Wesley Corpus

When ready to be offer'd up, Give him to speak th' immortal hope That fills his swelling heart, "Now lettest thou thy servant, Lord, According to thy faithful word In perfect peace depart. "I the good fight have fought and won, I all my course on earth have run, And pass'd my mourning days, Have kept the faith by Jesus given, And haste to my reward in heaven, A crown of righteousness. "That glorious wreath which now I see, The Lord, the righteous judge on me Shall at that day bestow, On me, and all my brethren here, Who long to see my Lord appear, And love his work below." So be it, Lord, for whom we stay, Hasten the long-expected day, And call our friend to share, The heavenly joy of saints deceas'd, And let us all with him be bless'd, And die to meet him there! Dreadful sin-chastising God, If the decree is past, If the long-impending rod Must scourge our land at last, When thou dost in wrath reprove The sinners who thy judgments dare, Spare the remnant, Lord, in love Thy praying people spare. Page 59 If on such a land as this Thou must avenged be, Yet preserve in perfect peace The souls that trust on thee, Hide their precious lives above, And make them thy peculiar care, Spare the remnant, Lord, in love Thy praying people spare. Mark the men, who deeply sigh Our loathsom crimes to view, Hear their deprecating cry, And save the mournful few, Far from them the plague remove, The famine, and the waste of war; Spare the remnant, Lord, in love Thy praying people spare. To thy little flock of sheep, O that thy grace might join Us, ev'n us who fain would weep Beneath the wrath divine: Help us, O thou Holy Dove, To breathe the much-availing prayer, Spare the remnant, Lord, in love Thy praying people spare. Surely now in part we feel The answer to our cry, Thou thine anger dost reveal, And bring the judgment nigh, Now the coming woes we prove, And groan the common ills to bear; Spare the remnant, Lord, in love Thy praying people spare. Grant us still to pray and grieve Till all the wrath is past; This the sign thou wilt forgive And heal our land at last: