Wesley Corpus

Jehovah shall lay to his hand, Collect his sheep to exile driven, And bring them to their native land, And add them to the church in heaven. The Fourteenth Chapter of Isaiah.8 Part I. Rejoice, rejoice ye fallen race, Fallen from God whom once ye knew, He waits again to shew his grace, The Lord a promise hath for you. The gracious word of his command Backsliding Israel shall restore, And set thee in thy native land, Whence thou shalt never wander more. Strangers shall then to thee be join'd, Shall to the house of Jacob cleave, Adore the Saviour of mankind Who died that all mankind might live. 8Published previously as Fourteenth Chapter of Isaiah (London: Strahan, 1742). See the reference to this printed version in MS Shent, 13a. Page 248 Restor'd to thine unsinning state, Thou at thy feet the world shalt see As servants and as handmaids wait, Glad to receive the law from thee. The lords to whom thou bowd'st thy neck Shall bow their neck beneath thy chain, Thy conquerors thou shalt captive take, And o'er thy dire oppressors reign. Surely the gospel day shall come, The Lord thy spirit shall release, Satan shall have his final doom, And thou from sin for ever cease. From all thy grief, and pain, and fear; Thy grief to be by sin subdued, Thy pain the gauling yoke to bear, Thy fear to perish in thy blood. Then when the Lord hath giv'n thee rest And breath'd the Spirit of his power, His princely Spirit into thy breast, And made thee more than conqueror; Thou, the poor slave of Satan, thou Shalt spurn thy old imperious king, Vanquish'd, for ever vanquish'd now, And thus the song triumphal sing: Page 249 How hath the proud oppressor ceas'd! Fallen the height of Babel's tow'rs, Fallen the king who long oppress'd The earth with all its struggling powers. The world's fierce ruler, and their god Who bow'd the nations to his yoke, And bruis'd them with an iron rod, And smote with a continual stroke; How hath the Lord destroy'd his power, O'erturn'd his kingdom from within, Ended the dark, oppressive hour, And broke his staff of inbred sin! That man of sin is now cast down Who held the captive world in chains, And none the cause of Satan own, And none contend for sin's remains.