Born in 1685, Ralph Erskine got his start early, entering Edinburgh University at the age of fifteen to study theology. As a minister he was so dedicated and passionate about serving Christ through preaching, praying, and studying the Word that he worked long hours into the night. By 1713, the Spirit was so working through his efforts that his congregation was fervent in piety. In fact, after the church’s evening service, small group prayer would continue, sometimes well after midnight. On one account, a congregant came to the church at 2am to pray privately and found instead a multitude of people praying on their knees around the church to the effect that the countryside rumbled with murmured prayer.

And while the Lord obviously blessed his preaching of the Word with much success [and his sermons are certainly worth our time to read], Erskine was also a gifted poet. He published his Gospel Sonnets in 1720 with extreme eloquence coupled with intense and profound theology. They are basically the message of the gospel in poetic form and were an incredibly popular treasure at the time of publication: in fact, seeing over twenty editions by 1793. It is a happy side note to point out that it was a large influence on the father of another of our other “Passionate Presbyterians” in these posts: John G Paton. In his autobiography, Paton recalls how his father used to go out into the woods and memorize Erskine’s poetry as part of his devotional time. It is remarkable how God uses the faith of one to affect the faith of another and how huge and wide that impact it can be! Let us as college students never underestimate God’s power in using the work of our hands, and may that knowledge spur us to use our creativity and strength no matter how unimpressive the task may seem; who knows perhaps you may influence the next great missionary of the world as well!

Here are a few excerpts from Erskine’s wonderful Gospel Sonnets:

But thou that sav’st by price, must save by power;
O send thy spirit in a fiery show’r
This cold and frozen heart of mine to thaw,
That naught, save cords of burning love, can draw.
O draw me, Lord, then will I run to thee,
And glad into thy glowing bosom flee.
I own myself a mass of sin and hell,
A brat that can do nothing but rebel.

O then let me a rebel now come speed,
Thy holy spirit is the gift I need.
And since thou design’st the like of me to wed,
O come and make my heart thy marriage-bed.
Fair Jesus, wilt thou marry filthy me!
Amen, Amen, Amen; so let it be”.
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Hence many falls and plunges in the mire,
As many new conversions do require.
Who, to reprove her aggravated crimes,
Leaves her abandon’d to herself at times;
That, falling into frightful deeps, she may
From sad experience learn more stress to lay,
Not on her native efforts, but at length
On Christ alone, her righteousness and strength;
Conscious, while in her works she seeks repose,
Her legal spirit breeds her many woes.
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Hence none believe in Jesus, as they ought,
‘Till once they first believe they can do nought.
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Faith makes us joyfully content that he
Our head, our husband, and out All should be,
Our righteousness and strength, our stock and store,
Our fund for food and raiment, grace and glore.
It makes the creature down to nothing fall,
Content that Christ alone be all in all.
The law requires on pain of death,
The gospel courts with loving breath…

Both law and gospel close combine,
to make each other’s lustre shine;
The gospel all law-breakers shames,
The law all gospel-slighters damns…

Next, what by law I’m bound unto,
The same the gospel makes me do;
What preceptively that can crave,
This effectively can ingrave.

To run, to work, the law commands;
The gospel gives me feet and hands:
The one requires that I obey,
The other does the pow’r convey.

What in the law had duty’s place,
The gospel changes to a grace:
Hence legal duties therein nam’d,
Are herein gospel-graces fam’d.

The righteous law condemns each man
That dare reject the gospel-plan:
The holy gospel none will save,
On whom it won’t the law ingrave…
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At sovereign grace’s feet does prostrate fall [the repentant sinner],
Content to be in Jesus’ debt for all.
While sweetly, humbly, she beholds at length,
Christ, as her only righteousness and strength.
He with the view throws down his loving dart,
Impressed with pow’r into her tender heart.
The deeper that the law’s fierce dart was thrown,
The deeper now the dart of love goes down:
Hence, sweetly pain’d, her cries to heaven do flee;
‘O none but Jesus, none but Christ for me.’