Yea, curst the heav'nly angel down to hell,
That daring would another gospel tell *.
Which crime is charg'd on these that dare dispense
The self-fame gospel in another fenfe.

Christ is not preachi'd in truth, but in disguise,
If his bright glory half absconded lies.
When gospel-soldiers, that divide the word,
Scarce brandith any but the legal sword.
While Christ the author of the law they press,
More than the end of it for righteousness;
Christ as a feeker of our service trace,
More than a giver of enabling grace.
The king commarding holinels they show,
More than the Prince exalted to beltow ;
Yea, more on Christ the fin-revenger dwell,
Than Christ Redeemer both from fin and hell.

With legal fpade the gospel-field he delves, Who thus drives finners in unto themselves; Halving the truth that should be all reveal'd, The sweetest part of Christ is oft conceal'd. We bid men turn from fin, but seldom say, “ Behold the Lamb that takes all fin away t!” Christ, by the gospel rightly understood, Not only treats a peace but makes it good. Those suitors therefore of the bride, who hope By force to drag her with the legal rope, Nor use the drawing cord of conqu’ring grace, Pursue with flaming zeal a fruitless chafe; In vain lame doings urge, with folenin awe, To bribe the fury of the fiery law : With equal success to the fool that aims By paper walls to bound devouring flames. The law's but mock'd by their most graceful deed, That wed not first the law-fulfilling Head; It values neither how they wrought nor wept, That flight the ark wherein alone 'tis kept. Yet legalists, DO, DO, with ardour press, And with prepost'rous zeal and warın address, Would seem the greatesl friends to huliness:

But vainly (could such opposites accord)
Respect the law, and yet reject the Lord.
They shew not Jesus as the way to bliss,
But Judas-like betray him with a kiss
Of boasted works, or mere profession puft,
Law-boasters proving but law-breakers oft.

SECT. III.

Tbe Hurtfulness of not preaching Christ, and distinguish

ing duly between law and gospel.
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;
If finner's match with Christ be never reach'd;
Knowing their holiness is but a sham,
Who ne'er are marry'd to the holy Lamb.
Let words have never such a pious fhew,
And blaze aloft in rude profeflors view,
With facred aromatics richly spicd,
If they but drown in silence glorious Chrift;
Or, if he may some vacant room fupply,
Make him a subject only by the bye ;
They mar true holiness with tickling chat,
To breed a bastard Pharifaic brat.
They wofully the gospel-message broke,
Make fearful havock of their Master's flock;
Yet please themselves and the blind multitude,
By whom the gospel's little understood.
Rude fouls, perhaps, imagine little odds
Between the legal and the gospel roads :
But vainly men attempt to blend the two;
They differ more than Christ and Mofes do.
Moses, evangelizing in a shade,
By types the news of light approaching spread;
But from the law of works, by him proclaim’d,
No ray of gospel-grace or mercy gleam'd.
By nature's light the law to all is known,
Bit lightfome news of gospel-grace to none.
The doing cov'nant now, in part or whole,
Is strong to damn, but weak to save a foul.
It hurts, and cannot belp, but as it tends
Thro' mercy to subserve some gospel.ends.

Law-thunder roughly to the gospel tames,
The gospel mildly to the law reclaims.
The fiery law, as 'tis a covenant,
Schools men to see the gospel-aid they want;
Then gospel-aid does sweetly them incline
Back to the law, as 'tis a rule divine.
Heav'n's healing work is oft commenc'd with wounds,
Terror begins what loving-kindness crowns.
Preachers may therefore press the fiery law,
To strike the Chriftless men with dreadful awe.
Law-threats which for his fins to hell depress.
Yea, danın him for his rotten righteousnefs;
That while he view's the law exceeding broad,
He fain may wed the righteousness of God.

But, ah! to press law-works as terms of life,
Was ne'er the way to court the Lamb a wife.
To urge conditions in the legal frame,
Is to renew the vain old cov'nant game.
The law is good, when lawfully 'tis us'd*,
But molt deftructive, when it is abus'd.
They set not duties in the proper sphere,
Who duly law and gospel don't severe;
But under maliy chains let finners lie,
As tributaries, or to DO or DIE.
Nor make the law a squaring rule of life,
But in the gospel-throat a bloody knife.

