The Believer's Principles Concerning Creation and Redemption

The Believer s Principles concerning Creation and Redemption’, or some of the first Principles of the Oracles of God.

sect. i.

Of Creation.

The first Chapter of Genesis compendised; or, the first

Seven Days’ Work, from the following Latin Lines, Englished.

PRIM/1 dies caelum, et terrain, lucemque crearit. Altera distendit spatium, discrimen aquarum. Tertia secernens undas, dot gramina terris. Quarta creat solem ct lunam, ciclestiaque astra. Quinta dedit pieces, eadem genus bmne volantum. Sexta tulit pecudes, hominem quoque quern Deus ipse Gondidit; inde opens rcquics, lux septimafulsit.

In English thus:

1. The first day heav’n, earth, light, Jehovah sent. 9. The next, a water-sund’ring firmament.

3. The third made dry landspnng with flow* ry pride.

4. The fourth set up bright lamps times to divide.

5. The fifth brought swimming fish and flyingfowl. (j. The sixth, earth’s herds, and man to bear the rule,

7. The seventh brought forth no more, yet brought

8. The laboring creatures and Creator’s rest, [the best.

Or thus:

The first day, at Jehovah’s word, Did heav’n and earth, and light afford.

The next a firmament so wide

As might the water’s course divide..

The third, severing land from seas,

Made earth produce herbs, grass, and trees.

The fourth, sun, moon, and stars of light, Set up to rule the day and night*

The fifth made fish in deeps to move,
And fowls to fly in air above.

The sixth all earthly beasts did hling, And man to be the creatures’ king.

The seventh, of all these days the best, Was made for God and man to rest.

Redemption-work doth bring again
The first of these to be the main.

Fetching new heavens and earth in sight, And immortality to light.

Since then the first is now the beat* Keep well this pledge of endless rest.

Tut Sinn of Creation.

All things from nothing to tl r’reigjn Lord

Obedient rose at his commanding word. Fair in his eye the whole creation stood; He saw the building and pronoune’d it goo*!.

And now each work (while nature’s fabric stand*y Loud for its wise and mighty Lord demands A rent of praise, a loud and lofty song, From ev’ry rational beholder’s tongue.

SECT. II.

Of Redemption*

The Mystery of the Redeemer’s Incarnation; or, God manifested in the Flesh. 1 Tim. iii. 16. John i. 14.

What though the waters, struck with dread, Rise up and form a pyramid! Though floods should gush from rocks and stones, Or living souls from withered bones 1

To hear of an incarnate God,
Is yet most wonderful and odd;
Or to behold how God most high
Gould in our nature breathe and die.

What though the bright angelic forms
Degraded were to crawling worms!
These creatures were but creatures still,
Transformed at their Creator’s will.
Though creatures change a thousand ws,.
It cannot such amazement raise,
Nor such a scene as this display,
Th’ eternal Word a piece of clay.

God-man a strange contexture fix*d,
Yi t not confused nor commix’d;

Ya I still a mysu ry great and fresh,
A Spirit infinite made Le.sh.

though when nothing heard his call,
Nothing obeyM and brougl i all!

►ugh he nothing’s brood maintain,
Or all annihilate again!

Let nothing into being pass,
Ojc back again to what it was!
But io! the God uf being’s here,
As turn’d to nothing doth appear,

All heavVs astonis’d athislbrm,
‘ldie mighty God became a -worm.
Down Arian pride to him shall bow,
He’s Jesus and Jehovah too.

The Sum of Redemption.

With haughty mind to Godhead man aspir’d, With loving mind our manhood God desir’d: Man was by pride from piace of pleasure chas’dj God man by love in greater pleasure plac’d.

Man seeking to ascend procured our fall, God yielding to descend remov’d our thrall: The Judge was cast, the guilty to acquit, The Sun defae’d to lend the shades the light.

SECT. III.

THE REDEEMER’S WORK.

