Wesley Corpus

And shall not we the call obey, And haste where God commands, to go? Despise these tenements of clay, These dreams of happiness below? Page 5 Yes Lord; we hearken to thy call, As sojourners o'er earth we rove, We have for thee forsaken all, And seek the heaven of perfect love. Verses XI, XII. By faith, the handmaid of the Lord, Sarah, receiv'd a power unknown, She judg'd him faithful to his word; Barren and old she bore a son. Nature had lost its genial power, And Abraham was old in vain: Impossibilities are o'er, If faith assent, and God ordain. He glorified Jehovah's name; (God spake the word, it must be done) Father of nations he became, And multitudes sprang forth from one. From one old man the race did rise, A barren womb the myriads bore, Countless, as stars that deck the skies, As sands that crown the ocean shore. Verses XIII, XIV, XV, XVI. The worthies these of ancient days, By faith they lived, in faith they died: Not yet receiv'd the promis'd grace, But darkly from afar descri'd. Assur'd the Saviour should appear, And confident in Christ to come, Him they embrac'd, tho' distant near, And languish'd for their heavenly home. Page 6 Pilgrims they here themselves confess'd, Who no abiding-place must know, Strangers on earth they could not rest, Or find their happiness below. Regardless of the things behind, The earthly home from whence they came, A better land they long'd to find, A promis'd heaven was all their aim. Their faith the gracious Father sees, And kindly for his children cares, He condescends to call them his, And suffers them to call him theirs, For them his heaven he hath prepar'd, His New Jerusalem above, And love is there their great reward, A whole eternity of love. Verses XVII, XVIII, XIX. Abraham, when severely tried, His faith by his obedience shew'd; He with the harsh command complied, And gave his Isaac back to God. His son the father offer'd up, Son of his age, his only son, Object of all his joy and hope, And less belov'd than God alone. His seed elect, his heir foretold, Of whom the promis'd Christ should rise, He could not from his God with-hold That best, that costliest sacrifice.