Scriptural poems being several portions of Scripture digested into English verse
Bunyan, John, 1628-1688.
CHAP. II.
FAith of the Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ,
Doth with respect of Persons not consist;
For if, my Brethren, when there shall come in
To your Assembly one with a Gold Ring,
In goodly Cloaths, and there shall also be
Another Man that's meanly cloath'd, and ye
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Shall have respect to him in rich attire,
And say unto him, Come thou, sit up higher;
And bid the poor Man stand or sit below,
Are ye not partial then, and plainly show,
That you do judge amiss in what you do?
Hearken, my Brethren, hath not God elected
The Poor, who by this World have been rejected,
Yet rich in Faith, and of that Kingdom Heirs,
Which God will give his foll'wers to be theirs?
But you, my Brethren, do the Poor despise.
Do not the rich Men o'er you tyrannize,
And hale you to their Courts; that worthy Name
By which you're call'd, do not they blaspheme?
Then if ye do the Royal Law fulfil,
To love thy Neighbour as thy self, 'tis well,
According to the Scripture; but if ye
Shall have respect to Persons, ye shall be
Guilty of Sin, and by the Law condemn'd,
As such who have its Righteousness contemn'd.
For he that shall but in one point offend,
Breaks the whole Law, whate'er he may pretend.
For he that doth forbid Adultery,
Forbids likewise all acts of Cruelty:
Now tho' thou be not an Adulterer,
Yet if thou kill, thou shalt thy Judgment bear.
So speak and do as those Men that shall be
Judg'd by the perfect Law of Liberty:
For he shall Judgment without Mercy know,
That to his Neighbour doth no Mercy show;
And Mercy triumphs against Judgment too.
Brethren what profit is't if a Man saith
That he hath Faith, and hath not Works; can Faith
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Save him? If any of the Brotherhood
Be destitute of Cloaths or daily Food,
And one of you shall say, Depart in Peace,
Be warmed or be filled, ne'ertheless,
Ye do not furnish them with what they need,
What boots it? Thus Faith without Works is dead.
Yea may a Man say, thou dost Faith profess
And I good Works, to me thy Faith express
Without thy Works, and I will plainly show
My Faith unto thee by the Works I do.
Thou dost believe there is one God, 'tis true,
The Devils do believe and tremble too.
But wilt thou know, vain Man, that Faith is dead
Which with good Works is not accompany'd.
Was not our Father Abraham justify'd
By Works, and by the same his Faith was try'd,
When he his Isaac to the Altar brought,
Se'st thou how with his Works his Faith then wrought?
And with his Works he perfected his Faith?
And so the Scripture was fulfill'd, which saith,
Abraham believed God, and 'twas imputed
For Righteousness, and he Gods Friend reputed.
Thus may you see, that by Works ev'ry one
Is justify'd, and not by Faith alone
Thus was the Ha•lot R•hab justify'd
By Works when she the Messengers did hide,
And by another way their feet did guide.
For as the body's dead without the Spirit,
So Faith without Works never can inherit.
