Classic Poem

The Mystery of Law and Gospel.

Though law-commands and gospel-grace
Agree in mutual joint embrace;
Yet law and gospel in a shock
Can never draw an equal yoke.

The law of works, the law of grace,
Can't stand together in one place;
The brighter scene destroys the dark,
As Dagon fell before the ark.

They harmonise like marry'd pairs,
Yet are at odds, and keep not squares;
As mercy stands from merit far,
The letter and the Spirit jar.

The law does gospel-comforts harm,
The gospel breaks the legal arm;
Yet both exalt each other's horn,
And garlands bring their head t' adorn.

I through the law am dead to it,
To legal works and self-conceit;
Yet, lo! through gospel grace I live,
And to the law due-honour give.

The law great room for boasting makes,
But grace my pride and boasting breaks;
Yet all my boasts the law does kill,
And grace makes room to boast my fill.

The gospel makes me keep the law;
Yet from its painful service draw:
It does all law-demands fulfil,
Yet makes them wholly void and null.

The gospel gives me no command,
Yet by obeying it I stand.
To strict obedience though it call,
Does bind to none, but promise all.

The law does strict commandment give,
That I the gospel news believe;
But yet it teaches no such thing,
Nor e'er could gospel-tidings bring.

When I the gospel-truth believe,
Obedience to the law I give:
And when I don't the law observe,
I from the gospel-method swerve.

Yet if I do the law obey,
I am not in the gospel-way,
Which does to sweet obedience draw:
Yet is the gospel no new law.

All precepts to the law belong,
Yet in the gospel-field are throng.
Curs'd ev'ry gospel-slighter is,
Yet all its office is to bless.

It from the law has pow'r to kill,
Yet saving does its pow'r fulfil;
No savour but of life it hath,
Yet most the savour is of death.

Weakness perfection doth exclude,
The law is perfect, just, and good:
Ye can it nothing perfect make,
But all the comers to it break.

Strength to the gospel does belong,
Mighty through God it is, and strong:
It to the law does strength emit,
Yet 'tis the law gives strength to it.

The gospel gives the law, I see,
Sufficient strength to justify;
Yet I may say in truth it is
The law that gives the gospel this.

For as the law no sinner clears,
But how the gospel garment wears;
So none are justify'd by grace,
Unless the law-demand have place.

Again the law, which yet seems worse,
Gives gospel-news condemning force;
Yet they are news that never can,
Nor never will condemn a man.

Dread threat'nings to the law pertain,
Not to the gospel's golden chain:
Yet all law-threats and Sinai's ire
To gospel-grace are walls of fire.

The righteous law assoileth none
Of Adam's guilty race, save one:
Who being guilty, for this cause
By God's just law condemned was.

Yet free of guilt it did him see:
Hence fully clear'd, and set him free:
Yet, had not guilt his soul involv'd,
By law he could not been absolved.

But he withal condemn'd and spoil'd
The law of works, which him assoil'd:
But now the law is (in these views)
The marrow of the gospel-news.

The law can justify no man
That is a sinner yet it can
Thus favour sinful men, and free
The chief of sinners, guilty me.

The gospel too acquiteth none
That have not put perfection on;
And yet it cleareth none (I grant)
But those who all perfection want.

Those that with gospel clearance meet,
Must by the law be found complete;
Yet never could (again I grant)
The gospel justify a saint.

All perfect persons it controls,
And justifies ungodly souls;
Yet still no man its grace partakes,
But whom it truly godly makes.

The law withstands the gospel-path,
Which yet its approbation hath:
The gospel thwarts the legal way,
Yet will approve the law for ay.

Hence though the gospel's comely frame
Doth openly the law condemn;
Yet they are blind, who never saw
The gospel justify the law.

Thus gospel-grace, and law-commands,
Both bind and loose each other's hands:
They can't agree on any terms,
Yet hug each other in their arms.

Those that divide them, cannot be
The friends of truth and variety;
Yet those that dare confound the two,
Destroy them both, and gender woe.

This paradox none can decipher,
That plough not with the gospel-heifer.