Wesley Corpus

Ye fear to use the grace ye have, Ye dare not with your God comply, Ye will not suffer him to save, But salvable resolve to die. Against the truth ye stop your ears, Ye shut your eyes against the light, And mock your Saviour's cries and tears; And perish in his love's despight. Yet O! my God (I said) how long, How long shall the self-harden'd race Thy justice dare, thy mercy wrong, And trample on thy patient grace? Until their cities are destroy'd, Until their palaces lie waste, Formless the earth, and dark, and void The penal power of sin shall last. Yet all the faithful shall not fail Diminish'd from the sons of men, The gates of hell cannot prevail, Or make the word of promise vain. A remnant shall be left behind, A tenth to hallow all the race, Faith upon earth I still shall find, Th' election of peculiar grace. Page 238 As trees that cast their leaves retain Their substance in themselves entire, So shall the holy seed remain, And flourish, and to heaven aspire. A tenth shall still return, and grow, And furnish heaven and earth with food, Till all mankind to Jesus flow, And every soul is fill'd with God. Part of the Ninth Chapter of Isaiah, Verse 2, c.5 The people that in nature's night Walk'd down the broad, destructive way, Have seen a great and glorious light, The morning of a gospel-day. Who lov'd in death's sad shade to dwell, In trespasses and sins abode, That gloomy neighbourhood of hell; On them hath shin'd the light of God. 5A manuscript precursor of this hymn appears in MS Shent, 5a-6a. Page 239 Thou, Lord, hast made thy mercies known, Hast added to the chosen race, Enlarg'd, and multiplied thine own, And fill'd their hearts with joy and praise. They joy in their Redeemer's sight As harvesters to crown their toils, As warriors from the well-fought fight Return'd to part their glorious spoils. For thou the staff of sin hast broke, The dire oppressor's iron rod, The Egyptian and Assyrian yoke, And freed them from their guilty load. Thou as in Midian's dreadful day Hast sav'd them from their tyrant-lord; And all our sins thou soon shalt slay With Gideon's and the Spirit's sword.