Wesley Corpus

Our loving confidence is sure, Our Guardian-Rock stands fast, Under its shade we dwell secure, 'Till every storm is past. Who rest beneath th' Almighty's wings, May cast their cares away: Whate'er event tomorrow brings, We live for God to-day. Page 18 Hymn V.3 Father of compassions, hear us, Us who flee Unto thee, While the scourge draws near us: While inflam'd with vengeful ire Babel's host Threats our coast, Arm'd with sword and fire. Can we 'scape the desolation, If the brand In their hand Be thine indignation? If we have fill'd up our measure, And our God Sends the rod Of his just displeasure! Who can tell if late repentance May find grace, Skreen our race From the dreadful sentence? Wilt thou, Lord, be yet intreated By thy foes, Save ev'n those For destruction fitted? Still in fearful expectation Guilty we Wait to see Thy determination. 3A manuscript copy of this hymn (with only one variant, noted here) is present in the Methodist Archives Research Centre, The John Rylands University Library: DDWes 4/54. Page 19 Father, hear the remnant's prayer, More than ten Righteous men Urging thee to spare. Spare the death-devoted city; Let us prove All thy love, All thy patient pity. Mercy is thy heavenly4 nature, Make it known In thy Son, Hear our Mediator. Hear his all-commanding Spirit Interceed, While we plead Jesus' blood and merit. Hear and drop thy controversy Jesus prays! Wrath, give place, Judgment, yield to mercy! Hymn VI.5 Most gracious God, what shall we say To stop a senseless people's doom? How can we for the rebels pray, Who court the tardy scourge to come, Thy grace despise, thy truth deny, And all thy threaten'd plagues defy! Because thy ling'ring love defers The long-indebted punishment, From time to time the wicked spares, Their heart on evil fully bent 4DDWes 4/54 had "only" written here, then crossed out and replaced with "heavenly." 5A manuscript version of this hymn appears in MS Miscellaneous Hymns, 159-60. Page 20 Disdains the punishment to fear, And mocks at the destruction near. Will they believe the spoiler nigh, Or tremble at the slaught'ring sword? Safe in the toils of hell they lie, Deaf to the watchman's warning word, Nor God nor man their hurt intends, And death and Tophet are their friends.