The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Us into Thy protection take,
And cast our foes, in vengeance, down:
Our fathers unto us have told,
What Thou in their defence hast wrought,
Thy wondrous works in times of old,
When Israel's God for Britain fought.

Our God the hostile powers destroy'd,
Armies and fleets invincible,
Render'd their cruel counsels void,
And baffled all the plots of hell.
Again, great God, Thou dost defeat
Their sure exterminating aim:
Again Thy praises we repeat,
And London saved defies the flame.

By an almighty arm we own
The dire conspiracy suppress'd;
Thou only, Lord, the work hast done,
And safe beneath Thy wings we rest:
Thou hast appear'd the Lord most high,
A token to Thy servants given,
And lo! we see the aliens fly,
As chaff before the whirlwind driven!

Dispersed the' assassinating band,
(Soon as they miss'd their fatal blow,)
Incendiaries throughout the land,
They carry death where'er they go;
They carry their own hell within,
Rebels and traitors in disguise;
But all their hearts by Thee are seen,
And hell is naked to Thine eyes.

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Thou know'st the depth of their design,
To slander Thine anointed here,
And in the holy league to join
Full many a simple soul sincere;
The arts, and daring lies accursed,
The parricides' successful pains
To blast, and make him odious first,
And then—but God for ever reigns!

Thy wrath on these shall soon be show'd:
But let Thy grace extended be
To the misguided multitude,
Who speak against their king and Thee:
Let pity the distinction make,
The merciful deliverance bring,
And touch their hearts, and turn them back
To God, their country, and their king.

So will we sing and praise Thy name,
And sweetly in Thy service join'd,
The grace miraculous proclaim,
Which makes us of one heart and mind;
Which hath to us salvation brought,
A desperate, death-devoted crowd,
The brands out of the burning caught,
And quench'd a nation in Thy blood!

University of Virginia Library

HYMN IX.

[Arm of the Lord, awake, awake]