Wesley Corpus

What though forbid by the Atlantic wave, I cannot share my old companion's grave, Yet at the trumpet's call my dust shall rise, With his fly up to Jesus in the skies, And live with him the life that never dies. O could I first perform my Master's will, Faithful in little, and his work fulfil, Like him I mourn, a steward wise and good, Pursuing him, as he his Lord pursued! O had he dropt his mantle in his flight! O might his spirit on all the prophets 'light! But vain the hope of miracles to come; There's no Elisha in Elijah's room. Yet lo! The Lord our God for ever lives, And daily by his word the dead revives; His Spirit is not restrain'd, but striving still, And carrying on his work by whom he will. Page 28 He wills us in our partner's steps to tread; And call'd, and quicken'd by the speaking dead, We trace our shining pattern from afar, His old associates in the glorious war, Resolv'd to use the utmost strength bestow'd, Like him to spend, and to be spent for God, By holy violence seize the crown so nigh, Fight the good fight, our threefold foe defy, And more than conquerors in the harness die. Jesus, preserve, till thou our souls receive, And let us in thy servant's spirit live! Thy Spirit breath'd into his faithful breast, Be it in every labourer's life exprest, In all our works, and words, and tempers seen, Unbounded charity to God and men, The meek humility, the fervent zeal, All-patient hope, and faith invincible, Faith in its primitive simplicity, Faith to walk on, 'till we depart, in thee. Page 29 Thro' thee approaching now the gracious throne, Our instant prayer, an echo of thine own, We offer up, with all the faithful race, For all the foes, and strangers to thy grace, The fallen church, in whose defence we stand, To ward thy judgments from a guilty land, Till wrestling on, the praying few prevail, And life and mercy turn the hovering scale. O that the prayer of faith might now return! O that a nation, of thy Spirit born, Might rise thy witnesses in this their day, And multitudes of priests the truth obey, The last alas, in every age to bring Back to their hearts their long-neglected King!