SECT. IV.

Damnable Pride and Self-rigbreousness, so natural to all

men, bas little need to be encouraged by legal preacbing, THE 'HE legal path proud nature loves so well,

(Tho' yet ’ris but the cleanest road to hell) That, lo! e'en these that take the fouleft ways, Whose lewdness no controuling bridle slays; If but their drowsy conscience raise its voice, 'Twill speak the law of works their native choice, And echo to the rousing found, “ Ah! true:

, “ I cannot hope to live, unless I DO."

No conscious breast of mortal kind can trace
The myfl'ry deep of being lav'd by grace.
Of this nor is the nat'ral conscience ikill'd;
Nor will admit it, when it is reveal'd;
Bat pushes at the gospel like a ram,
As proxy for the law, against the Lamb. .

The proud felf-righteous Pharisaic ttrain
Is, " Bieit be God I'm not like other men;

I read and pray, give alms, I mourn and fast * ; " And therefore hope to get to heav'n at lalt: “ For tho' from ev'ry fin I be not free, * Great multitudes of men are worse than me. " I'm none of those that swear, cheat, drink and whore!" Thus on the law he builds his Babel tow'r.

Yea, ev’n the vileft curled debauchee Will make the law of works his very plea;

Why, says the rake, what take you me to be? “ A Turk or infidel (you lie) I can't • Be term'd fo base, but by a fycophant;

Only I hate to act the whining faint. “ I am a Christian true; and therefore bode, " It thall be well with me, I liope in God. " An't I an honest man ? Yea, I defv “ The tongue that dare affert black to mine eye.” Perhaps, when the reprover turns his back, He'll vend the viter wares o' 's op'ned pack, And with his fellows, in a strain more big, “ Bid damn the base, uncharitable wlig. • Thele scoundrel hypocrites (he'll proudly fay) ". Think none shall ever merit heav'n but they. “And yet we may compete with them; for lee, “ The best have blenishes as well as we. • We have as good a heart (we trufl) as these, " Tho' not their vain fuperfluous Thew and blaze.

Bigotted zcalots, whose full crimes are bid, " Would damn is all to hell; but, God forbid. " Whatever such a whining fect profess, is Tis but a nice, norole, allcted dress. - And tho' we don't profess so much as they, “ We hope to compaís heav'n a florter way;

“ We seek God's mercy, and are all along
" Most free of malice, and do no man wrong.
" But whims fantastic sha’n’t our heads annoy,
“ That would our focial liberties defiroy.

Sure, right religion never was design'd "To mar the native mirth of human kind. " How weak are those that would be thought nonfuch! “ How mad, that would be righteous o'ermuch! " We have sufficient, though we be not cram'd: “ We'll therefore hope the best, let them be damn'd.”

Ah! horrid talk! yet so the legal strain
Lards ev’n the language of the most profane.
Thus devilish pride o'erlooks a thousand faults,
And on a leghl ground itself exalts.
This DO and LIVE, tho' doing pow'r be loft,
In ev'ry mortal is proud nature's boast.
How does a vain conceit of goodness (well
And feed false hope, amidst the shades of hell?
Shall we, who should by gospel-methods draw,
Send sinners to their nat'ral spouse the law;
And harp upon the doing itring to such,
Who ignorantly dream they do so much?
Why, thus, instead of courting Christ a bride,
We harden rebels in their native pride.

Much rather ought we in God's name to place
His great artill’ry Straight against their face;
And throw hot Sinai thunderbolts around,
To burn their tow'ring hopes down to the ground,
To make the pillars of their pride to thake,
And damn their doing to the burning lake.
To curse the doers unto endless thrall,
That never did continue to do ail*
To fcorch their conscience with the flaming air,
And link their haughty thoughts in deep despair ;
Denouncing Ebal's black revenging dooni,
To blaft their expectation in the blooin;
"Till once vain liope of life by works give place
Unto a solid hope of life by grace.
The vig'sous use of means is safely urg'd,
When pressing calls from legal dregs are purg'd;

Gal. iii. 10.

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