 | The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley |  |
HYMN XIV.
[Merciful God, Thy love we sing]
Merciful God, Thy love we sing,
From whence our public blessings spring:
Thy love is every Briton's theme,
Who drinks the fountain in the stream,
And looks inferior causes through,
To keep his gracious God in view.
From whence our public blessings spring:
Thy love is every Briton's theme,
Who drinks the fountain in the stream,
And looks inferior causes through,
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.
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 braved 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 restored,
“Our Strength and Helper is the Lord.”
And piloted our sinking ship:
But still Thy secret hand was near,
Directing his the helm to steer;
And Britain sings, to life restored,
“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.
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.
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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.
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 counsell'd right,
He taught our mariners to fight;
His prowess in our troops we prove,
His goodness in our king we love.
Gracious and wise is God alone:
Our counsellors He counsell'd right,
He taught our mariners to fight;
His prowess in our troops we prove,
His goodness in our king we love.
Let every instrument disclaim
The honours due to Jesus' name:
Him only wise and good confess,
Him our almighty Saviour bless,
And praise the Rock that cannot move,
The Rock of everlasting love.
The honours due to Jesus' name:
Him only wise and good confess,
Him our almighty Saviour bless,
And praise the Rock that cannot move,
The Rock of everlasting love.
| The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley | |