Not calling back the common law of
He chose his seed as a peculiar nation,
Gave them a proper law and of them rais'd
The Lord incarnate, author of salvation.
Yet was their dignity most typical,
As was their law to shew what God would do,
When he the nations unto Christ would call,
And build his church as catholic anew.
Sin soon prevail'd; their land was dry and small;
Seldom from under enemies and waste;
But they God's oracles preserv'd for us,
And from their vine we all salvation taste.
But as in nature God works by degrees,
From seed to infancy, from thence to youth;
From thence to manhood and maturity;
So did he in revealing grace and truth.
Fall'n man his infancy and childhood had
In the old law's dark types and prophecies:
But in time's fulness God incarnate canie,
The Sun of righteousness to man did rise.
Three laws he did fulfil;-one as a man,
Once made for all; another as a Jew;
The third as Saviour, proper to himself.
Then for his church, he made another new.
He preach'd God's will; proclaimed saving grace,
Brought to light life and immortality;
Declar'd God's love, shew'd man God's pleased face,
A sacrifice for sinful man did die.
He came to conquer Satan, destroy sin,
And heal sick souls of worldly fleshly love,
To raise the earthly mind of man to God,
And bring him to a better life above.
Words were too weak for this, his works must do it;
He was to teach man how to bear the cross,
To deny life, and live above this world,
For Heav'n to count all here as dung and loss.
Wonder of wonders! God appears in flesh,
Preacheth to sinners, calls them home to God,
Dies for them as a sinner on a cross,
Till the third day among the dead abode.
Himself the greatest wonder, many wrought,
Heal'd all diseases, gave the blind their sight,
Raised the dead, by present bare command;
Long, before many, in the open light.
The third day rose from death, stay'd forty days;
Describes his laws, church-covenant, and seals;
Commissions his apostles; promiseth
His Spirit which all saving truth reveals;
Ascendeth up to Heaven before their eyes;
And before multitudes at Pentecost
Gives them the gift of miracles and tongues,
By giving them the promis'd Holy Ghost.
They preach Christ to the world, speak various tongues,
Work miracles, heal sickness, raise the dead:
Convey this power and Spirit unto others;
Thus through the world, the word of life they spread.
These many wonders, not in corners wrought,
Converted thousands, conquer'd unbelief;
But, above all his great convincing works,
The Spirit's sanctifying grace was chief.
The erring know the truth; fools are made wise,
The proud made humble, wrathful ones made meck,
The world's fond lovers now do it despise,
Bill fleshly lusts, and heavenly glory seek.
Sin is a hated thing, God now is all,
Love makes all common, for it makes all one.
Zeal for good works, patience in bearing wrong,
Were the true marks by which Christ's flock was known.
Had not Christ added this convincing sea,
Tongues, miracles, and sanctifying grace,
The wonder of redemption is so great,
That faith to unbelief must needs give place.
Apostles mortal were: before they die,
For future ages they Christ's sacred word,
His deeds, laws, doctrine, by the promised Spirit,
To guide the church, infallibly record.
As Moses gave the Jews the only law,
Which following priests and prophets were to teach,
So th' Holy Ghost by the Apostles wrote
The word which after-ages were to preach.
As Moses' law was seal'd with miracles,
When such the following ages did not need,
So Christ's apostles did by wonders seal
Those records which the after-ages read.
The Spirit promised to the Apostles was,
To lead them to all needful saving truth,
And bring Christ's words to their remembrance:
What they by his commission did, Christ doth.
Their writings are the Holy Ghost's own book;
Though human imperfection do appear,
In modes and phrases, it's no just offence,
But leaves the truth and use still sure and clear.
Words but the vehicle of matter be,
God's Spirit owns not the translator's words
But if, as signs, they with his word agree,
The sense and matter of them is the Lord's.
This Spirit helps the church, but not to bring
Another gospel, law, or word from Heav'n,
Nor mend or change God's laws in words or sense,
But to preach and obey the word once given.
To bring new laws or messages from God,
A prophet's office is, and not a priest's;
To forge such, or make laws for all the church,
The authors prove false prophets, or false Christs.
Christian religion is one 'stablish'd thing,
Which all the church from first to last may know,
It is not human, changeable, or new,
Nor doth by men's decrees increase and grow.
If canons no part of religion be,
But laws for rites and things indifferent;
Why must all Christians needs in these agree,
Or not agreeing by church-wars be rent?
The church hath all one head, one perfect law,
All justified be by Christ's blood and merit;
All that are true, though weak, Christ doth receive,
For all are sanctified by one Spirit.
The Holy Ghost in all true Christians dwells,
He doth illuminate, and make them new:
This is Christ's agent, and his body forms,
His witness proving that his word is true.
This Spirit did the gospel first endite,
And on it did God's image first engrave,
And then by it, as his great instrument,
That image prints on all that he will save.
Though it belong of their resisting will,
That any of this grace deprived be;
Yet scripture and experience clearly tell,
That differencing, electing grace is free.
In children it appears, when God doth choose,
He gives a teachable and willing mind,
Good dispositions, and capacity,
By grace their nature is to good inclin'd.
Grace chooseth parents careful of their souls,
Helps them to educate them in God's fear,
To commend virtue, and disgrace all vice,
Teach them God's word, and causeth them to hear.
God's seed in such is often early sow'd,
And as they grow, it springs up by degrees;
As plants, and fruits, by sun and moisture grow'd,
Whose present growth and motion no man sees.
The first beginning of the Spirit's work
Is in the learning mind, and fear of sin,
A love and liking of good things and men,
'Gainst sins for duty conscience strives within.
Grace watcheth over them, provides them helps,
Meet teachers, books, examples, company;
Keeps off temptations, causeth them to hate
Lying, bad words and deeds, and ribaldry.
Bad children's hearts are quite aversed to good,
They love not virtue, relish not God's law;
Tempting discourse, examples, vanities,
Catch on their hearts, as fire doth on straw.
If early helps, parents and teachers fail,
And sin the childish mind and life
pervert; If folly, flesh, and tempting baits prevail, Yet God his chosen will in time convert.
He'll either give them better company,
Or better helps and teachers whom he'll blees;
Or bring some useful book unto their eye,
And make their snares, and their temptations less;
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