Praise for Remission of Sin, and Justification

Blest is the man to whom the Lord

Imputes not guilt of any sin,
Nor calls him to a strict account

What he hath [thought and] done and been.

Conscience permits us not to think

That any [of us] faultless are,
Who then can rigorous justice bear

At God’s most righteous [dreadful] bar.

But bless ‘d be our Redeemer’s grace, Who before [rigorous] justice stood;

Did pay our debt, our guilt deface, And wash’d us in his [precious] blood.

No guilt of sin was found on him: His soul and life were [wholly] pure:

All righteousness he did fulfil,

And for man’s sin [the curse] endure.

Justice was glorified on him,

So great [and strange] a sacrifice; God shew’d how much he hated sin,

Lest man his laws [should still] despise. By the first Adam entered death,

By Christ the second [life and] peace: Increased guilt deserves more wrath,

Through Christ we have [a sure] release. The rights he merited for man,

By [a free] gift he hath convey’d:
Faith and acceptance justify,

[Because] the price our Saviour paid.

Thy sharp corrections in this life,
To [pained] bodies dreadful are,

Didst thou use man as he deserves,

Thy [heavy] judgments who could bear.

But when we think of death and hell, [Terror] our torment would begin,

If mercy did not us relieve,

And pardon all our [grievous] sin.

When sin our foolish hearts deceiv’d, It seem’d [to us] a harmless thing;

But waken’ d conscience felt the smart, Till [pardoning] grace took out the sting.

When flattering pleasure blindeth man, Sin keeps the [senseless] heart asleep;

But terror doth the conscience wake, When it looks in th’ [infernal] deep.

Baxter’s poems.
Unpardon’d sinners bear thy wrath,

And never see thy [pleased] face*
The true believer pardon hath,

Justified by thy [saving] grace.

Ye angels which in Heav’n rejoice,
When [humbled] sinners turn to God,

Praise ye the Saviour of the church, Who washeth it in [cleansing] blood.

Seeing the Lord of love doth choose

Mercy [not wrath] to glorify;
Give him the glory of his grace,

[Man lives] let not God’s praises die,

Deliverance here is but begun,

When Christ [from death] shall sinners raise, His grace and we then perfected,

We ’11 perfectly sing [his high] praise.