OH,

Christ all in all, and our complete Redemption* A Gospel-Catechism for young Christians,

Question.

Kind teacher, may I come to learn

In this abrupt address,
By framing questions that concern.

My endless happiness;

Answer.

Yen, child; but if you’d learn to run

The great salvation-race,
Know that the name of Christ alone

Can answer ev’ry- case.

Q. By sin my God and all is lost,

O where may God befouud?
A. In Christ; for so the Holy Ghost

Shews by the joyful sound.

Q. But how will God with sinful me

Again be reconcil’d? A, In Christ, in whom his grace to thee

And favour is reveai’d,

Q. O how shall I a sharer prove,

And see his glorious grace?
A. In Christ the image of his love,

And brightness of his face.

Q. Where shall I seek all divine store, ’

And without fail obtain?
A. In Christ, in whom for evermore

His fulness does remain.

Q. But how shall I escape and flee
Th’ avenging wrath of God?

A. In Christ, who bore upon the tree
That whole amazing load.

Q. Alas! I’m daily apt to stray,
How shall I heav’nward make?

A. Through Christ, the consecrated way, Design’ d for thee to take.

Q. Ah; where’s my title, right, or claim

To that eternal bliss? A. In Christ alone, that glorious name.

The Lord our righteousness*

Q. But who unfit can enter there,

Or with such nasty i A. Christ by his blood presents thee fa irj

His Spirit makes thee meet.

Q. But mayn’t my spirit, weak as grass,

Fail ere it reach the length?
A. Jesus the Lord thy righteousness

Will be the Lord thy strength. Q. Mayn’t hellish hosts, and wicked foes,

Sore by the way molest? A. Christ is a friend to bridle those,

And give the weary rest. Q. Mayn’t guilty conscience loudly brand,

And all my comfort chase?
A. Christ with a. pardon in his hand

Can shew his smiling face.

“^Q. But how can divine mercy vent,
Where sins are great and throng?
. Christ is the channel with descent
That mercy runs along.

Q. But may not justice interpose,

A nd stand in mercy’s way?
A. Jesus did all the debt thou owes

To divine justice pay.

Q. Where shall mine eyes the pardon spy.

Unto my saving good? A. In Christ’s free promise see it lie,

In his atoning blood.

Q. What ground have T to trust and say,

The promise is not vain?
A. In Christ the promises are Yea,

In him they are Amen.

Q. But where is Christ himself, O where

With promises so sweet? A. Christ’s in the promises, and there

Thy faith and he may meet.

Q. Is Christ in them, and they in Christ:

How shall I this descry?
A. His blood and Spirit therein list

To seal and to appiy.

Q. ‘Gainst legal fiery threats of wrath,

Pray, what defence is best? A. Christ’s full obedience ey’d by faith;

There should the guilty rest.

Q. But how shai! faith be had? Alas!

I find I can’t believe. A. Christ is the author of that grace,

And faith is his to give.

Q. Ah! when may faithless I expect

He’ll such a bliss bequeath?
A. He will of unbelief convict,

And pave the way for faith.

Q. Repentance must attend, but whence

Shall I this grace receive?
A. Christ is exalted as a prince

All needful grace to give.
Q. How can so vile a lump of dust

Heart-holiness expect?
A. Christ by his holy Spirit must

This gradual change effect.
Q. How shall I do the works aright,

I’m daily bound unto? A. Christ in thee by his Spirit’s might,

Works both towrill and do.

Q. How shall my maladies be hcal’d,

So sore molesting me? A. Christ is the great physician seal’d,

The Lord that healeth thee.

Q. lpy prayer I ought to seek his face, This course how shall I drive?

A. ‘Tis Christ alone that has the grace And Bp’rit of pray’r to give.

SHE BELIEVER fl PRINCIPLES, C39

Q. Salvation-work is great and high,

Alas! what shall I do?
A. Christ as the Alpha, hereof eye,

And the Omega too.

