Wesley Corpus

I have mine idols multiplied, Before the shrine of self1 and pride With vile devotion fell; Follow'd where'er the tempter led, And by each beastly, devilish deed Debas'd my soul to hell. My heart was harden'd from thy fear, Thy warning voice I would not hear, But cast thy words behind: Yet for my Saviour's sake forgive; And in thy mercy's arms receive Our whole apostate kind. "Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord, c." Jer. iii. 14, 15. The promise we for Israel plead: O that the once-beloved seed Back to their Lord might come! Now bid them look on thee, and mourn; Where'er dispers'd, collect, and turn, And bring thy wanderers home. To Jews the gospel-faith impart, And pastors after thine own heart, Thine ancient flock to feed With knowledge of the crucified, The God who by their malice died, And suffer'd in their stead. 1John Wesley substituted "wrath" for "self" in manuscript in his personal copy. Page 8 "And it shall come to pass when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days saith the Lord, they shall no more say, The ark of the covenant, c." Jer. iii. 16. Thou hast, O Lord, thine Israel bless'd, With Gentile proselites increas'd; The ark rever'd of old Is now no longer nam'd, or known, The Jewish state and church are gone Into the Christian fold. Yet still we look for happier days, When Adam's whole backslidden race Shall be to Israel join'd: Jesus, call forth thy holy seed, And haste throughout the earth to spread The church of all mankind. "At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart." Jer. iii. 17. But where thou didst for ages dwell, Thy brighter majesty reveal, And call the land thine own: In Jewry's2 land thy house repair, Set up th' imperial standard there, And fix thy favourite throne. To Salem, as their central place, Saviour, bring in the ransom'd race, Thy glorious name t' adore, Redeem'd from all iniquity, In spirit and truth to worship thee, 'Till time shall be no more. 2Ori., "Jury's."