Wesley Corpus

Page 31 Thine arm, by Israel's cry awoke, Its own resistless strength hath took, Dispers'd the low'ring cloud we fear'd, And glorious on our side appear'd. Rome with a new armada vow'd To quench her thirst of British blood; On vengeance and destruction bent, They proudly told their dire intent, To keep with hereticks their word, And waste our isle with fire and sword. Where now is the invader's boast, The terror of our naked coast? Thou, Lord, who know'st the proud to quell, Hast shew'd them not invincible, Made their infernal counsel void, And all their vaunted strength destroy'd. Sing to the Lord! The Lord alone His strange destructive work hath done: Jehovah did the cloud look thro', Jehovah gave the word Pursue! He dash'd their vessels on the coast, He swallow'd up their troubled host. Thine was the power, the wisdom thine, Which baffled Gaul's and Rome's design: Who ever dealt the destin'd blow, Or launch'd thy thunder on the foe, Thee in the instrument we see, And give the praise entire to thee. Hymn XIV. Merciful God, thy love we sing, From whence our public blessings spring: Page 32 Thy love is every Briton's theme, Who drinks the fountain in the stream, And looks inferior causes thro', To keep his gracious God in view. Bent to preserve our favour'd race, Thou on our land, in special grace, The steady patriot hast bestow'd, And form'd him for Britannia's good, As born her ruin to retrieve, And bid his gasping country live. Boldly he brav'd the stormy deep, And piloted our sinking ship: But still thy secret hand was near, Directing his the helm to steer; And Britain sings, to life restor'd, "Our strength and helper is the Lord." Thy Spirit in our councils sat, And turn'd the battle to the gate: It laid their forts and armies low, It tore whole regions from the foe; Thine arm from France the islands rent, Thy thunder shook the continent. Sent of the Lord his bolts to deal, And execute his awful will, By haughty sacrilegious boasts, We will not wrong the Lord of hosts, If fools his providence exclude, And heathens say There is no God. God over-ruling all we own, Gracious and wise is God alone: Our counsellors he counsel'd right, He taught our mariners to fight;