Here join the law and gospel hands,
What this me teaches, that commands:
What virtuous forms the gospel please
The same the law doth authorise.
And thus the law.commandment seals
Whatever gospel-grace reveals :
The gospel also for my good
Seals all the law-demands with blood.
The law most perfect still remains,
And ev'ry duty full contains :
The gospel its perfection speaks,
And therefore gives whate'er it seeks.
Next, what by law I'm bound unto,
The same the gospel makes me do :
What preceptively that can crave,
This effectively can ingrave.
All that by precepts Heav'n expects,
Free grace by promises effects :
To what the law by fear may move,
To that the gospel leads by love.
To run to work, the law commands;

The gospel gives me feet and hands :
The one requires that I obey ;
The other does the pow'r convey.
What in the law has duty's place,
The gospel changes to a grace :
Hence legal duties therein nam’d,
Are herein gospel-graces fam’d.
The precept checks me when I ftray ;
The promise holds me in the way :
That shews my folly when I roam;
And this most kindly brings me home.
Law-threats and precepts both, I fee,
With gospel-promises agree;
They to the gospel are a fence,
And it to them a maintenance.
The law will justify all those
Who with the gospel-ransomr.close;
The gospel too approves for ay
All those that do the law obey.

The righteous law condemns each man
That dare reject the gospel-plan:
The holy gospel none will save,
On whom it won't the law ingrave.
When Christ the tree of life did climb,
I see both law and grace in him :
In him the law its end does gain;
In him the promise is Amen.
The law makes grace's pasture sweet,
Grace makes the law my fav'ry meat;
Yea, sweeter than the honey-comb,
When grace and mercy brings it home.
The precepts of the law me show
What fruits of gratitude I owe;
But gospel-grace begets the brood,
And moves me to the gratitude.
Law-terrors panse the putrid fore;
And gospel-grace applies the cure :
The one plows up the fallow-ground;
The other fows the feed around.
A rigid master was the law,
Demanding brick, denying straw;
But when with gospel.tongue it fings,
It bids me fly, and gives me wings.

In ŞUM.
Both law and gospel close unite,

Are seen with more folace,
Where truth and mercy kindly meet,

In fair IMMANUEL's face.

SECT. IV.

Tbe proper Place and STATION of the Law

and the Gospel.

Note, That in the four following Paragraphs, as well as in the

three preceding Sections, by Law is mostly understood the doctrina of the Covenant of Works; and by Gospel, the doctrine of the Covenant of Grace.

WHEN

PARAGRAPH I. The Place and Station of Law and Gospel in general.

HEN, we the sacred record view,

Or divine Telliments old and new ;
The matter in moft pages fix'd,
Is law and gospel intermix'd.
Yet few, ev’n in a learned age,
Can fo resolve the sacred page,
As to discern with equal eye,
Where law, where gospel fever'd lie.
One divine text with double clause
May speak the gospel's voice and laws*
Hence men to blend them both are apt,
Should in one fentence both be wrapt.
But that we may the truth pursue,
And give buth law and grace their due,
And God the glory there display'd ;
The following rules may give us aid.
Where-e'er in facred writ we fee
A word of grace or promise free,
With blessings dropt for Jesus' sake ;
We these for gospel-news may take.
But where a precept strict we find
With promise to our doing join'd,
Or threat'ning with a wrathful frown;
This as the law we juflly own.

PARAGRAPH II. Tbe Place and Station of Law and Gospel in particular.

Wbere tbe Difference is noted berwin't the Gospel largely viewed in its Dispensation, and strictly in itself; and betwixt ibe Gospel and faitb receiving it. WOULDST thou difinaly know the found

Of law and grace, then don't confound
The dispensation with the grace;
For thele two have a dilinci place.
The gospel thus dispens'd we fee,
" Believe, and thou shalt saved be;
" If not, thou shalt be damn'd to hell,
" And in eternal torments dwell."
Here precepts in it are dispens'd,
With threat’nings of damnation fenc'd;
The legal fanction here takes place,
That none may dare abuse free grace.
Yet nor does that command of faith,
Nor this tremendous threat of wrath,
Belong to gospel strictly fo;
But to its dispensation do.
The method of dispensing here,
D es law and gospel jointly bear;
Because the law's fubfervient,
Unto the gospel's bleft intent.
Precepts and threat'nings both make way
The gospel-bleflinus to convey;
Which differs much, though thus dispens'd,
From laws and threats whereby 'tis fenc'd.

Believe, and thou shalt saved be,"
Is gospel, but improperly ;
Yet safely men may call it thus,
Because 'ris so dispens'd to us.
But sure, the gospel-news we fing,
Must be some other glorious thing,
Than precepts to believe the fame,
Whatever way we blend their name.

1

The gospel-treasure's something more
Than means that do apply the store:
Believing is the method pav’d;
The gospel is the thing believ'd.
The precious thing is tidings sweet,
or Christ a Saviour most complete,
To fave from fin, and death, and wrath;
Which tidings tend to gender faith.
Faith comes by hearing God's record
Concerning Jesus Christ the Lord;
And is the method Heav'n has blest
For bringing to the gospel-rest.
The joyful found is news of grace,
And life to Adam's guilty race,
Through Jesus' righteousness divine,
Which bright from faith to faith does shine.
The promise of immortal bliss
Is made to this full righteousness :
By this our right to life is bought;
Faith begs the right, and buys it not.
True faith receives the offer'd good,
And promise seal’d with precious blood:
It gives no title to the bliss,
But takes th' entitling righteousness.
This object great of saving faith,
And this alone the promise hath ;
For 'tis not made to faith's poor act
But is the prize that faith does take :
And, only as it takes the sanie,
It bears a great and famous name;
For self and all its grandeur down
It throws, tliat Christ may wear the crown.
But if new laws and threats were all
That gospel properly we call,
Then were the precept to believe,
No better news than Do and Live.
If then we won't distinguish here,
We cloud, but don't the gospel clear ;
We blend it with the fiery law,
And all into confusion draw.