If all these things this fuitor kind can do, demand; But love is strong as death *, and will not stand blood.. The burden's heavy, but the back is broad, The glorious lover is the mighty God t... Kind bowels yearning in th' eternal Son, He left his Father's court, his heavn'ly throne:: Afide he threw his most divine array, And wrapt his Godhead in a veil of clay. Angelic armies, who in glory crown'd, With joyful harps his awful throne furround, Down to the crystal frontier of the sky To fee the Saviour born, did eager fly; And ever fince behold with wonder fresh Their Sov'reign and our Saviour wrapt in flesh.. Who in his garb did mighty love display, Restoring what he never took away §, To God his glory, to the law its due, To heav'n its honour, to the earth its hue, To man a righteousness divine, complete, A royal robe to fuit the nuptial rite.. He in her favours, whom he lov'd fo well, At once did purchase heav'n, and vanquish hell.. Oh! unexampled love! so vast, so strong, - So great, so high, so deep, so broad, so long! Can finite thought this ocean huge explore, Unconscious of a bottom or a shore? L * Song viii. 6.. + Isa. ix. 6. ‡ Luke ii. 9-14 CS 1 His love admits no parallel, for why, And glorious conquests of his dying strife; employ,. To found his praises with confed'rate joy. win.. K ! B SECT. III. Man's LEGAL difpofition. UT, after all, the bride's so malecontent, No argument, save power, is prevalent To bow her will, and gain her heart's consent. The glorious Prince's fuit she disapproves, The law, her old primordial husband, loves; Hopeful in its embraces life to have, Though dead and bury'd in her fuitor's grave; Unable to give life, as once before; Unfit to be a husband any more. Yet proudly she the new address disdains, And all the blest Redeemer's love and pains; Though now his head, that cruel thorns did, wound, 1 Is with immortal glory circled round; place. They natively expect, if guilt them press, * Luke xxvi. 5 They look for favour in JEHOVAH'S eyes, that lives. As native as they draw their vital breath, 6 Good God! (he cries) when press'd with debt and thrall, Have patience with me, and I'll pay thee all*' Upon their all, their best, they're fondly mad, Though yet their all is naught, their best is bad. Proud man his can does mightily exalts, Yet are his brightest works but splendid faults. A finner may have shews of good, but ftill The best he can, ev'n at his best, is ill. Can heav'n or divine favour e'er be win By those that are a mass of hell and fin? The righteous law does num'rous woes de-- nounce Against the wretched foul that fails but once :: What heaps of curses on their heads it rears, That have amass'd the guilt of num'rous years! ***Matth. xviii. 26. SECT. IV. Man's ftrict attachment to legal TERMS, or to the law as a condition of life. S AY, on what terms then Heav'n appeas'd will be? Why, sure perfection is the least degree. heav'n, Admit of smalls, when greater can't be given ? 'He knows our fall diminsh'd all our funds, 'Wont he accept of pennies now for pounds? Sincere endeavours for perfection take, "Or terms more possible for mankind make?" Ah! poor divinity, and jargon loofe; Such hay and straw will never build the house. Mistake not here, proud mortal, don't mistake, God changes not, nor other terms will make. Will divine faithfulness itself deny, Which swore folemnly, Man shall do or die? Will God most true extend to us, forsooth, His goodness, to the damage of his truth? Will fpotless holiness be baffled thus? Or awful justice be unjust for us? Shall faithfulness be faithless for our fake, And he his threats, as we his precepts break? |