Wesley Corpus

The sign which men and demons flee, Let us ev'n now receive from thee; Inscribe us, O thou pard'ning God, Write our protection in thy blood, (That blood which every ill averts) And stamp thine image on our hearts. Page 9 Hymn V. Ezekiel ix. Part II. Tremendous God of Israel, hear, Before the slaughtering troops draw near, Before they at thy house begin; To smite the hoary slaves of sin; Revoke the charge, the wicked spare, And give them to thy people's prayer. With timely sorrow we confess Our land's abounding wickedness, Our sins that to a deluge rise, And dare the vengeance of the skies, Where sinners fancy thee to reign, Regardless of the works of men. "The earth he hath long since forsook, Nor deigns on worms to cast a look; Left to our selves (they madly cry) We joy or grieve, we live or die, And floods may rise, and cities fall, For chance, and nature governs all." Canst thou forgive the impious crowd, Whose actions say, There is no God? Or must thou all thy fury pour, And let the sword thy foes devour, The plague destroy, the dearth consume, Or gaping earth at once entomb? We know not Lord, thy dread decree, For secret things belong to thee, Whether thou wilt again reprieve, Or now the final sentence give; Page 10 But till thy counsel thou display, We still for mercy, mercy pray. Call in the ruthless sons of Rome, Nor let the threaten'd earthquake come: We hear the rod, we mourn and sigh, We with the weeping remnant cry, "Revoke the charge, the wicked spare, And give them to thy people's prayer." Hymn VI. Ezekiel ix. Part III. Stay, thou departing Spirit stay, Nor take thy presence quite away! Tho' now our languid hearts bemoan Thy glory to the threshold gone, Yet do not, Lord, withdraw thy light, Or leave us to eternal night. Arise into thy resting place, As in those wondrous antient days, When God appear'd to dwell with men, Betwixt the mystic cherubs seen, Worship'd by all the angel quire, And symboliz'd by living fire. Now to thy drooping church return, Thou Comforter of all that mourn, Thy suppliants in thy temple meet, And bless us from thy mercy-seat, And still in our assemblies shine, The dazling Shechinah divine.