The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

Men with one consent excuse
Themselves from happiness,
Still in various ways refuse
Their Saviour and His grace;
Some unpolish'd roughness show,
The messengers in haste repel,
Some with courteous smoothness go,
And decently—to hell.

House to house and field to field
The greedy worldling joins:
Shall he leave his ground untill'd
To serve his God's designs?
Time for heaven he cannot spare,
Or on his precious soul attend,
Earth engrosses all his care
Till life's short moment end.

All his treasure here he views,
And toils and hurries on,
Eagerly the world pursues
By lawful things undone:

229

“Business must be minded now:”
Who can for God no leisure find
Sets his hand to Satan's plough,
And never looks behind.

Why should that a hindrance prove
Which God a help intends?
Sinner gain in Jesus' love
The bliss that never ends;
Come, thou oft-invited guest
Whom God Himself vouchsafes to woo,
Hasten to the gospel-feast,
And bring thy consort too.

University of Virginia Library

1423.

[Men with one consent excuse]