Wesley Corpus

Or held him in so fond a heart. Yet in no narrow bounds confin'd, His undisguis'd affection flow'd; His heart, enlarg'd to all mankind, Render'd to all the love it ow'd: But chiefly those who lov'd his Lord, Who most of Jesu's mind exprest, Won by their lives, without the word, He cherish'd in his gen'rous breast. Cover'd with honourable shame, He mark'd the poor afflicted FEW, The faithful followers of the Lamb, In life and death to Jesus true: Rejected and despis'd of men, He heard the saints departing sing; He saw them smile in mortal pain, And trample on the grizzly king. Not biass'd by a party-zeal, Their unsought advocate he stood: "The men, who live and die so well, Howe'er decri'd, they must be good." Happy his tend'rest help to afford, A servant of salvation's heirs, He look'd on earth for no reward, He ask'd no payment but their pray'rs. In part, before he reach'd the sky, "He found his loving labours paid;" He found their pray'rs return from high, In blessings on his hoary head: Warn'd of his dissolution near, He miss'd that witness from above; Or felt him in distressing fear, And not in sweet forgiving love. The God unknown his servant knew, Long in the school of Moses tri'd; The sin-convincing Spirit blew, And wither'd all his virtuous pride: With publicans and harlots now He comes the sinner's friend to meet; By grace subdu'd, and taught to bow, "A leper poor at Jesu's feet." 10 While weeping there the sinner lay, Asunder sawn with hopes and fears,