Wesley Corpus

Page 290 To think, afflicted, I begin, Study the meaning of thy rod, Review my life, renounce my sin, And turn with all my heart to God. "God hath made man upright: but they have sought out many inventions." Eccles. vii. 29. Upright both in heart and will We by our God were made, But we turn'd from good to ill, And o'er the creatures stray'd, Multiplied our wandring thought, Which first was fixt on God alone, In ten thousand objects sought The bliss we lost in one. From our own inventions vain Of fancied happiness, Draw us to thyself again, And bid our wandrings cease, Jesus, speak our souls restor'd By love's divine simplicity, Re-united to our Lord, And wholly lost in thee. "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong." Eccles. ix. 11. Nor swiftness can secure the race, Nor strength the battle win, We get the victory by grace O'er hell, the world, and sin: Jesus, we borrow it from thee The power to fight and run; Thou therefore shalt exalted be Who all our works hast done! My utmost strength when I exert, My utmost strength must fail, Unless thou take the sinner's part, I never can prevail: