In him, says God, this life I give,
In him shall therefore men believe,
My gift embracing in their arms:
None shall be sav'd on other terms.

Vain man must stoop and freely take,
Or else embrace a burning lake:
Proud nature must submit to grace,
And to the divine righteousness.

In vain on works our hope is built,
Our actions nothing are but guilt:
The best obedience of our own
Dare not appear before his throne.

What finite worm can bear the load,

The fury of an angry God?
What mortal vigor can withstand
The vengeance of his lifted hand?

The law can never save us now,
To damn is all that it can do.
Heav'n casts all righteousness of ours;

The law of works is out of doors.

No merit, money, more or less,

Can buy the gift of righteousness.

O may I take what heav'n does give : JEHOVAH help me to believe;

And in that righteousness to trust,
Which only makes a sinner just.
And then, the truth of faith to prove,

Lord, make my faith to work by love.

CHAPTER II.

THE BELIEVER'S PRINCIPLES CONCERNING THE LAW AND GOSPEL; PARTICULARLY, THE MYSTERY, DIFFERENCE, HARMONY, AND PLACE AND STATION OF LAW AND GOSPEL,

SECTION I.

THE MYSTERY OF LAW AND GOSPEL.

THOUGH law commands and gospel grace

Agree in mutual joint embrace; a
Yet law and gospel in a shock

Can never draw an equal yoke. b

God forbid for if there had

a Rom. iii. 31. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. Gal. iii. 21. Is the law then against the promises of God? been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

b Psalm cxxx. 3, 4. If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities: O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee; that thou mayest be feared. Ver. 7, 8. Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. And cxliii. 2. O Lord, enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Ver. 8. Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning,

The law of works, the law of grace,
Can't stand together in one place;

The brighter scene destroys the dark,
As Dagon fell before the ark. c

They harmonize like marri'd pairs, d

Yet are at odds, and keep not squares: e

for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my soul unto thee.

c Rom. vi. 14, 15. Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Chap. vii. 4—6. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ: that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. 2 Cor. iii. 7-10. But if the ministration of death written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away; how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious, had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

The letter and the spirit jar. f

The law does gospel comforts harm,
The gospel breaks the legal arm; g
Yet both exalt each other's horn,
And garlands bring their heads t' adorn. h

I through the law am dead to it,

To legal works and self conceit; i

d Gal. iii. 24. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

e Rom. xi. 6. And if [election be] by grace, then is it no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. f 2 Cor. iii. 6. The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

g Heb. ii. 15. And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Phil. iii. 7-9. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I him, not having mine own

may win Christ, and be found in righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

h Gal. ii. 19. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

i Rom. vii, 6. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness