The law can crave no more, yet craves no less,
Than active, passive, perfect righteousness.
The legal path proud nature loves so well,
(Though yet 'tis but the cleanest road to hell)
Free grace by promises effects:
To what the law by fear may move,
To that the gospel leads by love
To run to work, the law commands;
The gospel gives me feet and hands:
The one requires that I obey;
The other does the pow'r convey.
What in the law has duty's place,
The gospel changes to a grace:
Law-threats and precepts both, I see
With Gospel-promises agree;
They to the gospel are a fence,
And it to them a maintenance
The righteous law condemns each man
That dare reject the gospel-plan;
The holy gospel none will save
On whom it won't the law engrave.
Observe, pray; for if here we err,
And do not Christ alone prefer,
But think the promise partly stands
On our obeying new commands;
Th' old cov'nant-place to works we give,
Or mingle grace with do and live
The gospel is the promise fair
Of grace all ruins to repair,
And leaves no sinner room to say,
Alas! this debt I cannot pay;
This grievous yoke I cannot bear,
This high demand I cannot clear.
The glorious gospel is (in brief)
A sovereign word of sweet relief;
Not clogg'd with cumbersome commands,
To bind the soul's receiving hands.
'Tis joyful news of sovereign grace
That reigns in state through righteousness
The law makes grace's pasture sweet,
Grace makes the law my sav'ry meat;
Yea, sweeter than the honey-comb,
When grace and mercy brings it home.
The precepts of the law me show
What fruits of gratitude I owe;
But gospel grace-begets the brood,
and moves me to the gratitude.
A rigid manner was the law,
demanding brick, denying straw;
But when with gospel tongue it sings,
It bids me fly, and gives me wings."
by Ralph Erskine
The above may have been collected from various parts of the book, "Gospel Sonnets" by Ralph Erskine. I added the breaks between verses as I saw most fitting - you may have done better.
Than active, passive, perfect righteousness.
The legal path proud nature loves so well,
(Though yet 'tis but the cleanest road to hell)
Free grace by promises effects:
To what the law by fear may move,
To that the gospel leads by love
To run to work, the law commands;
The gospel gives me feet and hands:
The one requires that I obey;
The other does the pow'r convey.
What in the law has duty's place,
The gospel changes to a grace:
Law-threats and precepts both, I see
With Gospel-promises agree;
They to the gospel are a fence,
And it to them a maintenance
The righteous law condemns each man
That dare reject the gospel-plan;
The holy gospel none will save
On whom it won't the law engrave.
Observe, pray; for if here we err,
And do not Christ alone prefer,
But think the promise partly stands
On our obeying new commands;
Th' old cov'nant-place to works we give,
Or mingle grace with do and live
The gospel is the promise fair
Of grace all ruins to repair,
And leaves no sinner room to say,
Alas! this debt I cannot pay;
This grievous yoke I cannot bear,
This high demand I cannot clear.
The glorious gospel is (in brief)
A sovereign word of sweet relief;
Not clogg'd with cumbersome commands,
To bind the soul's receiving hands.
'Tis joyful news of sovereign grace
That reigns in state through righteousness
The law makes grace's pasture sweet,
Grace makes the law my sav'ry meat;
Yea, sweeter than the honey-comb,
When grace and mercy brings it home.
The precepts of the law me show
What fruits of gratitude I owe;
But gospel grace-begets the brood,
and moves me to the gratitude.
A rigid manner was the law,
demanding brick, denying straw;
But when with gospel tongue it sings,
It bids me fly, and gives me wings."
by Ralph Erskine
The above may have been collected from various parts of the book, "Gospel Sonnets" by Ralph Erskine. I added the breaks between verses as I saw most fitting - you may have done better.
2 comments:
Thank you for your site! I was searching for the "do this and live" lyrical for my Bible study group and landed here. I was not only delighted by finding the complete poem by Robert Eskine (Nov. 24, 2011) but the additional resources links. My heart lept when I saw the works of Thomas Brooks. Hard to find but so rich! I am bookmarking this and it will be a go-to site for me :-)
I am considered an oddiity in my "world". I am a "normal" working, married woman in a midwest town who loves the classic writers (Brooks, Flavel) as well as the modern thinkers - Os Guiness, N.T. Wright. But most of all I love to read and study the Word. Do not find much pleasure in memes and cliches and well, fluff. Our God is brilliant, amazing! "God loves you and has a plan for your life" is true but rings hollow, like twinkle twinkle little star played on a children's piano in comparison to say, Handel's Messiah!
Sorry, for my rantings. Thinking of the riches of His goodness and love impassions me!
Lord grant you the full measure of His grace and the pleasure of finding His heart.
Tina R.
You probably found the book by now but if not here is some help
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/run-john-run/
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