S.E.CT. IV.

The proper Place and Station of the Law and the Gofpel.

Note, That in the four following Paragraphs, as well as in the three preceding Sections, by LAW, is moftly understood the doftrine of the Covenant of Works; and by GOSPEL, the doctrine of the Covenant of Grace.

PARAGRAPH I.

The Place and Station of Law and Gospel in:

general.

HEN we the facred record view,.
Or divine Teft'ments Old and New;.

WH

The matter in moft pages fix'd
Is law and gospel intermix'd.
Yet few, ev'n in a learned age,
Can fo refolve the facred page;
As to difcern with equal eye,
Where law, where gospel sever'd lie..
One divine text with double claufe
May speak the gofpel's voice and law's *
Hence men to blend them both are apt,
Should in one fentence both be wrapt.
But that we may the truth pursue,
And give both law and grace their due,

7.

* Ex. gr. Lev. xx. 7, 8. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God. And ye fhall keep my ftatutes, and do them: I am the Lord which fanctify you. 1 John iv. 7. Beloved let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God. Rom. v. 21. That as fin hath reigned unto death, even fo might grace reign through righteoufnefs unto eternal life, by Jefus Christ our Lord. Chap. vi. 23. For the wages of fin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life, through Je.

And God the glory there difplay'd;
The foll'wing rules will give us aid.
Where-e'er in facred writ we fee
A word of grace or promife free,
With bleffings dropt for Jefus' fake ;
We thefe for gofpel news may take.
But where a precept ftrict we find
With promife to our doing join'd,
Or threat'ning with a wrathful frown ;
This as the law we justly own.

PARAGRAPH II.

The Place and Station of Law and Gospel in particular. Where the difference is noted betwixt the Gospel largely viewed in its difpenfation, and Strictly in itself and betwixt the gofpel, and faith receiving it.

OULDST thou diftinctly know the found

WOUL

Of law and grace, then don't confound
The difpenfation with the

grace;
For these two have a diftin&t place.
The gospel thus difpens'd we fee,
Believe and thou shalt faved be;
If not, thou shalt be damn'd to hell,
And in eternal torments dwell.

fus Chrift our Lord. Mark ávi. 15, 16. And he faid unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, fhall be faved; but he that believeth not, fhall be damned. John iii. 18. He that believeth on him, is not condemned: but he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believ ed on the name of the only begotten Son of God, &c.

Here precepts in it are difpens'd,
With threat'nings of damnation fenc'd;
The legal fanction here takes place,
That none may dare abufe free grace.
Yet nor does that command of faith,
Nor this tremendous threat of wrath,
Belong to gospel strictly fo;
But to its difpenfation do.
The method of difpenfing here,
Does law and gospel jointly bear;
Because the law's fubfervient

Unto the gospel's bless'd intent.

Precepts and threat'nings both make way,
The gofpel bleffings to convey;

Which differs much (though thus difpens'd)
From laws and threats whereby 'tis fenc'd..
Believe, and thou shalt faved be.
Is gofpel, but improperly;
Yet fafely men may call it thus,.
Becaufe 'tis fo difpens'd to us.
But fure, the gofpel-news we fing,
Must be fome other glorious thing,
Than precepts to believe the fame,
Whatever way we blend. their name..
The gofpel-treasure's fomething 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 fweet
Of Chrift a Saviour moft complete,
To fave from fin, and death, and wrath ;.
Which tidings tend to gender faith.
Faith comes by bearing God's record
Concerning Jefus Chrift the Lord,.

And is the method Heav'n has bleft
For bringing to the gospel-reft.
The joyful found is news of grace,
And life to Adam's guilty race,
Through Jefus' righteousness divine,
Which bright from faith to faith does flrine.
The promise of immortal blifs

Is made to this full righteoufnefs:
By this our right to life is bought;
Faith begs the right but buys it not.
True faith receives the offer'd good,
And promise feal'd with precious blood:
It gives no title to the bliss,

But takes th' intitling righteoufnefs.
This object great of faving 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 fame,
It bears a great and famous name;
For felf, and all its grandeur, down
It throws, that Chrift may wear the crown.
But if new laws and threats were all
That gofpel properly we call,

Then were the precept to believe,
No better news than do and live.
. If then we wont distinguish here,
We cloud but don't the gofpel clear;
We blend it with the fiery law,
And all into confufion draw.
The law of works we introduce,

As if old merit were in use,

When man could life by doing won,

Ey'n though the work by grace were done.

Old Adam in his innocence
Dariv'd his pow'r of doing hence:
As all he could was wholly due;
So all the working ftrength, he knew,
Was only from the grace of God,
Who with fuch favour did him load :
Yet was the promise to his act,
That he might merit by compact.
No merit but of paction could
Of men or angels e'er be told;
The God-man only was fo high
To merit by condignity.

Were life now promis'd to our act,
Or to our works by paction tack'd;
Though God fhould his affistance grant,
'Tis ftill a doing covenant.

Though Heav'n its helping grace fhould yield,
Yet merit's ftill upon the field;

We caft the name, yet ftill 'tis found
Disclaim'd but with a verbal found.
If one fhould borrow tools from you,
That he some famous work might do;
When once his work is well prepar'd,
He fure deserves his due reward;
Yea, juftly may he claim his due,
Although he borrow'd tools from you:
Ev'n thus the borrow'd ftrength of grace
Can't hinder merit to take place.
From whence foe'er we borrow pow'rs,
If life depend on works of ours;
Or if we make the gofpel thus
In any fort depend on us ;

We give the law the gofpel-place,
Rewards of debt the room of grace;