118. EBAL AND GERIZIM,

OR

THE BLESSING AND THE CURSE:

BEING A SHORT EXHORTATION TO SINNERS, BY THE MERCY AND SEVERITY OF GOD. FROM MOUNT GERIZIM.

Besides what I said of the *Pour Last Things*, And of the weal and woe that from them springs; An after-word still runneth in my mind,

Which I shall here expose unto that wind That may it blow into that very hand

That needs it. Also that it may be seann'd With greatest soberness, shall be my prayer, As well as diligence and godly care;

So to present it unto public view,

That only truth and peace may thence ensue. My talk shall be of that amazing love

Of God we read of, which, that it may prove, By its engaging arguments to save

Thee, I shall lay out that poor help I have Thee to entice; that thou wouldst dearly fall In love with thy salvation, and with all That doth thereto concur, that thou mayst be As blessed as the Blessed can make thee, Not only here but in the world to come,

In bliss, which, I pray God, may be thy home. But first, I would advise thee to bethink Thyself, how sin hath laid thee at the brink Of hell, where thou art lulled fast asleep In Satan's arms, who also will thee keep As senseless and secure as e'er he may,

Lest thou shouldst wake, and see't, and run away Unto that Jesus, whom the Father sent

Into the world, for this cause and intent, That such as thou, from such a thrall as this Might'st be released, and made heir of bliss. Now that thou may'st awake, the danger fly, And so escape the death that others die, Come, let me set my trumpet to thine ear, Be willing all my message for to hear:

'Tis for thy life, O do it not refuse;

Wo unto them good counsel do abuse,

Thou art at present in that very case,

Which argues thou art destitute of grace: For he that lies where sin hath laid him, lies Under the curse, graceless, and so he dies In body and in soul, within that range,

If God his heart in mercy doth not change EBAL AND GERZIM.

Before he goes the way of all the earth, Before he lose his spirit and his breath. Repentance there is none within the grave, Nor Christ, nor grace, nor mercies for to save Thee from the vengeance due unto thy sin, If now thou dost not truly close with him. Thou art like him that sleepeth in the sea On broken boards, which, without guide or stay, Are driven whither winds and water will; While greedy beasts do wait to have their fill By feeding on his carcass, when he shall Turn overboard, and without mercy fall

Into the jaws of such as make a prey

Of those whom justice drowneth in the sea. Thou art like him that soaring still doth lie Upon the bed of vain security,

Whilst all about him into burning flame

By fire is turned; yea, and while the frame And building where he lies consuming is, And while himself these burnings cannot miss. Thou art like one that haugeth by a thread Over the mouth of hell, as one half-dead; And O, how soon this thread may broken be, Or cut by death, is yet unknown to thee! But sure it is, if all the weight of sin, And all that Satan, too, hath doing been, Or yet can do, can break this crazy thread, 'Twill not be long before, among the dead, Thou tumble do, as linked fast in chains, With them to wait in fear for future pains. What shall I say? Will thou not yet awake? Nor yet of thy poor soul some pity take? Among the lions it hood-winked lies;

O, that the Lord would open once thine eyes That thou might'st see it, then I dare say thou, As half-bercft of wits, wouldst cry out, How Shall I escape? Lord help, O! help with speed, Reach down thy hand from heav'n, for help I need, To save me from the lions, for I fear

This soul of mine they will in pieces tear. Come, then, and let us both expostulate

The case betwixt us, till we animate

And kindle in our hearts that burning love To Christ, to grace, to life, that we may move Swifter than eagles to this blessed prey; Then shall it be well with us in that day The trump shall sound, the dead made rise, and stand, Then to receive, for breach of God's command, Such thunder-chips as these, Depart from me Into hell-fire, you that the wicked be,

Prepared for the devil, and for those

That with him and his angels rather chose To live in filthy sin and wickedness,

Whose fruit is everlasting bitterness.

