The rebel by his Sovereign must be press'd!
The traitor must with mildness be address'd!
Then, self-condemn'd, and wounded to the heart,
He will with all his sins and follies part:
When God's own spirit, dwelling in his breast,
Shall bid him in Jehovah find his rest.
NECESSITY AND IMPORTANCE OF FAITH IN CHRIST.
COME, all that are laden with sorrow and sin,
A life of true faith and religion begin.
Though no earthly treasure the Saviour can move,
Or purchase for sinners one look of his love;
Yet faith, though it be as the smallest of grains,
At once for its owner salvation obtains.
The rich need this faith, just as much as the poor ;--
No birth nor good fortune the grace can secure ;
And each must believe with a faith of his own,
Since no public creed for its want can atone:
For 'tis not the faith of a mother or sire,-
Of princes, or nobles, that God doth require;
Nor can we the blessings of Heaven obtain
By holding a faith that is lifeless and vain.
The faith of the son for his father must fail ;-
To save his own child can no father prevail :
But while unbelievers in hell have their doom,
For all that are faithful, in Christ there is room.
Believing, the saint can his troubles dismiss ;—
His faith brings him joy, and shall perfect his bliss:
Without it stern justice is not yet appeas'd;
While God with our duties can never be pleas'd;
For faith is the means by which mortals below,
Their portion in Christ, and true happinesss know--
In him they are rich, and possess such a store,
That they shall not hunger, nor thirst any more!
Did sinners but know how tremendous their case,
While strangers to Jesus, and void of his grace,
To him they would hasten, to wipe out the stain,
Which dooms them to banishment, darkness, and pain.
What are they, by nature, but slaves of the fiend,
The victims of hell, and of death without end?
Their chains are not broken, nor ever will be,
Till Christ by his power and grace set them free.
The angel hangs over each house on the wing,
And death is the plague that his pinions bring!
Without the Lamb's blood, and the voice of true pray❜r,
Deep groans and loud weeping will soon be heard there;
Since none for the sins of mankind can atone,
But Jesus, as dying, and Jesus alone.
Jehovah's not bound his compassion to shew;
For none can be due unto man, as a foe :
Hence he must be saved alone by the grace,
That fully and freely his sins can erase.
By faith in the gospel your refuge obtain,
Lay hold on the promise, free pardon to gain;
No Saviour but Jesus can rescue a slave
From sin, his old master;-he's mighty to save!→→→
No name besides his, can be found under heav'n,
Through which saving help to mankind can be giv'n.
Then trust not to nature, nor ever more cease
In Christ to believe, both for pardon and peace.-
'Tis not by our learning, or study, or parts,
That we have the grace of true faith in our hearts;
But when both the Spirit and word are combin'd,
True faith is excited, and works in the mind.
With pious reflection attend to the word,
And soon the good Spirit this grace will afford.
It cometh by hearing, as God has ordain'd;
And thus many thousands the blessing have gain'd.
This blessing the Saviour's exalted to give;
"Tis out of his fulness he bids you receive;
And though you should ask him again and again,
You doubtless at length shall the favour obtain.
TRUE FAITH KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.
AITHwithout works," the Christian knows,“is dead,”
A worthless carcass, whence the soul is fled:
There can't be fire without attending heat,
Nor harmony without deportment sweet:
The generous vine is with fair clusters crown'd,
And living faith with its own fruit is found.
Those who in Christ sincerely do believe,
Are born again, and as new creatures live.
Their souls, replenish'd with celestial light,
Pursue the path of holiness aright;
In truth abhor their former evil ways,
And lead a life of virtue all their days.
Behold Zaccheus, Magdalene, and Paul!
Mark how the faith in Jesus chang'd them all!
We instantly perceive their morals just,
When once in Christ they come to place their trust.
Before Zaccheus was a Christian made,
To rob the needy was his daily trade;
But when salvation came, he gave the poor
An ample share of his unrighteous store.
Though Magdalene was lost to virtuous shame,
And thus entail'd disgrace upon her name,
Through faith in Christ, a pious life she led,
And was acknowledg'd as a saint, when dead.
Though Saul, a furious persecutor stood,
And panted, like a wolf, for christian blood,
How soon he chang'd his nature 16 with his name,
And from a foe, a zealous friend became !
So shalt thou every sinful habit leave,
When thou shalt truly to the Saviour cleave;
For till there's such a reformation wrought,
Thy faith a mere opinion must be thought.
Presume not, then, that thy belief is right,
If Christ thy nature has not alter'd quite :
True faith produces, in the heirs of grace,
A holy, wise, and heavenly-minded race.
Howe'er corrupt thy fallen nature be,
Or strong the power of sin that reigns in thee;
Christ, by his grace, can form thy soul anew,
And turn the rebel to a subject true ;-
Can raise thy groveling spirit from the dust,
To emulate the conduct of the just.
Thy faith, from heaven, must grace and power attract,
To bring the christian theory into act;
For every virtue must prepare the way,
And keep thee just and holy day by day.
The man who shall affirm that he believes, And yet repents not, he himself deceives:
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