Th' old cov'nant-place to works we give,
Or mingle grace with do and live;
We overcloud the gospel-charms,
And also break our working arms.
More honour to the law profess,
But giving more, we give it less :
Its heavy yoke in vain we draw,
By turning gospel into law.
We rob grace of its joyful sound,
And bury Christ in Moses' ground:
At best we run a legal race
Upon the field of gospel-grace.
The Gospel no new law; but a joyful sound of grace
AW-precepts in a gospel-mold,
LA Way as
Ꮮ We may as gospel-doctrine hold;
But gospel-calls in legal dress,
The joyful sound of grace suppress.
Faith and repentance may be taught,
And yet no gospel-tidings brought;
If as mere duties these we press,
And not as parts of promis'd bless.
If only precepts we present,
Though urg'd with strongest argument,
We leave the wak'ned sinner's hope
In darkness of despair to grope.
The man whom legal precepts chase.
As yet estrang'd to sov'reign grace,
Mistaking evangelic charms,
As if they stood on legal terms.
Looks to himself, though dead in sin,
For grounds of faith and hope within :
Hence fears and fetters grow and swell,
Since nought's within but sin and hell.
But faith that looks to promis'd grace,
Clean out of self the soul will chase,
To Christ for righteousness and strength,
And finds the joyful rest at length.
Proud flesh and blood will startle here,
And hardly such report can bear,
That Heav'n all saving store 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 salvation free.
"Come down, Zaccheus, quickly come,
"Salvation's brought unto thy home :
“In vain thou climb'st the legal tree,
"Salvation freely comes to thee.
"Thou dream'st of coming up to terms,
"Come down into my saving arms;
"Down, down, and get a pardon free,
"On terms already wrought by me.
"Behold the blessings of my blood,
"Bought for thy everlasting good,
"And freely all to be convey'd
Upon the price already paid.
"I know thou hast no good, and see "I cannot stand on terms with thee, "Whose fall has left thee nought to claim, "Nor aught to boast but sin and shame."
The law of heavy hard commands
Confirms the wak'ned sinner's bands;
But grace proclaims relieving news,
And scenes of matchless mercy shews.
No precept clogs the gospel-call,
But wherein grace is all in all;
No law is here but that of grace,
Which brings relief in ev'ry case.
The gospel is the promise fair
Of grace all ruins to repair,
And leaves no sinner room to say,
"Alas! this debt I cannot pay;
"This grievous yoke I cannot bear,
"This high demand I cannot clear."
Grace stops the mouth of such complaints,
And store of full supply presents.
The glorious gospel is (in brief)
A sov'reign word of sweet relief;
Not clog'd with cumbersome commands,
To bind the soul's receiving hands.
"Tis joyful news of sov'reign grace,
That reigns in state through righteousness,
To ransome from all threat'ning woes,
And answer all commanding do's:
This gospel comes with help indeed,
Adapted unto sinner's need.
These joyful news that suit 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 splendour shews,
And wins the heart with welcome news.
The Gospel further described, as a bundle of good news and gracious promises.
THE first grand promise forth did break
In threats against the tempting snake;
So may the gospel in commands,
Yet nor in threats nor precepts stands:
But 'tis a doctrine of free grants
To sinners, that they may be saints :
A joyful sound of royal gifts,
To obviate unbelieving shifts:
A promise of divine supplies,
To work all gracious qualities
In those who, pronest to rebel,
Are only qualifi'd for hell.
Courting vile sinners, ev'n the chief,
It leaves no cloak for unbelief;
But ev'n on gross Manasseh's calls,
On Mary Magdalens and Sauls.
'Tis good news of a fountain ope
For sin and filth; a door of hope
For those that lie in blood and gore,
And of a salve for ev'ry sore.
Glad news of sight unto the blind;
Of light unto the dark'ned mind;
Of healing to the deadly sick;
And mercy both to Jew and Greek.
Good news of gold to poor that lack;
Of raiment to the nacked back;
Of binding to the wounds that smart;
And rest unto the weary heart.
Glad news of freedom to the bound:
Of store all losses to refound;
Of endless life unto the dead ;
And present help in time of need.
Good news of heav'n, where angels dwell,
To those that well deserved hell;
Of strength to weak for work and war,
And access near to those afar.
Glad news of joy to those that weep,
And tender care of cripple sheep;
Of shelter to the soul pursu'd,
And cleansing to the hellish-hew'd:
Of floods to sap the parched ground,
And streams to run the desert round;
Of ransom to the captive caught,
And harbour to the found'ring yacht:
Of timely aid to weary groans;
Of joy restor❜d to broken bones;
Of grace divine to graceless preys.
And glory to the vile and base:
Of living water pure, that teems
On fainting souls refreshing streams:
Of gen'rous wine to cheer the strong,
And milk to feed the tender young:
Of saving faith to faithless ones;
Of soft'ning grace to flinty stones;
Of pardon to a guilty crew,
And mercy free, where wrath was due.
Good news of welcome kind to all,
That come to Jesus at his call;
Yea, news of drawing pow'r, when scant,
To those that fain would come, and can't.
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