 | I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
 | XI. |
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| XII. |
| XIII. |
 | The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley |  |
EZEKIEL IX.
HYMN IV.
PART I.
[Great God, whose wrath in ancient times]
Great God, whose wrath in ancient times
O'erflow'd Thy sinful people's crimes;
Whose angry voice again I hear,
Which thunder'd in Ezekiel's ear;
Stir up Thy mercy with Thy power,
And arm us for the fiery hour.
O'erflow'd Thy sinful people's crimes;
Whose angry voice again I hear,
Which thunder'd in Ezekiel's ear;
Stir up Thy mercy with Thy power,
And arm us for the fiery hour.
If now the dreadful charge is given
To the fierce ministers of heaven,
If ready now the aliens stand,
Their slaughter-weapons in their hand,
To deal the chastisements of God,
And make our land a field of blood:
To the fierce ministers of heaven,
If ready now the aliens stand,
Their slaughter-weapons in their hand,
To deal the chastisements of God,
And make our land a field of blood:
Come with them, O Thou Man in white,
Who dost in gracious acts delight,
Before the dire destroyers come,
In love prevent the general doom:
Nor make Thy wrath on sinners known,
Till mercy hath secured Thine own.
Who dost in gracious acts delight,
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In love prevent the general doom:
Nor make Thy wrath on sinners known,
Till mercy hath secured Thine own.
Our sad devoted land go through,
Distinguishing the mournful few,
Whose spirits vex'd with pious pain,
Lament our sins of deepest stain,
And groan the public guilt to bear,
And agonize in secret prayer.
Distinguishing the mournful few,
Whose spirits vex'd with pious pain,
Lament our sins of deepest stain,
And groan the public guilt to bear,
And agonize in secret prayer.
The men, who daily sigh and grieve,
The Lots that in our Sodom live,
A difference in their favour make,
Into Thy kind protection take,
And claim the pensive souls for Thine,
And mark them with the crimson sign.
The Lots that in our Sodom live,
A difference in their favour make,
Into Thy kind protection take,
And claim the pensive souls for Thine,
And mark them with the crimson sign.
The sign which men and demons flee,
Let us even now receive from Thee;
Inscribe us, O Thou pardoning God,
Write our protection in Thy blood,
(That blood which every ill averts,)
And stamp Thine image on our hearts.
Let us even now receive from Thee;
Inscribe us, O Thou pardoning God,
Write our protection in Thy blood,
(That blood which every ill averts,)
And stamp Thine image on our hearts.
HYMN V.
PART II.
[Tremendous God of Israel, hear]
Tremendous God of Israel, hear,
Before the slaughtering troops draw near,
Before they at Thy house begin,
To smite the hoary slaves of sin;
Revoke the charge, the wicked spare,
And give them to Thy people's prayer.
Before the slaughtering troops draw near,
Before they at Thy house begin,
To smite the hoary slaves of sin;
Revoke the charge, the wicked spare,
And give them to Thy people's prayer.
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With timely sorrow we confess
Our land's abounding wickedness,
Our sins that to a deluge rise,
And dare the vengeance of the skies,
Where sinners fancy Thee to reign,
Regardless of the works of men.
Our land's abounding wickedness,
Our sins that to a deluge rise,
And dare the vengeance of the skies,
Where sinners fancy Thee to reign,
Regardless of the works of men.
“The earth He hath long since forsook,
Nor deigns on worms to cast a look;
Left to ourselves (they madly cry)
We joy or grieve, we live or die,
And floods may rise, and cities fall,
For Chance, and Nature, governs all.”
Nor deigns on worms to cast a look;
Left to ourselves (they madly cry)
We joy or grieve, we live or die,
And floods may rise, and cities fall,
For Chance, and Nature, governs all.”
Canst Thou forgive the impious crowd,
Whose actions say, There is no God?
Or must Thou all Thy fury pour,
And let the sword Thy foes devour,
The plague destroy, the dearth consume,
Or gaping earth at once entomb?
Whose actions say, There is no God?
Or must Thou all Thy fury pour,
And let the sword Thy foes devour,
The plague destroy, the dearth consume,
Or gaping earth at once entomb?
We know not, Lord, Thy dread decree,
For secret things belong to Thee,
Whether Thou wilt again reprieve,
Or now the final sentence give;
But till Thy counsel Thou display,
We still for mercy, mercy pray.
For secret things belong to Thee,
Whether Thou wilt again reprieve,
Or now the final sentence give;
But till Thy counsel Thou display,
We still for mercy, mercy pray.
Call in the ruthless sons of Rome,
Nor let the threaten'd earthquake come:
We hear the rod, we mourn and sigh,
We with the weeping remnant cry,
“Revoke the charge, the wicked spare,
And give them to Thy people's prayer.”
Nor let the threaten'd earthquake come:
We hear the rod, we mourn and sigh,
We with the weeping remnant cry,
“Revoke the charge, the wicked spare,
And give them to Thy people's prayer.”
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HYMN VI.
PART III.
[Stay, Thou departing Spirit stay]
Stay, Thou departing Spirit stay,
Nor take Thy presence quite away!
Though now our languid hearts bemoan
Thy glory to the threshold gone,
Yet do not, Lord, withdraw Thy light,
Or leave us to eternal night.
Nor take Thy presence quite away!
Though now our languid hearts bemoan
Thy glory to the threshold gone,
Yet do not, Lord, withdraw Thy light,
Or leave us to eternal night.
Arise into Thy resting-place,
As in those wondrous ancient days,
When God appear'd to dwell with men,
Betwixt the mystic cherubs seen,
Worshipp'd by all the angel choir,
And symbolized by living fire.
As in those wondrous ancient days,
When God appear'd to dwell with men,
Betwixt the mystic cherubs seen,
Worshipp'd by all the angel choir,
And symbolized by living fire.
Now to Thy drooping church return,
Thou Comforter of all that mourn,
Thy suppliants in Thy temple meet,
And bless us from Thy mercy-seat,
And still in our assemblies shine,
The dazzling Shechinah Divine.
Thou Comforter of all that mourn,
Thy suppliants in Thy temple meet,
And bless us from Thy mercy-seat,
And still in our assemblies shine,
The dazzling Shechinah Divine.
The tokens of Thy presence show,
And guard us from the' invading foe:
Thy glory be our sure defence,
Our buckler Thy omnipotence,
Nor ever from Thine house remove,
When fill'd with all the life of love.
And guard us from the' invading foe:
Thy glory be our sure defence,
Our buckler Thy omnipotence,
Nor ever from Thine house remove,
When fill'd with all the life of love.
| The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley | |