5

For all their fins they ftrive to fcreen-
By a mere outwards show:

Loving to have their good works seen,
And praise for what they do.

6 Others yet more to vice inclin’d,
No godly form maintain :.
God's worship they refuse to mind,
And facred things disdain.

7 Some boast of Chrift, and in his name
Live feaftingh without fear;

And only glory in their fhame,
Which by their works appear.

8 O Lord, fend forth thy truth and light,-
Let ignorance depart:
Difpel the gloomy fhades of night
From ev'ry finner's heart.

Convince, convert, and far remove
All unbelief and pride,
That faith, humility, and love.
May make fin all fubfide.

CLXIV.

On true Religion.

in her

There love bears fway without controul:
Hence peace and joy therein abides,
And all is calm within the foul.

2. True chriftian's goodnefs", meeknefs" hath
Benev'lence, truth", and chastity:

They're juft', fhews mercy', has true faith;
With patience, hope", and purity.

(g) Matt. xxiii. 5,
46, 47. (h) Jude 12.
(k) Phil. iv. 8.-2 Pet. i. 3, 5.
(n) 1 Tim. vi. II.
(q) 2 Cor. xi. 2..
(s) 2 Cor. v. 7.
(v) 1 John iii, 3.

8

8

8

8

32.-Mar. xii. 38, 39, 40.-Luke xx. (i) Phil. iii. 19. (1) Gal. v. 22. (0) 1 Cor. vii. 3. (r) Prov. iv. 18. (t) 2 Tim. iii, 19.

(j) Pfal. xliii. 3. (m) Rom. xv. 14 (p) John viii. 32. (f) Pfal. xxxvii. 21.

(u) Rom. v. 24%

3 They feel compaffion" for mankind,
(And if fo bleft) the poor* they feed;
They ftrive to have their will refign'd'
To God in ev'ry2 thought and deeda.

4 They friends and foes in want relieve,
And are long-fuff'ring, gentled, kind;
With pleasure they do wrongs forgive,-
To rage and angerf not inclin'd.

5 They seek no reft in names or forms,
For helps to God in pray'r they flee:
They're calm midft all the raging ftorms
Of this fhort life's tempeft'ous fea.

6 When falfe profeffors difappear,
With ev'ry gracei adorn'd these shine::
Thus fortified, they perfevere3,
And never murmurk or repine.

7 They're not puft up when mortals smile,
Nor by their threat'ning looks caft down;
And let what will their names revile,
The crofs' they bear to wear a crownm!

CLXV.

Remarks on Religion, Caution to Hypocrites, and En- -couragement to Believers.

is falfely

If here its pleafures are not known;
The faint has free accefs° to God,
And lives by faith to him alone.

20.

(w) Heb. x. 34. (x) Frov. xxii. 9. (y) Pfal. cxliii. 10. (z) 2 Cor. x. 5. (a) Col. iii. 17. (b) Lev. xxv. 35.-Rom. xii. (c) 2 Cor. vi. 6. (d) Thef. ii. 7. (e) Eph. iv. 32. (f) Prov. xvi. 32. (g) Acts xxvi. 22. (h) 2 Cor. iv. 8, 9. (i) Eph. iv. 24. (j) Eph. vi. 18. (k) 1 Cor. x. 10. I (1) Matt. x. 38. (m)Rev.ii. 10. (n)Prov. iv. 18. (o)Rom, v. 2.-Eph, ii. 18,-iii, 12.

2 'Tis true he's not exempt from pain,
From loffes, trouble, toil, and care;
But God doth his fupport remain,
And these all fanctified are.

3 The Tempter may fuggeft and try
To bring diftrefs and flavifh fear;
But to the tempted God is nigh,
And faves his people ev'ry where!

4 From heav'n the Holy Ghoft' reveals
A certain+ knowledge of true peace:
The more the faint his weakness' feels,
The more God doth his ftrength increafe.

5 Hereby then let men afcertain

How far God's favour they've received;
For till his pardon they obtain,
They've no true peace, but are deceiv'd.

6 To this, ye hypocrites, give ear,
And fearch into your dang'rous state:
Ye falfe profeffors, quake for fear,
For your vains worship God doth hate.

7 But ye memorials" of the Lord,
Who bear his mark of holinefs",
Fear not, but ftill his love record,
And joyfully his name confefs.

