The previous post on this poem is here.

Sixth Stanza

Oh! dear bought plea, dear Lord what buy’st so dear

What with thy blood purchase thy plea for me?

Take argument out of thy grave t’appear

And plead my case with, me from guilt to free.

These maul both sins and devils, and amaze

Both saints and angels: wreath their mouths with praise.

The grammar and phrasing are bit difficult in places here, because Taylor has left a great deal of the various ideas unstated.

Oh! dear bought plea, dear Lord what buy’st so dear

What with thy blood purchase thy plea for me?

The plea of the Advocate which will vindicate the poet has come at an extreme price is it is a “dear bought plea”.  Taylor repeats this idea in different phrasing “buy’st so dear.” In the next line the actual price is made plain, “with thy blood purchase thy plea.”  The repetition of sounds drives home this point: dear, bought, plea, dear, buy’st, dear, blood, purchase, plea.

The rhythm here is interesting. The movement is regular iambs until we come to purchase where we have two accented syllables in a row followed by a pause, which puts special emphasis on “purchase.”

The obtaining of this plea continues in the next lines:

Take argument out of thy grave t’appear

And plead my case with, me from guilt to free.

Go to your grave and there find the argument which you will produce at trial (t’appear) “and plead my case with.” Christ’s death is the basis of our salvation:

“For I delivered to you as first importance, which I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.” 1 Cor. 15:3 The manner in which Christ’s death substitutes for the guilty party’s crime is not explained here. But the belief in the efficacy of the exchange is unquestioned by Taylor. It changes my status from “guilt” to a “free” (that is free from charge, innocent).

The effect upon third parties is plain. His sin and “devils” are injured by this death: they are “maul[ed]”. The injury to sin is that sin no longer can condemn. The devils are overcome. On the cross, Christ “disarmed the rules and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them.” Col. 2:15

These maul both sins and devils,

To “saints and angels” the response is one of praise. Peter writes that the mystery of Christ’s redemption is something  “into which angels long to look.” 1 Pet. 1:12

                        and amaze

Both saints and angels:

He ends the stanza with a prayer that will encourage and make possible praise for this rescue:

wreath their mouths with praise.

It is interesting that the last word of the stanza is “praise” which links to the plea/purchase earlier in the stanza, which plea in the court now become praise in the angels and saints.