A PLAIN ACCOUNT OF THE NATURE AND DESIGN OF TRUE RELIGION by JOHN BYROM

@3WHAT is Religion?@1—Why it is a cure,
Giv'n in the Gospel, @3gratis@1, to the poor,
By Jesus Christ, the healer of the soul;
Which all, who take, are sure to be made whole;
And they who will not, all the art of man
May strive to cure them, but it never can.

@3Cure for what malady?@1—For that of sin,
From whence all other maladies begin;
It had its rise in Adam, first of all;
And all his Sons, partaking of his fall
Want a @3new Adam@1 to beget them free
From @3sin@1 and @3death@1; and Jesus Christ is @3He.

How is it giv'n?@1—By raising a @3new birth@1
Of heav'nly life, surviving that of earth;
Which may, at any time, at @3some@1 it must
Return its mortal body to the dust;
And then the born of God in Christ again
Will rise immortal, true angelic men.

@3Why in the Gospel?@1—Gospel is, indeed,
In its true living sense, the @3holy seed@1,
By God's great mercy, first, in Adam sown,
And first, in Christ, to full perfection grown:
Fulness, from which all holy souls derive,
And bodies too, the pow'r to be alive.

@3Why@1 GRATIS @3giv'n?@1—Because the @3love-desire@1
Of God, in Christ, can never work for hire:
Its nature is to love for loving's sake,
To give itself to ev'ry will to take;
To them it brings, amidst the darkest night,
Its @3life and immortality to light.

Why to the poor?@1—Because @3they@1 feel their want,
Which trust in @3riches@1, is so loth to grant:
The rich have @3something@1 which they call @3their own@1;
The poor have @3nothing@1, but to @3Christ@1 alone
They owe themselves, and pay him what they owe,
And what religion is they only know.

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