8 Your trials here will foon be o'er,
Then you fhall have your full reward;
And reign with him for evermore
In manfions by himself prepar'd!

(p) John xvi. 33. (f) 2 Cor. xii. ro. (u) Exod. xiii. 9.

(q) 1 Cor. x. 13. (r) Heb. x. 15, 16, 17. (s) Matt. xv. 7, 8, 9. (t) Amos v. 21. (v) Eph. iv. 24. (w) Rev. xxii. 5.

†The Prophet tells us, that the work of righteousness fhall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and ASSURANCE for ever, Ifa. xxxii. 17. but hypocrites and unbelievers of every fort are entire Atrangers to this.

I

CLXVI.

On the peaceable nature of Chriff's Kingdom.

HRIST's kingdom is a place of peace*,
Of everlasting joy and love:
All wars, and rage, and tumults ceafe,
And nought that's hoftile there can move.

2 Wrath cannot come, or blood be shed
In that harmonious place of reft:
No mangled bodies there lie dead,
But all with endless' life are bleft!.

3 The wolf2 doth there dwell with the lamb
The leopard with the kid doth lie:
The calf, young lion, fatling ram,
All live in fweetest harmony!

4 A little child them all doth lead,
And has no cause to be afraid :
The cow and bear, their young ones feed
Together-having friendship made.

5

The lion tamely straw doth eat
With pleasure, like the gentle ox:
The fucking child and asp doth meet
To play in holes among the rocks.

6 The weaned child his hand doth put Into the cockatrice's den:

They hurt not in God's mountain, but
All praise the Prince of Peace.

Amen.

(x) Ifa. ix. 6, 7. (y) Matt. xxv. 46.

(z) Ifa. xi. 6,See Robert Barclay's Apology, page 556, fect. xiii.

CLXVII.

On the Houfe, Prophets, and People of God.

"TH

HELordhimfelf hath faid,mine houfe fhall be 10
An house of pray'r for ev'ry nation free! 10
Of this then let not hirelings ever make
A den of thieves who hire for preaching take.

10

10

(a) Ifa. lvi. 7.-Matt. xxi. 13.-Mar. xi. 17.-Luke xix. 46.

In the open air it would be improper to ufe the word this, becaufe it implies being in a houfe; but every houfe where God is publicly worshiped, as well as the Temple at Jerufalem, ought to be confidered as filled with the Lord's prefence. Jefus faith, where two or three are gathered to together in my name, there am I in the midst of them, Matt. xviii. 20. This is known and understood by his children; here they fit under the droppings of his fanctuary, feel and know the Holy One of Ifracl. Sometimes they are remarkably refreshed by hearing the faith ful minifters of the gospel freely deliver what they freely receive from God, for they are all baptized into one fpirit, and they hereby know that he that hath fent them is true: But where God thus condefcends to meet his children, the place ought not to be defiled by bireling preachers and money-changers who make merchandize of the gofpel; teaching only for filthy lucre's fake, Tit. i. 11. left God, who is jealous of his glory, fay, as he did in the days of old, Who hath required this at your hand to read my courts? Ifa. i. 12. Thus faith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err, they bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and be that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him, Micah. iii. 5. I have not fent thefe prophets, yet they ran: I have not Spoken to them, yet they prophefied, Jer. xxiii. 21. Therefore, behold I am against the prophets, faith the Lord, that freal my words every one of bis neighbour. Behold, I am against the prophets, faith the Lord, that use their tongues, and fay, He faith. Behold, I am against them that prophesy falje dreams, faith the Lord, and do tell them, and caufe my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I fent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they fhall not profit this people at all, faith the Lord, Jer. xxiii. 30, 31, 32. Hear this, I pray you, ye beads of the boufe of Ifracl, that abbor judgment, and pervert all equity. They build up Zion with blood, and Jerufalem with iniquity. The beads thereof judge for reward, and the priefs thereof teach for bire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and fay, is not the Lord among us ? none evil can come upon us, Micah. iii. 9, 10, II, From all thefe paffages it is clear that there are no true prophets but thofe which are CHOSEN AND SENT BY THE LORD. If fe, there can be no true preaching without true fending; nor is any one truly fent (however furnished with