The Believer's Principles Concerning Heaven and Earth
SECT. I.
The Work and Contention of Heaven.
TV heav’nly choirs a question rose, -^ That stirr’d up strife will never close, What rank of all the ransom’d race Owes highest praise to sovereign grace?
Babefl thither caught from womb and breast,
Claimed right to sing above the rest;
Because they found the happy shore
They never saw nor sought before.
R3
Those that arriv’d at riper age Before they left the dusky stage,” Thought grace deserved yet higher praise, That wush’d the blots of numerous days.
Anon the war more close began,
What praising harp should lead the van!
And which of grace’s heav’nly peers
Was deepest run in her arrears?
%i Tis I (said one), ‘bove all my race, “Am debtor chef to glorious grace.” ‘* Nay (said another), hark, I trow,” I’m moreoblig’d to grace than you.’’
“Stay (said a third), I deepest share
u In owing praise beyond compare:
u The chief of sinners you’ll allow,
“Must be the chief of singers now.”
“Hold (said a fourth), I here protest
” My praises must outvie the best;
u For I’m of all the human race
“The highest miracle of grace.”
“Stop (said a fifth), these notes forbear*,
” Lo, I’m the greatest wonder here;
44 For I of all the rice thr.t fell,
“Deserv’d the lowest place in hell.”
A soul that higher yet aspir’d,
With equal love to Jesus fir’d,
u Tifc mine to sing the highest notes
To love, that wash’d the foulest blots.’*
“TTo (crv’d a mate), ’tis mine I’ll prove* “Who Hinohd in spite of light and love, u To sound his praise with loudest hell, 11 That sav’d me from the lowest hell.”
“Come, come (said one), I’ll hold the plea,
n That highest praise is due by me;
11 For mine of all the sav’d by grace,
“Was the most dreadful, desp’iate case.”
Another, rising at his side,
As fond to praise, and free of pride,
CryM,” Pray give place, for I defy
“That you should owe more praise than I;
M 1*11 yield to none in this debate;
“I’m run so deep in grace’s debt,
“That sure I am, I boldly can
u Compare with all the heav’nly clan.”
Quick o’er their heads a trump awoke,
“Your songs my very heart have spoke;
” But ev’ry note you here propale,
“Belongs to me beyond you all.”
The list’ning millions round about With sweet resentment loudly shout;” What voice is this, comparing notes, 11 That to their song chief place allots?
“We can’t allow of such a sound,
“That you alone have highest ground
u To sing the royalties of grace;
* We claim the same adoring place.’*
What! will no rival-singer yield
11 has a match upon the iieid?
11 Come then and let us all agree
44 To praise upon the highest key.”
Then jointly all the harpers round
In utiiMt unite with solemn sound,
And strokes upon the highest string,
Made all the heav’nly arches ring;,
11 ■!
Ring loud with hallelujahs high,
To Hi in that sent his Son to die;
And to the worthy Land) of God,
That lov’d and vvash’d him in his blood.
Free grace was sovereign empress crown’ d In pomp with joyful shouts around; Assisting angels clapp’d their wings, And sounded grace on all their strings.
The emulation round the throne
Made prostrate hosts (who ev’ry one
The humblest place their right avow)
Strive who shall give the lowest bow.
The next contention without vice
Among the birds of paradise,
Made ev’ry glorious warbling throat
Strive who should raise the highest note.
Thus in sweet, holy, humble strife,
Along their endless, joyful life,
Of Jesus all the harpers rove,
And sing the wonders of his love*
Their discord makes them all unite
In raptures most divinely sweet:
So great the song, so grave the base,
Melodious music tills the place.
SECT. II.
Earth despicable, Heaven desirable.
There’s nothing round the spacious earth
To suit my vast desires;
To more retin’d and solid mirth
My boundless thought aspires.
Fain would I leave this mournful place,
This music dull, where none
But heavy notes have any grace,
And mirth accents the moan:
re troubles tread upon reliefs,
New woes with older blend;
Where rolling storms and circling griefs
Run round without an end:
Where waters wrestling with the stones
Do fight themselves and foam, And hollow clouds with thundering groans
Discharge their pregnant womb:
Where eagles mounting meet with rubs
That dash them from the sky:
And cedars, shrinking into shrubs,
In rum prostrate tie:
Where sin, the author of turmoils,
The cause of death and hell, The one thing foul that all things soils,
Does most befriended dwell.
The purchaser of night and woe*
The forfeiture of day,
The debt that ev’ry man did owe,
But only God could pay.
Bewitching ill, indorsVl with hope;
Subscribed with despair:
Ugly in death, when eyes are ope,
Through life may paint it fair.
Small wonder that I droop alone
In such a doleful place:
When lo, my dearest friend is gone,
My Father hides his face.
And though in words I seem to show
The fawning poet’s style,
Yet is my plaint no feigned woe;
I languish in exile.
I long to share the happiness
Of that triumphant throng,
That swim in seas of boundless bliss
Eternity along.
When but in drops here by the way
Free love distils itself,
I pour contempt on hills of prey,
And heaps of worldly pelf.
To be amidst my little joys,
Thrones, sceptres, crowns, and kings,
Are nothing else but little toys,
And despicable things.
Down with disdain earth’s pomp I thrust,
Bid tempting wealth away:
Heav’n is not made of yellow dust,
Nor bliss of glitt’ring clay.
Sweet was the hour I freedom felt
To call my Jesus mine:
To see his smiling face, and melt
In pleasures all divine.
Let fools an heav’n of shades pursue,
But 1 for substance am:
The heav’n I seek is likeness to,
And vision of the Lamb:
The worthy Lamb with glory crown’d
In his august abode;
Inthron’d sublime, and deek’d around
With all the pomp of God.
I long to join the saints above,
Who crown’d with glorious bays,
Through radiant hies of angels move,
And rival them in praise:
the believer’s principi^I: 299
In praise to JAII, the God of love,
The fair incarnate Son,
The holy co-eternal Dove,
The good, the great Three-one,
In hope to sing without a sob
The anthem ever new,
I gladly bid the dusty globe,
And vain delights, Adieu.