Wesley Corpus

Destruction is the dreadful cry! Destruction from the Lord is come! The land is spoil'd, the people fly, And flying meet their sudden doom, My tents are spoil'd, my curtains torn, And I my country's ruin mourn. How long shall I the standard see, And hear the trumpet's martial blast? 'Till Israel hear, and turn to me, The Lord hath said, my wrath shall last, The whole devoted land devour; And all its storms of vengeance pour. For O! My people have not known, My ways they have not understood, Averse from me, to evil prone, Expert in sin, but rude in good, Foolish and sottish children they, Who will not learn their God t' obey. Hymn XI. The Fourth Chapter of Jeremiah. Part V. I saw the earth by sin destroy'd, And lo! It lay wrapt up in night, A chaos without form, and void, And robb'd of all its heavenly light. I saw, and lo! The mountains shook, The hills mov'd lightly to and fro, The birds had all the sky forsook, Nor man, nor beast appear'd below. Page 16 3"Humble" changed to "humbled" in 2nd edn. and following. I saw, and lo! The fruitful place Was to a ghastly desart turn'd, Beneath Jehovah's frowning face The ghastly desart droop'd, and mourn'd. The nation suddenly o'rethrown I saw before the waster's sword: The cities all were broken down In presence of their angry Lord. For thus their angry Lord hath spoke, The land shall soon be all laid waste: Yet will I to the remnant look, And spare the weeping few at last. I will not utterly consume, Or make a full destructive end, But change my des'late people's doom, And every humble3 soul befriend. Hymn XII. The Fourth Chapter of Jeremiah. Part VI. Yet first the stricken earth shall mourn, And deepest night obscure the skies, I will not from my purpose turn, Resolv'd my rebels to chastise. My rebels shall with panic dread, Before the furious horsemen fly, Climb the steep rocks with desperate speed, Or panting in the thickets lie. The cities shall be all forsook: Ah! Sion, whither wilt thou go, To whom for help or rescue look, When ravag'd by th' invading foe? Page 17 4"Heart" changed to "hearts" in 2nd edn. and following.