Wesley Corpus

Page 22 "Escape for thy life, c." Gen. xix. 17. O may I never look behind, To sin and Satan turn again, Rest in the world, or comfort find In self, or linger on the plain, But reaching toward the mountain, fly, And 'scape to Jesus in the sky. "Haste thee, escape thither." Gen. xix. 22. Jehovah for his servants cares, Whene'er he makes his anger known, The vessels of destruction spares, Till mercy hath secur'd its own: He cannot seal the sinner's doom In storms of vengeance from above, Till Lot is unto Zoar come, And shelter'd safe in Jesu's love. "I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither." Gen. xix. 22. Kept off by Lot, the fiery rain On Sodom cannot yet descend, The presence of one righteous man Doth God's impending plagues suspend: But woe to that devoted race, Whom their despis'd protectors leave! The wrath shall all on them take place, The yawning gulph its prey receive. "The Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven." Gen. xix. 24. Jehovah from Jehovah pours His plagues on sinners unforgiven, The Lord on earth in flaming showers Hurls vengeance from the Lord in heaven; For God with Christ in essence one Hath giv'n all judgment to his Son. Page 23 "I with-held thee from sinning against me." Gen. xx. 6. Is it a moral sense in man, Reason, or pride, or virtue's power, Which doth from passion's rage restrain, And save us in th' unguarded hour? No; but a secret force of thine, O Christ, preserves thro' ways unknown: With-held from sin by grace divine, I give the praise to God alone. "I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place." Gen. xx. 11. Forgive my partial selfishness, My rash, censorious thought, "Among this people, in this place, Surely the Lord is not! If strangers to my sect and name, Strangers they are to thee, God is not fear'd, except by them Who know, and honour me." "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and offer him for a burnt-offering." Gen. xxii. 2.