Wesley Corpus

Page 39 "When Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart." Exod. viii. 15. How oft have I, like Pharaoh, prov'd A penitent in pain, And when I saw the plague remov'd, Return'd to sin again! Hard'ning my heart, I still rebel, The worse for each reprieve: But try if grace cannot prevail, And now, O Lord, forgive. "This is the finger of God!" Exod. viii. 19. 'Till by thy mighty signs compell'd, The world, thine old Egyptian foe, The persecutor scorns to yield, And will not let thy people go. Jesus appear, extort the word From those who now thy plagues defy, "This is the finger of the Lord, This is the work of the Most-High!" "Pharaoh said, Go ye sacrifice to your God in the land." Exod. viii. 25. Thy people, Lord, if thou command, Are tolerated by thy foe: We sacrifice, or in the land, Or to the fields and desarts go: This liberty to serve our God With faith unfeign'd, and conscience pure, By providential love bestow'd, Let it from age to age indure. "The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh." Exod. ix. 12. There needed, Lord, no act of thine, If Pharaoh had an heart like mine: One moment leave me but alone, And mine alas, is turn'd to stone!