Wesley Corpus

But who the dreadful word receive, Or gladly take thy burthen up? We dare not, Lord, the truth believe, But sooth'd with a self-flattering hope To feeble man for succour run, The crown-ensuring cross to shun. A thousand ways and means we try, The cross of none effect to make, To Egypt we for chariots fly, Shelter in human laws we take, Assur'd the world will do us right, And Satan against Satan fight. Fools that we are, and slow of heart, Our richest portion to refuse, The patient Saviour's better part, The labour, and reward, to lose, The fairest prize to sufferers given, The largest recompence in heaven. But O! Suffice the season past That we thy saying have abhorr'd, Disdain'd thy passion's cup to taste, And strove to be above our Lord; To thy sweet yoke at length we bow, And meekly come to suffer now. Or let us here on Tabor stop, Thy glorious face awhile to see, Or climb yon adverse mountain's top, The height of rugged Calvary; To Calv'ary we with joy repair, And die to find our Saviour there. Page 17 The Trial of Faith. Hymn XI. Help, gracious Lord, the time is come Of suffering for thy righteous cause, I see, I see thy people's doom, T' endure with thee the sacred cross, And now my own convictions fear, And tremble at the trial near. The flesh, alas! Thou knowst is weak, Nor can the lightest cross sustain, Convinc'd, on earth I must not seek A rescue from reproach, or pain, Or put the hallow'd cup aside, But bow with Jesus crucified. Call'd to distress, and patient grief, Have I not made thy portion mine? I have: I look for no relief, No lessening of my lot divine, But hold thy rigid literal word, A simple follower of my Lord! Let Jews their slightest wrong repay, And fiercely eye for eye require: More excellent the Christian way, We will not call for vengeful fire, Evil resist in word or deed, But close in all thy footsteps tread. Let others human succour seek, With all their powers the cross evade, We learn to turn the other cheek, We look to thee alone for aid; In suffering all we cannot err, We cannot follow thee too far. Page 18