Whether (By The Workes Of The Law) Any Of Adams Heyres May Be Restored Into Gods Fauour. Poem by Henry Arthington

Some Men suppose, that though mans fall
Did bring his of spring into paine,
Yet God his Law gaue vnto all,
To reconcile mankind againe.

Else they alledge, it must needes check,
God of Iniustice, sundry waies,
To giue a Law for to correct,
Mans sinfull courses all his dayes.

And yet to grant no grace at all,
For mortall Man to keepe the same,
But, to condemne both great and small,
That liue not well, without all blame.

I Will thus answere (by demaund)
What maister will they charge with wrong,
For asking stocke at Seruants hand,
That doth vnto himselfe belong.

Or, if the Seruant wast the same,
In pride and prodigality,
Will any man the maister blame,
To pack him, for his trechery,

Euen so it stands, twixt God and vs,
(When he requires obedience)
For want thereof, he may vs cursse,
And yet none charge him with offence.

Because, when first God gaue his law,
(Whilst mankind was in Paradise)
He made them able for to show,
Obedience due in perfect wise.

Now, seeing Adam and his seede,
Haue broke the bonds that once God made,
Shall not he iustifie his deede,
To see the forfaytures be paid.

Then will they last of all demaund,
(If Gods Law do not iustifie)
Why did he Moses then commaund,
(To write it for posterity.)

I answer, with the Apostle Paule,
If Gods Law any man could saue,
Then Christ his death was vaine (for all,)
For Sauiours two, we neede not haue.

And yet no want in Gods law found.
For why? It is his holy will)
But sinne, mans nature hath so bound,
That we cannot the same fulfill.

So that; none can Gods Law accuse,
To be vniust, or sent in vaine,
For why? It serueth to good vse,
As these effects do well explaine.

The first: It lets vs see the state
Of our created holinesse,
That we thereon might contemplate,
VVith praise to God, for his kindnesse.

The second: It doth let vs see,
Our wofull state (by Adams fall)
That we to Christ, for helpe might flee,
To saue our soules from endlesse thrall.

The third: It lets vs see our sins,
And Gods iust iudgement for the same,
That we might all auoyd those grins,
And so to keepe our soules from shame.

The fourth: It lets vs see the way,
How we should walke to please the Lord,
That for his grace, we still might pray:
To liue according to his word.