Wesley Corpus

The stedfast word of God and sure This mark of our adoption gives: And he who doth not pain endure The sinful life of nature lives; And if he still at ease remain, Shall soon inherit endless pain. "All are partakers of chastisement." Heb. xii. 8. The children every one partake The chastisement for all design'd, Their God doth no exception make, Impartially, severely kind, No fav'rite uncorrected leaves, But scourges all whom he receives. To none of the believing race This mark their Father's love denies: But when he sees the light of grace The babe in Christ that moment cries,103 And of the heavenly Spirit born Begins at once to breathe, and mourn.104 102John Wesley underlined "deep distress" in his personal copy, drawing a "Q" (for Question) in the margin. 103John Wesley underlined "moment cries" in his personal copy, writing in the margin "No." 104John Wesley underlined "Begins at once to" in his personal copy. Page 374 In sorrow, as in grace, we grow, With closer fellowship in pain, Our Lord more intimately know, 'Till coming to a perfect man, His sharpest agonies we share,105 And all his marks of passion bear. Partakers of his bitterest cup, And burthen'd with his heaviest load, We fill his after-sufferings up, Conform'd to an expiring God; And only such our Father owns, And seats on our appointed thrones.106 "He chastened us for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness." Heb. xii. 10. Father, that we are truly thine, By thine afflicting hand we know, Enter into thy kind design, Partakers with the Man of Woe, And bear our lot of sacred pain, Thy nature, and thy throne t' obtain. Tho' slow of heart, we comprehend The gracious meaning of thy rod, Who dost in every stroke intend Our spiritual, eternal good: We bless thine acceptable will, Which scourges and afflicts us still. The good, which we could never find Untroubled, unchastiz'd by thee, We feel, in pain and grief resign'd, The patient, meek humility, The mind which in our Saviour was, And all the bearers of his cross.