Wesley Corpus

How loth is God to strike, who stays So long, before he gives the blow, Threatens, and warns; yet still delays; That sinners may his mercy know! His wrath he wills us to prevent, His timely warnings to receive, And 'scape the threaten'd punishment, And sav'd from sin forever live. Page 16 "Every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart was only evil continually." Gen. vi. 5. And dare we our perfection boast? With haughty Luciferian scorn Deny our innocency lost, As still in God's resemblance born? Great author of our second birth, Give us, our fallen souls to feel As godlike as the beasts on earth, As perfect as the fiends in hell. "It repented the Lord, that he had made man." Gen. vi. 6. He mourns his frustrated intent, Who bad the rebel be: But never doth my Lord repent That he hath ransom'd me. "It grieved him at his heart." Gen. vi. 6. Griev'd at his heart is God for me, For sin which I have done? And yet (alas, how can it be?) And yet my heart is stone! Wearied, and broke, and pierc'd, and torn, My injur'd God and friend, Give me to look on thee, and mourn, 'Till grief with life shall end. "Noah builded an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt-offerings. And the Lord smelled a sweet savour." Gen. viii. 20, 21. Noah, descended from the skies, Our faithful, merciful high-priest, The Lord accepts thy sacrifice, A savour of perpetual rest, Thy death did once for all atone, And God and man in thee are one.