Wesley Corpus

Page 6 They ask the scourge to see, They bid thy day make haste, But public ill, o'erul'd by thee, Shall turn to good at last. Hymn IV. Here then we calmly rest, Whate'er thy will intend, It must be for thy people best, It must in blessings end: To those that love the Lord, And feel thy sprinkled blood, Famine, and pestilence, and sword, Shall jointly work for good. Our lives are hid with thine, Our hairs are numbred all, Nor can without the nod divine One worthless sparrow fall: And shall a nation bleed, And shall a kingdom fail, While thou, O Christ, art Lord and Head O'er heaven and earth and hell! Beneath thy wings secure, In patience we possess Our souls, and quietly endure Whatever our God decrees: Yet still we cry, delay The careless sinner's doom, And, till the judgment comes, we pray That it may never come: May never come alone, But guided by thy grace Page 7 Our vain self confidence o'erturn, And all our pride abase: Who will not see thy hand, Thy truth and love adore, Compel us, Lord, to understand The thunder of thy power. Out of our slumber woke, Bid all our nation rise, And bless the providential stroke, That turn'd us to the skies: Who walk'd in darkest night, In death's dread shadow lay, Shew us the great the glorious light, The dawn of gospel-day. Escap'd the hostile sword, O may we fly to thee, And find in our redeeming Lord Our life and liberty; Our strength and righteousness, O let us hold thee fast, With confidence divine, and peace That shall for ever last. Hymn V. Jeremiah xlvii. 6, 7. How long, thou weapon of the Lord, Jehovah's controversial sword, Before thy slaughters cease? Put up thyself into thy sheath, Be still, thou minister of death, And sleep in endless peace. How can it sleep, when hostile heaven A charge hath to his servant given, Page 8 Against the British shore? Appointed by an angry God, Tho' drunk with seas of human blood, The glutton thirsts for more. Have we not dragg'd the judgment down, Undaunted at th' Almighty's frown, Unsoften'd by his grace? And still we madly close our eyes, Thy mercy spurn, thy wrath despise, And mock thee to thy face.