We both are yet on this side of the grave, The word, and time to pray: God give us hearts, That, like the wise man, we may not our parts, To get the pearl of price; then we shall be Like godly Mary, Peter, Paul, and we

Like Jacob, too, the blessing shall obtain; While Esau rides a-hunting for the gain

Of worldly pelf, which will him not avail When death or judgment shall him sore assail. Now, to encourage us for to begin,

Let us believe the kingdom we may win,

And be possess'd thereof, if we the way

Shall hit into, and then let nothing stay Or hinder us; the crown is at the end,

Let's run and strive, and fly, and let's contend With greatest courage it for to obtain;

'Tis life, and peace, and everlasting gain. The gate of life, the new and living way, The promise boldeth open all the day,

Which thou by Jacob's ladder must ascend, Where angels always wait, and do attend

As ministers, to minister for those

That do with God, and Christ, and glory close. If guilt of sin still lieth at our door, Us to discourage, let us set before

Our eyes a bleeding Jesus, who did die

The death, and let's believe the reason why He did it, was that we might ever be

From death and sin, from hell and wrath set free. Yea, let's remember for that very end

It was his blessed Father did him send;

That he the law of God might here fulfil, That so the mystery of his blessed will

Might be revealed in the blessedness

Of those that fly to Christ for righteousness. Now let us argue with ourselves, then, thus That Jesus Christ our Lord came to save us, By bearing of our sins upon his back,

By banging on the cross as on a rack,

While justice cut him off on every side, While smiles Divine themselves from him did hide, While earth did quake, and rocks in pieces rent, And while the sun, as veiled, did lament To see the innocent and harmless die

So sore a death, so full of misery.

Yea, let us turn again, and say, All this He did and suffered for love of his.

He brought in everlasting righteousness, That he might cover all our nakedness;

He wept and wash'd his face with brinish tears That we might saved be from hellish fears; Blood was his sweat, too, in his agony,

That we might live in joyful ecstasy;

He apprehended was and led away,

That grace to us ward never might decay. With swords, and bills, and outrage in the night, That to the peace of heav'n we might have right. Condemned he was between two thieves to die, That we might ever in his bosom he;

Scourged with whips his precious body were, That we lashes of conscience might not fear; His head was crowned with thorns, that we might be Crowned with glory and felicity;

He hanged was upon a cursed tree,

That we delivered from death might be;

His Father from him hides his smiles and face, That we might have them in the heavenly place; He cry'd, My God, why hast forsaken me?

That we forsaken of him might not be.

Into his side was thrust a bloody spear, That we the sting of death might never fear; He went into the grave after all this,

That we might up to heav'n go, and have bliss. Yea, rise again he did out of the earth, And shook off from him all the chains of death; Then at his chariot wheels he captive led His foes, and trod upon the serpent's head; Riding in triumph to his Father's throne, There to possess the kingdom as his own. What say'st thou, wilt not yet unto him come? His arms are open, in his heart is room

To lay thee; be not then discouraged,

Although thy sins be many, great, and red; Unto thee righteousness he will impute,

And with the kisses of his mouth salute

Thy drooping soul, and will it so uphold, As that thy shaking conscience shall be bold To come to mercy's seat with great access, There to expostulate with that justice

That burns like fiery flames against all those That do not with this blessed Jesus close; Which unto thee will do no harm, but good, Because thou hast reliance on that blood That justice saith hath given him content, For all that do unfeignedly repent

Their ill spent life, and roll upon free grace, That they within that bosom might have place, That open is to such, where they shall lie In ease, and gladness, and felicity,

World without end, according to that state I have, nay, better than I, can relate.

If thou shalt still object, thou yet art vile, And hast a heart that will not reconcile Unto the holy law, but will rebel,

Hark yet to what I shall thee farther tell. Two things are yet behind that help thee will, If God should put into thy mind that skill, So to improve them as becometh those

That would with mercy and forgiveness close. First, then, let this sink down into thy heart, That Christ is not a Saviour in part,

But every way so fully he is made

That all of those that underneath his shade And wing would sit, and shroud their weary soul, That even Moses dare it not control,

But justify it, approve of 't, and conclude No man nor angel must himself intrude

With such doctrine that may oppose the same, On pain of blaspheming that holy name,

Which God himself hath given unto men,

To stay, to trust, to lean themselves on, when They feel themselves assaulted, and made fear Their sin will not let them in life appear. For as God made him perfect righteousness, That he his love might to the height express, And us present complete before the throne; Sanctification, too, of his own

He hath prepared, in which do we stand,

Complete in holiness, at his right hand. Now this sanctification is not

That holiness which is in us, but that

Which in the person of this Jesus is,

And can inherently be only his.