Q. What pillar then is most secure

To build my hope upon?
A. Christ only the foundation sure,

The living corner-stone.

Q. When I’m with black pollution stainM,

How shall I cleansed be?
A. Christ is a fountain for that end

Set open wide for thee. Q. What shall I do when plagues abound.

With sorrows, griefs, and fears?
A. Christ has a balsam for thy wounds

A bottle for thy tears.
Q. But is there any help for one

That utterly is lost? A. Christ saves from sin, and he alone.

Even to the uttermost.

Q. But where shall I be safe at last

From hell and endless death?
A. Christ is a refuge from the blast

Of everlasting wrath.

Q. But mayn’t ev’n natural death to me

Become a dreadful thing? A. Christ by his death and love to thee

Did ev’ry death unsting.

•Q. Why, sir, is Christ the whole you say?

No answer else I find.
A. Because were Christ our all away,

There’s nothing left behind.

Q. How can he answer ev’ry case,

And help in ev’ry thrall?
A. Because he is the Lord of grace,

Jeuovah all in all.

Q. How is he present to supply,

And to relieve us thus?
A. Because his glorious name is nigh,

1m manuel, God with ns.

Q. Has he alone all pow’r to save,

Is nothing left to man? A. Yea, without Christ we nothing have,

Without him nothing can.

Q. Mayn’t some from hence take latitude

And room their lusts to please?
If Christ do all, then very good,

Let us take carnal ease.

A. Christ will in flaming vengeance come,

With fury in his face,
To damn his foes that dare presume,

And thus abuse his grace.

SECT. IV.

Faith and Works both excluded from the Matter of Justification before God, that Redemption mat, appear to be only in Christ,

Who dare an holy God address,
With an unholy righteousness?
Who can endure his awful probe,
Without perfection for their robe?

None could his great tribunal face,
Were faith itself their fairest dress:
Faith takes the robe, but never brags
Itself has ought but filthy rags.

Faith claims no share and works far less,
Injustice pleasing righteousness;
The servant were to be abhorrM,
Would claim the glory of his lord.

Blasphemous unbelief may claim
The praises of the worthy Lamb:

But faith disclaiming all its best,
Not on itself, but Christ, will rest.

I’m s;ivYl and justifyM by faith,
Which yet no saving value hath;
Nor e’er pretends to save from thrall,
But in its object has its all.

‘Tis Christ alone saves guilty me,
And makes my right to lifi so free,
That in himself it stands alone:

Faith takes the right, but gives me none.
I dare not act with this intent,
For acts of mine to draw the rent;
Nor do good works with this design,
To win the crown by works of mine.

I’d thus the promis’d grace forsake,
Nor Jesus for my Saviour take;
Yea, thus would dreadfully presume,
And work mine own eternal doom.

Presumption cannot rise more high,
I’d make the truth of God a lie,
The God of truth a liar too;
What more mishief could Satan do?

Why, I’d discredit God’s record
Concerning Jesus Christ the Lord,
His glorious and eternal Son,
Whose blood has life eternal won.
In him, says God, this life I give,
In him shall therefore men believe,
.My gift embracing in their arms:
None shall be sav’d on other terms.
Vain man must stoop and freely take,
Or else embrace a burning lake:
Proud nature must submit to grace,
And to the divine righteousness.

In vain on works our hope is built,
Our actions nothing are but guilt:

942 COsl’EL SONNETS*

The best obedience of our own
Dare not appear before his throne.

What finite worm can bear the load.,
The fury of an angry God?
What mortal vigour can withstand
The vengeance of his lifted hand?

The law can ne’er save us now,
To damn is all that it can do.
Heav’n casts all righteousness of ours;
The law of works is out of doors.

No merit, money, more or less,
Can buy the gift of righteousness.
O may I take what heav’n does give:
Jehovah help me to believe;

And in that righteousness to trust
Which only makes a sinner just.
And then the truth of faith to prove,
JLord make my faith to work by love.