The law, that can't them help, they stab with
Yet fcorn to beg, or court another mate. [hate,
Here lufts moft oppofite their hearts divide,
Their beaftly paffion, and their bankrupt pride.
In paffion they their native mate deface,
In pride difdain to be oblig'd to grace.
Hence plainly as a rule 'gainst law they live,
Yet clofely to it as a cov'nant cleave.
Thus legal pride lies hid beneath the patch,
And strong averfion to the gofpel-match.
The manner of a finner's divorce from the law in a work of humiliation, and of his marriage to the Lord JESUS CHRIST; or, the way how a finner comes to be a believer.
Of a LAW WORK, and the workings of legal pride
O proud's the bride, fo backwardly difpos'd;
How then fhall e'er the happy match be
Kind grace the tumults of her heart muft quell,
And.draw her heav'nward by the gates of hell.
The Bridegroom's Father makes, by's holy Spirit,
His ftern command with her ftiff confcience
meet;
To dafh her pride, and fhew her outmost need,
Purfues for double debt with awful dread.
He makes her former hufband's frightful ghost
Appear and damn her, as a bankrupt loft;
With curfes, threats, and Sinai thunder claps
Her lofty tow'r of legal boafting faps.
These humbling ftorms, in high or low degrees,
Heav'n's Majefty will measure as he pleafe;
But ftill he makes the fiery law at least
Pronounce its awful fentence in her breaft,
Till through the law* convict of being loft,
She hopeless to the law gives up the ghoft:
Which now in rigour comes full debt to crave
And in close prifon caft; but not to fave.
For now 'tis weak and can't (through our de-
It's greatest votaries to life exalt. [fault)
But well it can command with fire and flame,
And to the lowest pit of ruin damn.
Thus doth it, by commiffion from above,
Deal with the bride, when Heav'n would court her
Lo! now fhe ftartles at the Sinai trump, [love.
Which throws her foul into a difmal dump,
Confcious another husband fhe muft have,
Elfe lie for ever in deftruction's grave.
While in conviction's jail fhe's thus inclos'd,
Glad news are heard, the royal Mate's propos'd.
And now the fcornful bride's inverted ftir
Is racking fear, he fcorns to match with her.
She dreads his fury, and defpairs that he
Will ever wed fo vile a wretch as fhe.
And here the legal humour firs again
To her prodigious lofs, and grievous pain:
For when the Prince prefents himself to be
Her husband, then the deems: Ah! is not he
Too fair a match for fuch a filthy bride?
Unconscious that the thought be wrays her pride,
Ev'n pride of merit, pride of righteoufnefs,
Expecting Heav'n fhould love her for her drefs;
Unmindful how the fall her face did ftain,
And made her but a black unlovely fwain;
Her whole primeval beauty quite defac'd, And to the rank of fiends her form debas'd; Without disfigur'd, and defil'd within, Uncapable of any thing but fin.
Heav'n courts not any for their comely face,
But for the glorious praise of fov'reign grace,
Elfe ne'er had courted one of Adam's race,.
Which all as children of corruption be,
Heirs rightful of immortal mifery.
Yet here the bride employs her foolish wit,
For this bright match her ugly form to fit ;
To daub her features o'er with legal paint,
That with a grace the may herfelf present.
Hopeful the Prince with credit might her wed,
If once fome comely qualities fhe had..
In humble pride, her haughty fpirit flags;
She cannot think of coming all in rags..
Were fhe a humble, faithful penitent,
She dreams he'd then contract with full con
Base varlet! thinks she'd be a match for him,
Did the but deck herself in handsome trim,
Ah! foolish thoughts! in legal deeps that plod,
Ah! forry notions of a fov'reign God!
Will God expofe his great, his glorious Son,
For our vile baggage to be fold and won?
Should finful modesty the match decline,
Until its garb be brifk and fuperfine ;,
Alas! when should we see the marriage day?
The happy bargain muft flee up for ay..
Prefumptuous fouls in furly modefty,.
Half-faviours themselves would fondly be.
Then hopeful th' other half their due will fall,
Difdain to be in Jefus' debt for all.
Vainly the firft would wash themfelves, and then
Addrefs the fountain to be wash'd more clean;
Firft heal themselves, and then expect the balm:
Ah! many flightly cure their fudden qualm.
They heal their confcience with a tear or pray'r;
And feek no other, Chrift, but perish there.
O finner! fearch the houfe, and fee the thief
That fpoils thy Saviour's crown, thy four's re-
The hid, but heinous fin of unbelief. [lief,
Who can poffefs a quality that's good,
Till firft he come to Jefus' cleanfing blood?
The pow'r that draws the bride, will also shew
Unto her by the way her hellifh hue,
As void of ev'ry virtue to commend,
And full of ev'ry vice that will offend.
'Till fov'reign grace the fullen bride fhall catch,
She'll never fit herfelf for fuch a match.
Moft qualify'd they are in heav'n to dwell,
Who fee themselves moft qualify'd for hell;
And, ere the bride can drink falvation's cup,
Kind Heav'n must reach to hell and lift her up:
For no decorum e'er about her found,
Is, fhe belov'd; but on a nobler ground.
JEHOVAH'S love is like his nature free,
Nor must his creature challenge his decree;
But low at fov'reign grace's footftool creep,
Whofe ways are fearchlefs, and his judgments
deep.
Yet grace's fuit meets with refiftance rude
From haughty fouls; for lake of innate good
To recommend them. Thus the backward bride
Affronts her fuitor with her modeft pride.
Black hatred for his offer'd love repays,
Pride under mafk of modefty difplays:
In part would fave herfelf; hence, fausy foul! Rejects the matchlefs Mate would fave in whole.
Conviction of SIN and WRATH, carried on more deeply and effectually on the beart.
proudly forward is the bride, and now Stern Heav'n begins to ftare with cloudier brow;
Law-curfes come with more condemning pow'r,
To fcorch her confcience with a fiery fhow'r.
And more refulgent flashes darted in ;
For by the law the knowledge is of fin*
Black Sinai thund'ring louder than before,
Does awful in her lofty bofom roar.
[airth, Heav'n's furious ftorms now rife from ev'ry In ways more terrible to fhake the earth, 'Till baughtiness of men be funk thereby, That Chrift alone may be exalted high.
Now ftable earth feems from her centre toft,
And lofty mountains in the ocean loft.
Hard rocks of flint, and haughty hills of pride,
Are torn in pieces by the roaring tide.
Each flash of new conviction's lucid rays
Heart-errors, undifcern'd till now, displays:
Wrath's maffy cloud upon the conscience breaks,
And thus menacing Heav'n, in thunder fpeaks;
'Black wretch, thou madly under foot haft trode
'Th' authority.of a commanding God;
Thou, like thý kindred that in Adam fell, Art but a law-renverfing lump of hell, 'And there by law and juftice doom'd to dwell.'
* Rom. iii. 20. † Wind, or quarter. Ísa. ii. 17, 19.
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