But is imputed to us for our good.

As is his active righteousness and blood; Which is the cause, though we infirm are found, That mercy and forgiveness doth abound

To us-ward, and that why we are not silent! And empty, and away rebuked sent,

Because that all we do imperfect is.

Bless God, then, for this holiness of his, And learn to look by faith on that alone, When thou seest thou hast nothing of thine own; Yea, when thy heart most willing is to do What God by his good word doth call thee to; And when thou find'st most holiness within, And greatest power over every sin,

Yet then to Jesus look, and thou shalt see In him sanctification for thee,

Far more complete than all that thou canst find In the most upright heart and willing mind, That ever man or angels did possess,

When most filled with inherent righteousness, Besides, if thou forgettest here to live, And Satan get thee once into his sieve,

He will so hide thy wheat, and show thy brun* That thou wilt quickly cry, I am undone. Alas, thy goodliest attainments here,

Though like the fairest blossoms they appear, How quickly will they lone and decay,

And be as if they all were fled away,

When once the east-wind of temptations beat Upon thee, with their dry and blasting heat! Rich men will not account their treasure lies In crack'd groats and four-pence half-pennies.* * From the Satan' treatise, to violate, apol. 1:10; see Imperial Dictionary.—ED. * Altered by poetical means from 'bran.' Chaucer, in one instance, spells it 'bren,' to rhyme with men.—ED. * This evidently refers to a coin, value four-pence half-penny. LBAL AND GERIZIM.

But in those bags they have within their chests, In staple goods, which shall within their breasts Have place accordingly, because they see Their substance lieth here. But if that be But shaken, then they quickly fear, and cry, Alas, 'tis not this small and odd money, We carry in our pockets for to spend,

Will make us rich, or much will stand our friend. If famine or if want do us assail,

How quickly will these little pieces fail! If thou be wise, consider what I say,

And look for all in Christ, where no decay Is like to be; then though thy present frame Be much in up-and-down, yet he the same

Abideth, yea, and still at God's right hand, As thy most perfect holiness will stand. It is, I say, not like to that in thee,

Now high, then low, now out, then in, but he Most perfect is, when thou art at the worst The same, the very same; I said at first, This helpeth much when thou art buffeted, And when thy graces lie in thee as dead; Then to believe they are all perfect still In Christ thy head, who hath that blessed skill, Yet to present thee by what is in him

Unto his Father, one that hath no sin.

Yea, this will fill thy mouth with argument Against the tempter, when he shall present Before thee all thy weakness, and shall hide From thee thy graces, that thou mayst abide Under the fretting fumes of unbelief,

Which never yielded Christian man relief. Nor help thyself thou may'st against him thus: O Satan, though my heart indeed be worse Than 'twas a while ago, yet I perceive

Thou shalt me not of happiness bereave,

Nor yet of holiness; for by the Word

I find that Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord, Is made sanctification for me

In his own person, where all graces be,

As water in the fountain; and that I,

By means of that, have yet a sanctity,

Both personal and perfect every way;

And that is Christ himself, as Paul doth say. Now, though my crazy pitcher oft doth leak, By means of which my graces are so weak, And so much spent, that one I cannot find Able to stay or help my feeble mind;

and, like a cracked groat, not so much, prized as good coin. See the note in vol. i. p. 36. In Turner's *Remarkable Providences*, folio, 1697, page 28, is a very singular allusion to one of these coins:—'Christian, the wife of R. Green, of Brenham, Somerset-hire, in 1663, made a covenant with the devil. He pricked the fourth finger off her right hand, between the middle and upper joint, and took two drops of her blood on his finger, giving her *four-pence half-penny*. He then vanished, leaving a smell of brimstone behind.—*Ex.*

Yet then I look to Jesus, and see all

In him that wanting is in me, and shall

Again take courage, and believe he will

Present me upright in his person, till

He humble me for all my foolishness,

And then again fill me with holiness.

