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The mighty Gen'ral, her victorious Head,
Who broke the double chain to free the bride.
Hence, prompted now with gratitude and love,
Her cheerful feet in swift obedience move.
More strong the cords of love to duty draw,
Than hell, and all the curses of the law.
When with seraphic love the breast's inspir'd,
By that are all the other graces fir'd;

These kindling round, the burning heart and frame
In life and walk send forth a holy flame.

CHAPTER IV.

A CAUTION TO ALL AGAINST A LEGAL SPIRIT; ESPECIALLY TO THOSE THAT HAVE A PROFESSION WITHOUT POWER AND LEARNING WITHOUT GRACE.

"WHY," says the haughty heart of legalists,

Bound to the law of works by natʼral twists,

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Why such ado about a law divorce?

Men's lives are bad, and would you have them worse?
Such Antinomian stuff with labor'd toil

Would human beauty's native lustre spoil.
What wickedness beneath the cov'ring lurks,
That lewdly would divorce us all from works!
Why such a stir about the law and grace?
We know that merit cannot now take place.
And what needs more?" Well, to let slander arop,
Be merit for a little here the scope.

Ah! many learn to lisp in gospel terms,
Who yet embrace the law with legal arms.
By wholesome education some are taught,
To own that human merit now is naught;

Who faintly but renounce proud merit's name,
And cleave refin'dly to the Popish scheme.
For graceful works expecting divine bliss,

And, when they fail, trust Christ for what 's amiss.
Thus to his righteousness profess to flee,

Yet by it still would their own saviours be.
They seem to works of merit bloody foes,

Yet seek salvation as it were* by those.
Blind Gentiles found, who did nor seek nor know;

But Isr'el lost it whole, who sought it so.

Let all that love to wear the legal dress,
Know that as sin, so bastard righteousness
Has slain its thousands, who in tow'ring pride
The righteousness of Jesus Christ deride;
A robe divinely wrought, divinely won,
Yet cast by men for rags that are their own.
But some to legal works seem whole deny'd,
Yet would by gospel works be justify'd,
By faith, repentance, love, and other such:
These dreamers being righteous overmuch,
Like Uzza, give the ark a wrongful touch.
By legal deeds however gospeliz'd,
Can e'er tremendous justice be appeas'd

*Rom. ix. 32.

Or sinners justify'd before that God,
Whose law is perfect, and exceeding broad?
Nay, faith itself, that leading gospel grace,
Holds as a work no justifying place.
Just Heav'n to man for righteousness imputes
Not faith itself, or in its acts or fruits;
But Jesus' meritorious life and death,
Faith's proper object, all the honor hath.
From this doth faith derive its glorious fame,
Its great renown and justifying name;
Receiving all things, but deserving nought;
By faith all's begg'd and taken, nothing bought.
Its highest name is from the wedding vote,
So instrumental in the marriage knot.
JEHOVAH lends the bride in that blest hour,
Th' exceeding greatness of his mighty pow'r:*
Which sweetly does her heart-consent command,
To reach the wealthy Prince her naked hand.
For close to his embrace she'd never stir,
If first his loving arms embrac'd not her:
But this he does by kindly gradual chase,
Of rousing, raising, teaching, drawing grace,

* Eph. vii. 16.

He shows her, in his sweetest love-address,
His glory as the Sun of righteousness;

At which all dying glories earth adorn,

Shrink like the sick moon at the wholesome morn.

This glorious Sun arising with a grace,

Dark shade of creature-righteousness to chase,
Faith now disclaims itself, and all the train
Of virtues formerly accounted gain;

And counts them dung,* with holy, meek disdain.
For now appears the height, the depth immense
Of divine bounty and benevolence;

Amazing mercy! ignorant of bounds!

Which most enlarged faculties confounds.

How vain, how void now seem the vulgar charms,
The monarch's pomp of courts, and pride of arms!
The boasted beauties of the human kind,
The pow'rs of body, and the gifts of mind!
Lo! in the grandeur of Immanuel's train,
All's swallow'd up as rivers in the main.
He's seen, when gospel light and sight is giv'n,
Encompass'd round with all the pomp of heav'n.
The soul, now taught of God, sees human schools
Make Christless rabbis only lit'rate fools;

* Phil. iii. 7, 8.

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