All you who make the Law your choice

Verse 1

All you who make the Law your Choice, Attend and hear its dreadful Voice, The Voice of Words, on Sinai heard, That Voice which Isr'el greatly fear'd; So fear'd as humbly to implore That they might hear its Sound no more.

Verse 2

Lightnings, with horrid Glare were seen, Tremendous Thunders roar'd between; Darkness, with Flames encircled round: The Trump of God, its awful Sound, Louder, and louder rent the Air, And smote their Hearts with deep Despair.

Verse 3

The trembling Multitude, they heard All that the Voice of Words declar'd; The Darkness, Fire, and Smoke they saw, The dreadful Pomp of Moses' Law, Who, whilst the Mountains base did shake, Most terribly did fear and quake.

Verse 4

I am the Lord, thy God, says he; Nor shalt thou worship ought but me: Nor to thyself shalt thou e'er make An Image, nor the Likeness take Of ought in Heav'n, or Earth below, With Rev'rence unto it to bow.

Verse 5

Thou shalt not take my Name in vain, Lest thou incur the guilty Stain: Remember keep the Sabbath-Day, Thou shalt not work, nor idly play: To Parents thou shalt Honour give, If in the Land thou log wouldst live.

Verse 6

Murder, never shlat thou do it: Nor vile Adultery commit: Thou shalt not steal: (my Statutes hear) Nor Witness falsely shalt thou bear: Thou shalt not covet, lusting in What is thy Neighbours; this is Sin.

Verse 7

Nor only keep from Win thine Hands; A Word, Desire, or Look offends; A Moment's Lust, the smallest Flaw, So fully breaks my holy Law, Th' it be but in Heart conceiv'd, As ne'er by thee can be retriev'd.

Verse 8

Holy and just are God's Commands; Wo to the Man who e'er offends In one small Point, he on him draws The Curse of all the broken Laws; All join in one to damn the Wretch, Who's guilty of the smallest Breach.

Verse 9

In awful Truth hat God declar'd, The Sinner never can be spar'd; On his own Head shall be his Blood, Who trespasses against his God: The soul that sinneth, it shall die, Here and in Hell eternally.

Verse 10

Nor can they for their Sin atone; Their Sacrifices he'll have none; Nor will their Pray'rs nor Tears accept, Because his Laws they have not kept: Thus for their Sin, e'en for the first, They're irrevokably accurs'd.

Verse 11

The Law is holy, just, and true, And what it speaks, it speaks to you Who to be under it desire, And eagerly thereby aspire To everlasting Life and Bliss, Thro' Works of your own Righteousness.

Verse 12

But if the Gospel-Sound you'll choose, Nor him that speaks from Heav'n refuse, Prepare to hear the Tidings good Proclaim'd to Man by Jesu's Blood; Administred with Glory, more Than Sinai's Law which went before.

Verse 13

No dreadful Thunders roaring here, Nor blasting Lightnings, causing Fear; Nor Earthquake, Darkness, Smoak, nor Flame, Nor dreadful voice when Jesus came: But all was glorious, calm, serene, When God came down to dwell with Men.

Verse 14

From Heav'n the flaming Cherubs came, And sung on Earth with Tongues of Flame, Tidings of endless Joy to all The Sons of Adam great and small; How that bless'd Morn was born a Child, By whom the Law should be fulfill'd.

Verse 15

Under the Law, of Woman made, And, as of all his church, the Head; Perfect Obedience unto Blood, To yield the Law engag'd he stood; And all it Breaches to repair, By tasting Death, Hell, and Despair.

Verse 16

Divinely born, this wond'rous Child Was holy, harmless, undefil'd! The Law he perfectly obey'd, In Action, Word, nor Thought, e'er stray'd; But in the Law was his Delight, By doing good both Day and Night.

Verse 17

He knew no Sin, was free from Guile, Nor could the Tempter him defile: One God he serv'd in Righteousness: Nor bow'd to Creatures-Likenesses: His Name in vain he never took: Nor holy Sabbath ever broke.

Verse 18

Honour to Parents he did give; Nor ceas'd, whilst he on Earth did live: Quite free from Murder and Debate, Nor did his Soul his Brother hate: His Nature loath'd adult'rous Fire, Nor ever felt a base Desire.

Verse 19

He did not steal with Heart, nor Hand: Nor bearing Witness, falsely stand: No Evil of his Neighbour spake, Nor coveted with Lust to take Whatever was his Neighbour's Right, 'Twas always hateful in hs Sight.

Verse 20

But God, wtih all his Heart, he lov'd: His his whole Life and Practice prov'd: Next as himself, yea far above Himself he doth his Neighbour love. Does unto all Men what he would That they, in all their Doings, should.

Verse 21

The Law, thus pleas'd, demands, at last, Atonement for the Sin that's past: He undertook the Breach to heal, Our Sin, our Curse, our Hell, to feel: The full Extent of Punishment, For all that's Sin, he underwent.

Verse 22

All Chastisements by him were borne, Wounds, Blood, and Bruises him adorn; His Nerves all broken; gloomy Fears Rush on him; Blood, and Sweat, and Tears, Moist'ning the burning Sacrifice, Gratefully smoaking to the Skies.

Verse 23

Death-Pangs, with all the Pains of Hell, In dreadful Storms upon him fell: Nor may the finite Mind conceive; Nor dare the Infidel believe What unknown Torments Jesus felt; What Flames of Soul-devouring Guilt.

Verse 24

With unregarded Groans and Cries, Convulsive Struggles, dying Sighs; In Character of Sinners lost, He fainting, yielded up the Ghost: Death took him Pris'ner, him detain'd, Whilst the least Charge of Sin remain'd.

Verse 25

His holy Life, his Death and Smart; Tormented soul, and broken Heart; The holy Law, more magnify'd Than if a thousand Worlds had dy'd: O Love! in him the glor'ous God, Redeems his Church with his own Blood.

Verse 26

O glorious Truth, with Jesus one! To all he is, and all that's done By him, we've an undoubted Right, There holy in the Father's Sight: Mysterious Union! there is known His Person, Life, and Death our own.

Verse 27

Then, O my Soul, so longer fear Old Sinai's Thunders; joyful hear The Voice of Love, the Love of God, The voice of Jesu's richest Blood: Tho' thou, poor Soul, hast nought to give, The Blood of Jesus bids thee live.

Verse 28

Live; lo! he give his All to thee: Live now from Condemnation free; Live, since thou hast in Jesus dy'd; Live, Justice now is satisfy'd: For-ever live, he lives again; To all he is, urge still thy Claim.

Verse 29

O Lamb, whoe'er in thee believes, The Witness of the Truth receives: How thou, our Christ, our Joy, our Bliss, Art the full End of Righteousness, Of ev'ry Law: (O glorious Grace!) To guilty Adam's Sinner Race.

Verse 30

Hail, Saviour of the Body, hail! O'er all our Foes didst thou prevail; For-ever wear the glorious Wreath Of Vict'ry over Hell and Death: We see, with Joy divinely sweet, All conquer'd at thy bleeding Feet.