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 | The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley |  |
407
PRAYER FOR THE REV. MR. STONEHOUSE. [1755.]
O Thou whose pitying love relieves
The traveller fallen among thieves,
Stripp'd, wounded, and half dead;
To all the life of faith restore
My friend, who needs Thy aid the more,
The less he asks Thy aid.
The traveller fallen among thieves,
Stripp'd, wounded, and half dead;
To all the life of faith restore
My friend, who needs Thy aid the more,
The less he asks Thy aid.
Caught by the men who steal for God,
The fiends in hunting souls employ'd,
Too long he slumbering lay:
But Thou hast more than shared the spoils,
Dissolved the charms, and burst the toils,
And claim'd the lawful prey.
The fiends in hunting souls employ'd,
Too long he slumbering lay:
But Thou hast more than shared the spoils,
Dissolved the charms, and burst the toils,
And claim'd the lawful prey.
Yet still, unconscious of its wound,
His spirit is not quite unbound,
From all delusion free:
The thieves have left their prey behind,
Naked, insensible, and blind,
And destitute of Thee.
His spirit is not quite unbound,
From all delusion free:
The thieves have left their prey behind,
Naked, insensible, and blind,
And destitute of Thee.
Robb'd in that dark, Satanic hour,
Of all his ministerial power,
The man who ran so well:
His work, alas! hath suffer'd loss;
He is not, Lord, what once he was,
A flame of heavenly zeal.
Of all his ministerial power,
The man who ran so well:
His work, alas! hath suffer'd loss;
He is not, Lord, what once he was,
A flame of heavenly zeal.
A watchman in our Church he was,
Exceeding jealous for Thy cause,
And for Thy glorious name,
A chosen instrument of heaven
To pluck poor souls, by grace forgiven,
From the eternal flame.
Exceeding jealous for Thy cause,
And for Thy glorious name,
A chosen instrument of heaven
To pluck poor souls, by grace forgiven,
From the eternal flame.
408
Raised up by Thee he seem'd to stand
Protector of a guilty land:
Our hopes were built on him,
As equal to the righteous ten,
As planted in the gap, between,
Our Sodom to redeem.
Protector of a guilty land:
Our hopes were built on him,
As equal to the righteous ten,
As planted in the gap, between,
Our Sodom to redeem.
How is the fervent zeal grown cold,
The wine with water mix'd, the gold
With nature's base alloy!
How hath Thy messenger denied
His heavenly call, and turn'd aside,
And cast his sword away.
The wine with water mix'd, the gold
With nature's base alloy!
How hath Thy messenger denied
His heavenly call, and turn'd aside,
And cast his sword away.
But Thou canst yet his zeal revive,
Canst stir him up to fight and strive,
As in those happy days,
To prove Thy good and perfect will,
To own, and zealously fulfil
The counsels of Thy grace.
Canst stir him up to fight and strive,
As in those happy days,
To prove Thy good and perfect will,
To own, and zealously fulfil
The counsels of Thy grace.
O wouldst Thou in this gracious hour
Renew, and give him back his power,
His wisdom from above:
His simple faith, and tender fear,
His filial piety for Her
Whom more than life I love.
Renew, and give him back his power,
His wisdom from above:
His simple faith, and tender fear,
His filial piety for Her
Whom more than life I love.
O might my dearest charge be his!
My ceaseless prayer for Sion's peace,
Now let it answer'd be!
Shepherd Divine, (I ask no more,)
This pastor to our Church restore,
And take my soul to Thee.
My ceaseless prayer for Sion's peace,
Now let it answer'd be!
Shepherd Divine, (I ask no more,)
This pastor to our Church restore,
And take my soul to Thee.
| The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley | |