Wesley Corpus

Page 364 "Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate, than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord, c." Isa. liv. 1, 2. In loudest songs thy joy declare, Thou barren church, that didst not bear, Thine happy change with shoutings tell; Beyond the ancient Israel bless'd, Far more abundantly increas'd, The widow doth the wife excel: Inlarge thy dwelling-place, extend Thy pale to earth's remotest end, Within no narrow bounds confin'd, With cords of everlasting love, With stakes of truth that cannot move, Spread out thy tent for all mankind. "For thou shalt break forth on the right hand, and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited." Isa. liv. 3. Redundant as a swelling tide, Thou shalt break forth on every side, The dams o'erflow, the mounds bear down, Thy first-born sons, an holy seed, Thro' every distant realm shall spread, And make the Gentile world their own: The cities that for ages past, Thro' sin lay desolate and waste, The souls of grace and virtue void The zealous children shall repair, And Christ himself inhabit there, And every saint be fill'd with God. Page 365 "Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed ... for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more." Isa. liv. 4. With confidence lift up thy face, Nor dread the scandal and disgrace, At first on all thy children cast, "Have any of the great believ'd?" Yes; rulers have thy law receiv'd, And kings themselves submit the last. No more shalt thou upbraided be, With fewness or with poverty, Or sad thy widow'd state deplore; Self-will and pride, thy nature's shame, Are swallow'd up in Jesu's name, And sin's confusion is no more. "For thy Maker is thine husband; (the Lord of hosts is his name): and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth shall he be called." Isa. liv. 5. Be bold in Jesus to confide, His creature, and his spotless bride, Thy husband's power and goodness prove: The Holy One of Israel he, The Lord of hosts hath chosen thee, In truth, and righteousness, and love.