Wesley Corpus

The tokens of thy presence shew, And guard us from th' invading foe; Page 11 Thy glory be our sure defence, Our buckler, thy omnipotence, Nor ever from thine house remove, When fill'd with all the life of love. Hymn VII. The Fourth Chapter of Jeremiah. Part I. O Israel hear the warning word, Accept the power to weep and mourn, Return to thy inviting Lord, If yet thou wilt, he saith, return. By timely grief the woe prevent, Nor weary out my patient love, If now thou wilt at last repent, Thou never, never shalt remove. Stablish'd in truth and righteousness, The Lord thou for thine own shalt claim: The nations too themselves shall bless In him, and boast of Jesu's name. For thus the Lord vouchsafes to speak, Sinners, my latest call obey, Break up your fallow ground, and seek My face, and cast your sins away. Choak not the seed of heavenly love, From worldly cares and pleasures free, The foreskin of your hearts remove, And give up all your souls to me. Page 12 2Ori., "Are gone forth"; corrected in 2nd edn. and following. Repent, before my vengeful ire For all your evil deeds ye feel, Before my wrath break out as fire, And burn with flames unquenchable. Hymn VIII. The Fourth Chapter of Jeremiah. Part II. Throughout Jerusalem declare, In Judah's land proclaim the woe, Sound an alarm of instant war, And point them to th' invading foe. Blow ye the trumpet's loudest blast, Let all the crowd with horror cry, "Fly to the forts, with trembling haste, Before the swift pursuer fly." The standard Sion-ward set up, Ye people all in time retreat, Fly from the sword, nor dare to stop, Where war hath fixt its bloody seat. For I the just, the jealous God, Will call an evil from the north, Scatter my dreadful plagues abroad, And send the swift destruction forth. The lion from his brake is come, The waster fierce is on his way, The powers of persecuting Rome Are all gone forth2 to kill and slay. Th' invader comes with furious haste, The scourge of heaven's avenging Lord, To lay thy land, and cities waste, And plant his faith with fire and sword. Page 13