Gospel Sonnets, Or Spiritual Songs - Ralph Erskine - Google Books

Books

The Believer's Riddle; or, the Mystery of Faith.

The preface, shewing the use and design of the

riddle, and how all fatal errors proceed from

ignorance of such mysteries,

SECT. 1.-The mystery of the saint's pedigree, and especially

of their relation to Christ's wonderful person,

SECT. 2. The mystery of the saint's life, state and frame,

SECT. 3.-Mysteries about the sa'nt's work and warfare

sins, sorrows and joys,

SECT. 4.- Mysteries in faith's extractions, way and walk,

prayers and answers, heights and depths, fear and love,

SECT. 5.-Mysteries about flesh and spirit, liberty and bond-

age, life and death,

SECT. 6. The mystery of free justification through Christ's

obedience and satisfaction,

SECT. 7.-The mystery of God the justifier, and faith justi-

fying him, both in his justifying and condemning; or, soul-

justification and self-condemnation,

SECT. 8. The mystery of sanctification imperfect in this life;

or, The believer doing all, and doing nothing,

SECT. 9.-The mystery of various names given to saints; or,

The flesh and spirit described from inanimate things,

vegetables and sensitives,

SECT. 10.-The mystery of the saint's old and new man

further described, and the means of their spiritual life, 193

SECT. 11.-The mystery of Christ, his names, natures, and

SECT. 12.-The mystery of the believer's mixed state further

enlarged, and his getting good out of evil,

SECT. 13. The mystery of the saint's adversaries and ad-

SECT. 14. The mystery of the believer's pardon and security

from revenging wrath, notwithstanding his sin's desert,

SECT. 15.-The mystery of faith and sight,

SECT. 16.-The mystery of faith and works,

1. And of rewards of grace and debt,

2. The Conclusion,

The Believer's Lodging.

A paraphrase upon Psal. lxxxiv.

Exercise for the believer in his lodging, fourfold,

1. The holy law; or, The ten commandments,

2. The unholy heart the reverse of God's law,

3. The glorious gospel of Christ, the remedy,

4. The prayer of faith exemplified,

The Believer's Soliloquy; especially in times of desertion,

temptation, affliction, &c.

SECT, 1.-The deserted believer longing for perfect freedom

SECT. 2.-The deserted believer's prayer under complaints of

unbelief, darkness, deadness, and hardness,

SECT. 3.-The believer wading through deeps of desertion

and corruption,

SECT. 4.-The believer's complaint of sin, sorrow, and want

SECT. 5.-The deserted soul's prayer for the Lord's gracious

and sin-subduing presence,

SECT. 6. The song of heaven desired by saints on earth, 260

The Believer's Principles.

CHAP. I.-Concerning Creation and Redemption; or,

some of the first principles of the oricles of God, 263

SECT. 1.- Of Creation.

The first chapter of Genesis com-

The Sum of Creation,

SECT. 2.-Of Redemption. The mystery of the Redeemer's

incarnation; or, God manifested in the flesh,

The Sum of Redemption,

SECT. 3.-The Redeemer's work; or, Christ all in all, and

our complete redemption. A gospel-catechism for young

SECT. 4.-Faith and works both excluded from the matter of

justification before God, that redemption may appear to be

only in Christ,

CHAP. II. Concerning the law and the gospel. 275

SECT. 1.-The mystery of law and gospel,

SECT. 2.-The difference between the law and the gospel.

SECT. 3.-The harmony between the law and the gospel,

SECT. 4.-The proper place and station of the law and the

gospel, in four paragraphs,

PARAGRAPH 1.—The place and station of law and gospel in

PAR 2. The place and station of law and gospel in par-

PAR. 3.-The gospel no new law; but a joyful sound of

grace and mercy,

PAR. 4.-The gospel further described, as a bundle of good

rews and gracious promises,

CHAP. III.-Concerning justification and sanctification

their difference and harmony,

SECT. 1.-The difference between justification and sancti-

fication, or righteousness imputed and grace imparted, in

upwards of thirty particulars .

SECT. 2.—The harmony between justification and sanctifi-

CHAP. IV. Concerning faith and sense,

SECT. 1.-Faith and sense natural compared and distinguished,319

SECT. 2.-Faith and sense spiritual compared and distinguished321

SECT. 3.-The harmony and discord between faith and sense, 324

SECT. 4-The valour and victories of faith

SECT. 5.-The heights and depth of sense,

SECT. 6.-Faith and frames compared, or faith building upon

SECT. 1.-The work and contention of heaven,

SECT. 2.-Earth despicable, heaven desirable,

For this bright match her ugly form to fit;
To daub her features o'er with legal paint,
That with a grace she may herself present.
Hopeful the prince with credit might her wed,
If once some comely qualities she had.
In humble pride, her haughty spirit flags;
She cannot think of coming all in rags.
Were she a humble, faithful penitent,

She dreams he'd then contract with full content.
Base varlet! think she'd be a match for him,
Did she but deck herself in handsome trim.
Ah foolish thoughts! in legal deeps that plod,
Ah sorry notions of a sov'reign God!
Will God expose his great, his glorious Son,
For our vile baggage to be sold and won?
Should sinful modesty the match decline,
Until its garb be brisk and superfine;
Alas! when should we see the marriage day?
The happy bargain must flee up for ay.
Presumptuous souls, in surly modesty,
Half-saviours of themselves would fondly be,
Then hopeful th' other half their due will fall,
Disdain to be in Jesus' debt for all.

Vainly they first would wash themselves, and then
Address the fountain to be wash'd more clean;
First heal themselves, and then expect the balm :
Ah! many slightly cure their sudden qualm.
They heal their conscience with a tear or pray'r;
And seek no other Christ, but perish there.
O sinner, search the house, and see the thief
That spoils thy Saviour's crown, thy soul's relief,
The hid, but heinous sin of unbelief.
Who can possess a quality that's good,
'Till first he come to Jesus' cleansing blood?
The power that draws the bride, will also shew
Unto her by the way her hellish hue,

B

As void of every virtue to commend,
And fond of ev'ry vice that will offend.
'Till sov'reign grace the sullen bride shall catch
She'll never fit herself for such a match.
Most qualifi'd they are in Heav'n to dwell,
Who see themselves most qualifi'd for hell;
And, ere the bride can drink salvation's cup,
Kind Heav'n must reach to hell and lift her up:
For no decorum e'er about her found,
Is she belov'd; but on a nobler ground.
Jehovah's love is like his nature free,

Nor must his creature challenge his degree;
But low at sov'reign grace's footstool creep,
Whose ways are searchless, and his judgments deep.
Yet grace's suit meets with resistance rude
From haughty souls; for lake of innate good
To recommend them. Thus the backward bride
Affronts her suitor with her modest pride.
Black hatred for his offer'd love repays,
Pride under mask of modesty displays:

In part wou'd save herself; hence, sausy soul!
Rejects the matchless mate would save in whole.

SECTION II.

Conviction of sin and wrath, carried on more deeply and effectually on the heart.

So begins to bare with cloudier brow;

O proudly froward is the bride, and now

Law-curses come with more condemning pow'r,
To scorch her conscience with a fiery show'r,
And more refulgent flashes darted in ;

For by the law the knowledge is of sin.*

*Rom. iii. 20.

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