Wesley Corpus

Wild, independent anarchy, Sad presage of a nation's fall, And every order and degree Corrupt, profane, for vengeance call, The noble and ignoble crowd, Whose lives declare There is no God. Yet hast thou, Lord, a remnant still, Who for their guilty brethren plead, And wait the counsels of thy will, Th' event by sov'reign love decreed, Whether thou wilt no longer spare, Or give us to thy people's prayer. Father of everlasting love, In Jesu's name and Spirit we cry, Thy judgments with their cause remove, Who wouldst not have one sinner die, Millions in Christ accepted see, And bid us live, restor'd, to thee. Hymn IV. Habbakuk i. How long, to thee, O God, shall I Of violence and oppression cry, And thou refuse to hear? Fresh scenes of wickedness I see, Of bloody strife and cruelty, But no deliverance near. Why dost thou to thy servants show Spoiling, and waste, and grievous woe, Which force me to complain: Tyrants and demagogues arise, Where'er I turn my blasted eyes, And fill my heart with pain. Page 9 The silent laws have lost their force, Where rebels arm'd obstruct their course, And grasp at sov'reign power, Their law their own despotic will, Their whole delight to slay and kill, To murther and devour. Suffer'd by thee, their swift allies, Whom treach'rous Babylon supplies, To their assistance haste, March thro' a land that is not theirs, Impatient to demand their shares, And seize the whole at last. As hungry wolves, they come from far, With violent rage to rend, and tear America opprest, As eagles to the carcase fly, And enemies and friends must die, To furnish out the feast. O Lord, my God, my holy one, High on thine everlasting throne, Whom Britain's crimes offend, Thou wilt not give our nation up To the destroyer's will, but hope And peace is in our end. More righteous than ourselves are they Who scourge us in our evil day? Or dost thou chuse the worst, Thy wrath vindictive to reveal, Thy lighter chastisements to deal, And punish us the first? Thy purer eyes abhor to see, Or look upon iniquity, Nor wilt thou always bear With treach'rous and blood thirsty men, Who have their juster brethren slain, And all thy judgments dare. Page 10