And ev'ry finner muft excufelefs make,
By urging rich and poor to come and take f.
Ho, ev'ry one that thirsts, is grace's call
Direct to needy finners great and small;
Not meaning thofe alone, whofe holy thirft
Denominates their fouls already bleft.

If only those were call'd, then none but faints;
Nor would the gospel fuit the finners wants.
But here the call does fignally import
Sinners and thirfty fouls of ev'ry fort;
And mainly to their door the message brings,
Who yet are thirsting after empty things;
Who spend their means no living bread to buy,
And pains for that which cannot fatisfy.
Such thirty finners here invited are, (care,
Who vainly spend their money, thought, and
On paffing fhades, vile lufts, and trash so base
As yield immortal fouls no true folace.

The call directs them, as they would be bleft,
To chufe a purer object of their thirst.
All are invited by the joyful found
To drink who need, as does the parched ground,
Whofe wide-mouth'd clefts fpeak to the brafen
Its paffive thirft, without an active cry. (fky
The gofpel preacher then, with holy skill,
Muft offer Chrift to whofoever will,
To finners of all forts that can be nam'd;
The blind, the lame, the poor, the halt, the maim'a§.
Not daring to reftrict th' extenfive call
But op'ning wide the net to catch 'em all.
No foul must be excluded that will come,
No right of accefs be confin'd to fome.

+ Rev. xxii. 17. ‡ Ifa. iv. 1, 2. § Luke xiv 21.

Though none will come till confcious of their

want,

Yet right they have to come by fov'reign grant;
Such right to Chrift, his promife and his grace,
That all are damn'd who hear and don't em-
So freely is th unbounded call difpens'd. [brace.
We therein find ev'n finners unconvinc'd;
Who know not they are naked, blind and poor*,
Counsell'd to buy or beg at Jefus' door, tore.
And take the glorious robe, eye-falve, and golden-
This prize they are oblig'd by faith to win,
Elfe unbelief would never be their fin.
Yea, gofpel offers but a fham we make,
If ever finner has not right to take.
Be gospel herald's fortify'd from this,
To trumpet grace, howe'er the ferpent hifs.
Did hell's malicious mouth in dreadful shape
'Gainft innocence itself malignant gape?
Then facred truth's devoted vouchers may
For dire reproach their measures conftant lay.
With cruel calumny of old commenc'd,
This fect will ev'ry where be spoke against ‡ ;
While to and fro he runs the earth across,
Whose name is ADELPHON KATEGOROS
In fpite of hell be then our constant strife
To win the glorious Lamb a virgin-wife.

*Rev. iii. 17, 18. Acts xxviii. 22.
Or, The accufer of the brethren.

CHAP. VI.

An Exhortation to all that are out of CHRIST; in order to their clofing the match with him ; containing alfo motives and directions.

R

EADER, into thine hands these lines are
giv❜n,

But not without the providence of Heav'n;
Or to advance thy blifs, if thou art wife,
Or aggravate thy wo, if thou despise.
For thee, for thee, perhaps th' omnifcient ken
Has form'd the counfel here, and led the pen.
The writer then does thy attention plead,
In his great name that gave thee eyes to read.

SECT I.

Conviction offered to Sinners, especially fuch as are wedded ftrictly to the law, or felf-righteous, that they may fee the need of CHRIST's righteousness.

I

F never yet thou didft fair Jefus wed,

Nor yield thy heart to be his marriage-bed, But hitherto art wedded to the law,

Which never could thy chain'd affections draw
From brutish lufts and fordid lover's charms;
Lo! thou art yet in Satan's folded arms,
Hell's pow'r invifible thy foul retains
His captive flave, lock'd up in maffy chains.
O! finner then, as thou regard'ft thy life,
Seek, feek, with ardent care and earnest ftrife,
To be the glorious Lamb's betrothed wife.
For bafe co-rivals never let him lofe
Thy heart, his bed of conjugal repose.

Wed Chrift alone, and with fevere remorfe
From other mates purfue a clean divorce;
For they thy ruin feek by fraud or force.
As lurking ferpents in the fhadow bow'rs
Conceal their malice under fpreading flow'rs;
So thy deceitful lufts with cruel fpite
Hide ghaftly danger under gay delight.

Art thou a legal zealot, foft or rude, Renounce thy nat'ral and acquired good. As bafe deceitful lufts may work thy fmart, So may deceitful frames upon thy heart. Seeming good motions may in fome be found, Much joy in hearing, like the ftony ground Much forrow too in praying, as appears In Efau's careful fuit with rueful tears t. Touching the law they blameless may appear ‡, From fpurious views moft fpecious virtues bear, Nor merely be devout in mens efteem, But prove to be fincerely what they feem, Friends to the holy law in heart and life, Surers of heav'n with utmoft legal ftrife; Yet ftill with innate pride fo rankly fpic'd, Converted but to duties, not to Chrift, That publicans and harlots heav'n obtain § Before a crew fo righteous and fo vain. Sooner will thofe fhake off their vicious dress Than thefe blind zealots will their righteoufnefs, Who judge they have (which fortifies their pride) The law of God itfelf upon their fide. Old nature, new brush'd up with legal pains, Such ftrict attachment to the law retains,

No means, no motives can to Jefus draw
Vain fouls fo doubly wedded to the law.
But wouldft the glorious Prince in marriage
have,

Know that thy nat'ral hulband cannot fave.
Thy beft effays to pay the legal rent

Can never in the leaft the law content.
Didft thou in pray'rs employ the morning-light,
In tears and groans the watches of the night,
Pafs thy whole life in clofe devotion o'er;
"Tis nothing to the law ftill craving more.
There's no proportion 'twixt its high com-
mands,

And puny works from thy polluted hands;
Perfection is the leaft that it demands.
Wouldst enter into life, then keep the law*;
But keep it perfectly without a flaw.
It won't have lefs, nor will abate at laft
A drop of vengeance for the fin that's paft.
Tell, finful mortal, is thy ftock fo large

As duly can defray this double charge;

Why thefe are mere impoflibles,' (fay'ft thou.)" Yea, truly fo they are, and therefore now, That down thy legal confidence may fall, The law's black doom, home to thy bofom call. Lo! I (the divine law) demand no lefs Than perfect everlasting righteousness; But thou haft fail'd, and loft thy ftrength to DO: Therefore I doom thee to eternal wo;

In prifou clofe to be fhut up for ay,

• Ere I be baffled with thy partial pay.

• Thou always didft and doft my precepts break, 'I therefore curfe thee to the burning lake.

* Matth. xxi, 17..