It values neither how they wrought nor wept,
That flight the ark wherein alone 'tis kept.
Yet legalifts, DO, DO, with ardour press,
And with prepoft'rous zeal and warm addrefs
Would feem the greatest friends to holiness:
But vainly (could fuch oppofites accord)
Refpect the law, and yet reject the Lord.
They fhew not Jefus as the way to blifs,
But Judas-like betray him with a kifs
Of boafted works, or mere profeffion puft,
Law-boafters proving but law breakers oft.

SECT. III.

The HURTFULNESS of not preaching CHRIST, and diftinguishing duly between law and gospel.

TELL cares not how crude holiness be preach'd,

H'

If finners match with Chrift be never reach'd;
Knowing their holiness is but a fham,
Who ne'er are married to the holy Lamb.
Let words have never fuch a pious fhew,
And blaze aloft in rude pofeffor's view,
With facred aromatics richly fpic'd,

If they but drown in filence glorious Chrift:
Or, if he may fome vacant room fupply,
Make him a fubject only by the by;
They mar true holiness with tickling chat,
To breed a baftard Pharifaic brat.
They wofully the gospel meffage broke,
Make fearful havoc of the Mafter's flock;
Yet please themselves, and the blind multitude,
By whom the gofpel'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 Chrift and Mofes do.
Mofes, evangelizing in a fhade,

By types the news of light approaching fpread:
But from the law of works by him proclaim'd,
No ray of gofpel-grace or mercy gleam'd.
By nature's light the law to all is known,
But lightfome news of gofpel-grace to none.
The doing cov'nant, now, in part or whole,
Is ftrong to damn, but weak to fave a foul.
It hurts, and cannot help, but as it tends
Through mercy to fubferve fome 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 fee the gofpel-aid they want;
Then gospel aid does fweetly them incline
Back to the law as 'tis a rule divine. [wounds,
Heav'n's healing work is oft commenc'd with
Terror begins what loving kindness crowns.
Preachers may therefore prefs the fiery law,
To ftrike the Chriftlefs man with dreadful awe.
Law threats which for his fins to hell deprefs,
Yea, damn him for his rotten righteousness ;
That while he views the law exceeding broad,
He fain may wed the righteoufnefs of God.

But, ah! to prefs 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 most deftructive when it is abus'd.
They fet no duties in their proper sphere,
Who duly law and gofpel don't fever;

* I Tim. i. 8.

But under maffy chains let finners lie,

As tributaries, or to DO or DIE.

Nor make the law a fquaring rule of life, But in the gofpel-throat a bloody knife.

SECT. IV.

Damnable pride and felf-righteousness, fo natural to all men, bas little need to be encouraged by legal preaching.

'HE legal path proud nature loves fo well, (Though yet 'tis but the cleaneft road to hell) That lo! e'en thefe that take the fouleft ways, whose lewdness no controuling bridle stays; If but their drowfy confcience raife its voice, 'Twill speak the law of works their native choice. And echo to the roufing found, Ah, true! I cannot hope to live, unless I DO.'

No confcious breaft of mortal kind can trace
The myft'ry deep of being fav'd by grace.
Of this nor is the nat'ral confcience fkill'd;
Nor will admit it when it is reveal'd;
But pushes at the gofpel like a ram,
As proxy for the law, against the Lamb.
The proud felf-righteous Pharifaic ftrain
Is, Bleft be God, I'm not like other men ;
• I read and pray, give alms, I mourn and fast †;
And therefore hope I'll get to heav'n at last:
For, though from every fin I be not free,

Great multitudes of men are worse than me, • I'm none of those that fwear, cheat, drink, and whore.'

Thus on the law he builds his Babel tow'r.

† Luke xviii. 11, 12.

Yea, ev'n the vileft curfed debauchee

Will make the law of works his very plea; Why, (fays the rake), what take you me to be?

"A Turk or infidel; (you lie), I cant

Be term'd fo bafe, but by a fycophant;
Only I hate to act the whining faint.

I am a Chriftain true; and therefore bode,
It shall be well with me, I hope in God.
An't I an honeft man? yea, I defy

• The tongue that dare affert black to mine eye." Perhaps when the reprover turns his back, He'll vend the viler wares o' 's open'd pack, And with his fellows, in a ftrain more big, Bid damn the base uncharitable whig.

Thefe fcoundrel hypocrites (he'll proudly fay) Think none fhall ever merit heav'n but they, And yet we may compete with them; for fee, The beft have blemishes as well as we.

We have as good a heart (we truft) as thefe, Tho' not their vain fuperfluous fhew and blaze. Bigotted zealots, whofe fole crimes are hid, • Would damn us all to hell; but God forbid. • Whatever fuch a whining fect profefs, 'Tis but a nice, morofe, affected drefs.

And though we don't pretend fo much as they, We hope to compa's heav'n a fhorter way; • We seek God's mercy, and are all along • Moft free of malice, and do no man wrong. • But whims fantastic shan't our heads annoy, That would our focial liberties destroy.

Sure, right religion never was defign'd

เ To mar the native mirth of human-kind.

How weak are thofe that would be thought nonfuch!

How mad, that would be righteous o'ermuch! "We have fufficient, though we be not cramm'd; We'll therefore hope the beft, let them be damn'd.'

Ah, horrid talk! yet fo the legal ftrain Lards e'en the language of the most profane. Thus dev'lifh pride o'erlooks a thoufand faults, And on a legal ground itself exalts.

This DO and LIVE, though doing pow'r be loft,
In ev'ry mortal is proud nature's boaft.
How does a vain conceit of goodness fwell,
And feed falfe hope, amidst the fhades of hell?
Shall we, who fhould by gospel-methods draw,
Send finners to their nat'ral fpoufe the law;
And harp upon the doing ftring to fuch,
Who ignorantly dream they do fo much?
Why, thus, inftead of courting Christ a bride,
We harden rebels in their native pride.

Much rather ought we in God's name to place
His great artillery ftraight againft their face;
And throw hot Sinai thunderbolts around,
Toburn their tow'ring hopes down to the ground.
To make the pillars of their pride to shake,
And damn their doings to the burning lake.
To curfe the doers unto endless thrall,
That never did continue to do all *,

To fcorch their confcience with the flaming air,
And fink their haughty hopes in deep deipair ;
Denouncing Ebal's black revenging doom,
To blaft their expectation in the bloom;
Till once vain hope of life by works give place.
Unto a folid hope of life by gracę.

* Gal. iii. 10.