chap. v. 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Ver. 19, 20. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do, and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 1 John v. 6. This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood: and it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

Yet those that dare confound the two,
Destroy them both, and gender wo. 8

This paradox none can decipher,

That plow not with the gospel heifer.

s Gal. i. 6-8. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and which pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Zeph. i. 4. I will cut off-Ver. 5,-them that worship, and that swear by the Lord, and that swear by Malcham. Acts xv. 7. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago, God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. Ver. 10, 11. Now, therefore, why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe, that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they. Gal. v. 1. Stand fast therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Ver. 4. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace.

SECTION II.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL.

THE law, supposing I have all,
Does ever for perfection call:

The gospel suits my total want,
And all the law can seek does grant.

The law could promise life to me,

If my obedience perfect be:

But grace

does promise life upon

My Lord's obedience alone.

The law says, Do, and life you'll win :
But grace says, Live, for all is done:
The former cannot ease my grief,
The latter yields me full relief.

By law convinc'd of sinful breach,
By gospel grace I comfort reach:
The one my condemnation bears,
The other justifies and clears.

The law shows my arrears are great,
The gospel freely pays my debt:

The first does me, the bankrupt, curse,

The law does bless and fill my purse.

The law will not abate a mite,

The gospel all the sum will quite;
There God in threat'nings is array'd,
But here in promises display'd.

The law and gospel disagree,
Like Hagar, Sarah, bond and free:
The former's Hagar's servitude,
The latter Sarah's happy brood.

To Sinai black, and Zion fair,

The word does law and grace compare :
Their cursing and their blessing vie
With Ebal and Gerizzim high.

The law excludes not boasting vain,
But rather feeds it to my bane :
But gospel grace allows no boasts,
Save in the King, the Lord of hosts.

The law still irritates my sin,

And hardens my proud heart therein; But grace's melting pow'r renews, And my corruption strong subdues.