Now, if thou lovest inward sanctity,

As all the saints do most unfeignedly,

Then add, to what I have already said,

Faith in the promise; and be not afraid

To urge it often at the throne of grace, And to expect it in its time and place.

Then he that true is, and that cannot lie, Will give it unto thee, that thou thereby May'st serve with faith, with fear, in truth and love, That God that did at first thy spirit move To ask it to his praise, that he might be Thy God, and that he might delight in thee. If I should here particulars relate,

Methinks it could not but much animate

Thy heart, though very listless to inquire How thou may'st that enjoy, which all desire That love themselves and future happiness; But O, I cannot fully it express:

The promise is so open and so free,

In all respects, to those that humble be, That want they cannot what for them is good; But there 'tis, and confirmed is with blood, A certain sign, all those enjoy it may,

That see they want it, and sincerely pray To God the Father, in that Jesus' name

Who bled on purpose to confirm the same. [THE NECESSITY OF A NEW HEART.]

Now wouldst thou have a heart that tender is, A heart that forward is to close with bliss; A heart that will impressions freely take Of the new covenant, and that will make

The best improvement of the word of grace, And that to wickedness will not give place; All this is in the promise, and it may

Obtained be of them that humbly pray.

Wouldst thou enjoy that spirit that is free, And looseth those that in their spirits be Oppressed with guilt, or filth, or unbelief; That spirit that will, where it dwells, be chief; Which breaketh Samson's cord as rotten thread, And raiseth up the spirit that is dead;

That sets the will at liberty to choose

Those things that God hath promis'd to infuse Into the humble heart? All this, I say,

The promise holdeth out to them that pray. [THE SPIRIT OF PRAYER.]

Wouldst thou have that good, that blessed mind, EBAL AND GERIZIM

That it aloft will soar, and always be

Contemplating on blest eternity.

That mind that never thinks itself at rest, But when it knows it is for ever blest;

That mind that can be here no more content, Than be that in the prison doth lament;

That blessed mind that counts itself then free When it can at the throne with Jesus be, There to behold the mansions he prepares For such as be with him and his co-heirs. This mind is in the covenant of grace,

And shall be theirs that truly seek his face. [OF GODLY FEAR.]

Is godly fear delightful unto thee,

That fear that God himself delights to see Bear sway in them that love him? then he will Thy godly mind in this request fulfil.

By giving thee a fear that tremble shall, At every trip thou takest, lest thou fall, And him offend, or hurt thyself by sin,

Or cause poor souls that always blind have been To stumble at thy falls, and harder be

Against their own salvation and thee.

That fear that of itself would rather choose The rod, than to offend or to abuse

In anything that blessed worthy name,

That hath thee saved from that death and shame; That sin would soon have brought thee to, if he Had not imputed righteousness to thee.

I will love them, saith God, and not depart From them, but put my fear within their heart, That I to them may always lovely be,

And that they never may depart from me.

[OF UPRIGHTNESS AND SINCERITY.]

Wouldst thou be very upright and sincere? Wouldst thou be that within thou dost appear, Or seem to be in outward exercise

Before the most devout, and godly wise?

Yea, art thou thus when no eye doth thee see But that which is invisible? and be

The words of God in truth thy prop and stay? And do they in thy conscience bear more sway To govern thee in faith and holiness,

Than thou canst with thy heart and mouth express? And do the things that truly are divine, Before thee more than gold or rubies shine? And if, as unto Solomon, God should

Propound to thee, What wouldst thou have? how would

Thy heart and pulse beat after heav'nly things, After the upper and the nether springs?

Couldst, with unfeigned heart and upright lip, Cry, Hold me fast, Lord, never let me slip, Nor step aside from faith and holiness,

Nor from the blessed hope of future bliss? Lord, rather cross me anywhere than here; Lord, fill me always with thy holy fear, And godly jealousy of none own heart,

Lest I, Lord, should at any time depart

From thy most blessed covenant of grace, Where Jesus rules as King, and where thy face Is only to be seen with comfort, and

Where sinners justified before thee stand. If these thy groanings be sincere and true, If God doth count thee one that dost pursue The things thou cryest after with thy heart, No doubt but in them thou shalt have a part. [HOW GRACES ARE TO BE OBTAINED.]

