Wesley Corpus

No common fight, tho' fierce, and loud With all the horrid pomp of war, Tumult, and garments roll'd in blood; Can with the fight of faith compare. The Spirit of burning love shall come, Our sins shall then the fewel be, Thy love shall all our sins consume, And get it self the victory. Page 240 For lo! to us a royal heir Is born, to us a Son is given! His shoulder shall the burthen bear, The government of earth and heaven. The WONDERFUL his name shall be, His new, unutterable name, The COUNSELLOR, whose powerful plea Acquits us of all guilt and blame. The great, supreme Almighty God, With his eternal Father one, The Prince of Peace, whose precious blood Doth once for all mankind atone. It seals the universal peace: His peace and power to all extend, His power shall evermore increase And never shall his mercies end. His mercies flow to all mankind, His arms of love would all embrace, And every soul of man may find The power of his all-pard'ning grace. Whoe'er receive his power t' obey, To them he comes, and reigns alone, Mildly maintains his righteous sway, And stablishes his peaceful throne. Page 241 He will the stedfast mind impart, The power that never shall remove, And fix in every sinless heart His throne of everlasting love. The zeal of our Almighty Lord His great redeeming work shall do, Perform his sanctifying word, And every waiting soul renew; Bring in the kingdom of his peace, Fill all our souls with joy unknown, And stablish us in righteousness, And perfect all his saints in one. Part of the Tenth Chapter of Isaiah, Verse 24, c.6 Thus saith the Lord, th' Almighty Lord, To those that wait the joyful hour, Abide, my people, in my word, Nor tremble at th' Assyrian's power. Th' oppressive foe that dwells within Shall smite thee with an iron rod, Lift up his staff of inbred sin, And force thy soul to groan for God. 6Manuscript precursors of this hymn appear in MS Cheshunt, 16-18; MS Clarke, 18-20; and MS Shent, 7a-8a. Page 242 Like as in Egypt's evil day, When Pharaoh would not let thee go, The fiend shall hold thee fast, and say "There's no perfection here below."