100 BAXTER'S POEMS. But flesh makes war, and stiffly doth resist, And would prevail, did not my grace assist. Conflict and conquest of this in-bred foe Must be the way of all the good you do. The question is not, whether flesh do strive? But, whether after flesh or spirit you live? It is not opposition that will prove That thou art void of faith, or hope, or love. The law that's in thy members will still find Weapons against the law that's in thy mind: The flesh will so rebel, and put thee to it, That when thou wouldst do-good, thoucanstnotdoit. There's in one breast a two-fold wHl and heart, Acting each of them a contrary par t: There is a will to good, and will to vil : One's rul'd by God, the other by the D \'il. A will to read, and pray, and meditate ; A will that doth all this oppose and hate. Do not now stand and whine, nor )'icld, nor fly; But use thy weapons: thou mu ·t fi rht, or di . Now live by faith: be glad thou h t a hri t Whose spirit fortifies thee to re. i t: Making the greatest thing thy hi f 't c p Keeping alive a secret spark of hop· · Which will pot only strive, but ov .re m ; And through all foes will safely bring thee home. Sinner. But how can [ find fan>W' in th . i rht, That have sinn~d wilfully, even iu the li ht ? Jesus. Though they that wh lly to th la t reject My sacrifice, no other can exp t ; All kind of sip is pardon'd by my merit Save the grand blasphemy against the spirit.
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