The next word that I would unto thee say, Is how thou may'st attain, without delay, Those blessed graces, and that holiness

Thou dost with so much godly zeal express Thy love to, and thy longing to enjoy,

That sins and weakness might thee less annoy. Know, then, as I have hinted heretofore, And shall now speak unto a little more,

All graces in the person of the Son

Are by the Father hid, and therefore none Can them obtain but they who with him close; All others graceless are but only those; For of his fulness 'tis that we receive, And grace for grace; let no man then deceive Himself or others with a feigned show

Of holiness, if Jesus they eschew.

When he ascended to his Father, then

It was that he received gifts for men;

Faith, hope, and love, true zeal, an upright heart, Right humbleness of mind, and every part Of what the word of life counts holiness, God then laid up in him, that we redress And help might have, who do unto him fly For righteousness and gospel sanctity.

[OF IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS.]

Now, if thou wouldst inherit righteousness, And so sanctification possess

In body, soul, and spirit, then thou must To Jesus fly, as one ungodly first;

And so by him crave pardon for thy sin

Which thou hast loved, and hast lived in; For this cannot at all forgiven be,

For any righteousness that is in thee;

Because the best thou hast is filthy rags, Preface, presumptuous, and most beastly brags Of flesh and blood, which always cross doth lie To God, to grace, and thy felicity.

Then righteousness imputed thou must have, Thee from that guilt and punishment to save Thou liest under as a sinful man,

Throughout polluted, and that never can

By any other means acquitted be,

Or ever have true holiness in thee.

The reason is, because all graces are

Only in Christ, and be infused where,

Or into those whom he doth justify,

By what himself hath done, that he thereby Might be the whole of all that happiness The sinner shall enjoy here, and in bliss. Besides, if holiness should first be found In those whom God doth pardon, then the ground Why we forgiven are would seem to be,

He first found holiness in thee and me;

But this the holy Scriptures will refute, And prove that righteousness he doth impute Without respect to goodness first in man; For, to speak truth indeed, no goodness can Be found in those that underneath the law Do stand; for if God goodness in them saw, Why doth he once and twice say, There is none That righteous be; no, not so much as one; None understandeth, none seek after God, His ways they have not known, but have abode In wickedness, unprofitably they

Must needs appear to be then every way.

Their throats an open sepulchre, also

Their mouths are full of filthy cursings too; And bitterness, yea, underneath their lips The sap hath poison. O how many slips

And falls in sin must such poor people have! Now where's the holiness that should them save, Or, as a preparation, go before,

To move God to do for them less or more? No, grace must on thee righteousness bestow, Or, else sin will for ever thee undo.

Sweet Paul this doctrine also doth express, Where he saith, Some may have righteousness, Though works they have not; and it thus may stand, Grace by the promise gives what the command Requireth us to do, and so are we

Quitted from doing, and by grace made free. [OF HOLINESS OF LIFE.]

Now, then, if holiness thou would'st obtain, And would'st a tender Christian man remain, Keep faith in action, let that righteousness That Christ fulfilled always have express And clear distinction in thy heart, from all That men by Scripture, or besides it, call Inherent gospel holiness, or what

Terms else they please to give it; for 'tis that, And that alone, by which all graces come Into the heart; for else there is no room For ought but pride, presumption, or despair, No love or other graces can be there.

Received you the Spirit, saith St. Paul, By hearing, faith, or works? not works, and shall No ways retain the same, except you do

Hear faith, embrace the same, and stick thereto. [THE OPERATION OF FAITH]

The word of faith unto me pardon brings, Shows me the ground and reason whence it springs: To wit, free grace, which moved God to give His Son to die and bleed, that I might live. This word doth also loudly preach to me, Though I a miserable sinner be,

Yet in this Son of God I stand complete, Whose righteousness is without all deceit; 'Tis that which God himself delighteth in, And that by which all his have saved been.