PART II. POEMS felected out of the Apoftolical Epifiles. INTRODUCTION. As the FOUR EVANGELISTS lay down the foundation of our holy religion, in the biftory and life of our blessed SAVIOUR, its great Author; fo, the APOSTOLICAL EPISTLES open up the mystery of his death and refurrection. The Four Gofpels how us how the foundation of the 7 Chriftian church was laid; the Acts of the Apostles point out how the fuperftructure began to be raised, both amongst Jews and Gentiles: and the Apoftolical Epiftles contain a clear and compendious fyftem. of the great and important doctrines of the gospel, in order to edify, comfort, and build up the church. The Apostles were endowed with a wonderful effufion of the Holy Spirit, and were under his infallible influence and guidance, both in preaching the gospel, and writing their Epiftles; and all of them declare, that what they wrote was from God: and they being all men of undoubted probity, we may well credit them on this point. The fundamental articles of the Chriftian faith, being more fully difcuffed in thefe Epiftles than elfewhere, tend mightily to influence practical godliness, out of a principle of divine love, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned; and alfo to produce evangelical obedience. It is none of the leaft defigns of the Chriftian inftitutes, to excite men unto, and engage them in, all the inftances and acts of fincere love, and fervent devotion towards God: and accordingly we find in them abundance of very fuitable matter both for inftruction, meditation, prayer, and praife. When the different Epiftles are carefully looked into, and examined with any degree of attention, we find there are interfperfed many divine odes and facred doxologies; and thefe lay a foundation for felecting the following Songs. SONG I. S. Ruin by Sin, Relief by CHRIST. Rom. v. 12. 21. Ver. OUR two firft parents happy flood, They loft their garden, and their God, Thus fprung the plague from Adam's bow'r, O curfed fin! that in one hour, Ver. Tremble, O finner! mourn for grief, Fly, fly, to Chrift for quick relief, SONG II. The Believer's S. curity in CHRIST: or, the Ground of Faith's Affurance about the Believer's unchangeable bappy State. Rom. viii. 33,---39.. 33 WHO fhall to th' elect's charge ought lay, Since God hath justify'd? 34 Who fhall condemn by any way, Who can adjudge their fouls to hell, Yea, now he lives and fits above, Shall perfecution, or diftrefs, Shall famine, fword, or nakedness, 37 Nay, lo! in all thefe things our Shield, To make us ev'n upon the field 38 I'm fure no death nor life of ours, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any mode His love is fix'd in Jefus fo, Where we have fuch a part, Not all that earth and hell can do Shall pluck us from his heart. Ver. 33 SONG III. The unfearchable Depth of divine Wisdom and Sovereignty, in the Rejection of the Jews and the Calling of the GENTILLS. Rom. xi. 33,—36. DEPTH of wisdom, riches rare [That Gentile nations now fhould fhare And that till Jews, through grace, repent, Their prefent dismal fall, To Gentiles happy call!] O depth of riches all divine! O fathomless aby's! Wisdom and knowledge here combine, How fearchlefs are his judgments juft! 34 For, who hath known Jehovah's mind? 35 Or, who hath e'er oblig'd him yet, 36 For all things of him as the fource, To whom for ftores of grace fo free, Ver. 25 The Apostle PAUL'S Doxology for the Revelation of HE power and wifdom of our God, THE power Becomes our praises well; For thefe, to fave us, did explode Now to the God of pow'r, that can Chrift preached, making light to fhine, 26 But now by fcripture lamps in hand, And publifh'd by exprefs command That nations all may know and trace 27 To God, the only wife, alone AL 1 Cor. i. 24. Pfalm lxxxv. 10. LL nature spreads, with open blaze, And ev'ry work of his, displays The pow'r and skill of God. But in the grace that refcu'd man, Here his whole name appears complete ; Here met, and join'd their kind embrace, SONG VI. CHRIST'S Fourfold Name, fuited to the finner's Need. I Cor. i. 30. GOD OD's knowledge, favour, image, bliss, But Jefus the restorer is Of all these, to his coft. Sad evils, pofitive, with-all Our lofs of God attend; Great ignorance, guilt, filth and thrall, Which he alone can mend. His name hath attributes engrav'd By which we may be fully fav'd Of God, he is made wifdom meet, Made alfo righteoufnefs complete, Sin's reigning, flaining pow'r: How dark and heavy is the night Our guilty fpirits are afraid To meet the wrath of Heav'n, Till in his righteoufnefs array'd, We fee our fins forgiv'n. |