Wesley Corpus

Thro' his abundant toils, with fixt amaze We see reviv'd the work of ancient days; In his unspotted life with joy we see The fervors of primeval piety: A pattern to the flock by Jesus bought, A living witness of the truths he taught, Meek, lowly, patient, wise above his years, Redeem'd from earth, with all their hopes and fears, Page 20 Not to the vain desires of men he liv'd, Not with delight their high applause receiv'd, But prais'd the Lord for what his grace had done, And simply liv'd to serve his will alone. The heavenly principle of faith within, The strong divine antipathy to sin, The Spirit's law, the meek ingrafted word, The vital knowledge of an heart-felt Lord, The nature new, th' incorruptible seed, Its power throughout his life and actions spread, And shew'd the man regenerate from above, By fraudless innocence, and childlike love. For friendship form'd by nature and by grace, (His heart made up of truth and tenderness) Stranger to guile, unknowing to deceive, In anger, malice, or revenge to live, He liv'd, himself on others to bestow, A ministerial spirit, while here below, Belov'd by all the lovers of his Lord, By none but Satan's synagogue abhor'd. Page 21 Nor did their fierce abhorrence always last: When on the right the gospel-net he cast, The powerful charms of soft persuasion tried, And shew'd them their Redeemer's hands and side, Love irresistible they could not bear, Or stand against the torrent of his prayer, By bleeding love their hatred he o'ercame, And seiz'd the lawful spoils, in Jesus' name. Betwixt the mountain and the multitude, His life was spent in prayer and doing good: To search the sacred leaves, his soul's delight, And pray them o're and o're by day and night, To wrestle on for faith, and faith's increase, To follow after peace and holiness, At Jesus' feet to catch the quickning word, And into nothing sink before his Lord. Though long by following multitudes admir'd, No party for himself he e'er desir'd, His one desire to make the Saviour known, To magnify the name of Christ alone: Page 22 If others strove who should the greatest be, No lover of pre-eminence was he,