Wesley Corpus

Tenacious of the faith, and obstinately good. He never left the ship by tempest tost Or say, she now is dash'd against the coast, To save a few he spent his pious pains, Stay'd by the wreck, and gather'd her remains My brother here, my friend indeed thou wert, A man a Christian after my own heart! For this I envy thee, while others blame, And strangers brand thee with a bigot's name: Glorious reproach! if this be bigotry, For ever let the charge be fixt on me, With pious JONES, and royal CHARLES may I A martyr for the Church of England die! Nor did his zeal for her his love restrain, His love descending like the genial rain, And shining, like the sun, on every soul of man. Free as its source it flow'd, and unconfin'd, Embracing, and o'rewhelming all mankind; Nor sin nor error could it's course preclude, It reach'd to all, the evil and the good, His Father's children all, and bought with Jesu's blood. Page 21 The men of narrow hearts, who dare restrain The grace their Saviour did for all obtain, ("Free sovereign grace," who cry! "perversely free! "For us, thou reprobate, but not for thee: "Millions of souls the Lord of all pass'd by, "Who died for all, for them refus'd to die; "To us, and none but us he had respect, "He died for the whole world of us elect.") These wretched men of sin with grief he view'd, He lov'd these strangers to his Saviour's blood, A restless, carnal, bold, licentious crowd, Bitter, implacable, perverse, and proud, Stubborn, stiff-neck'd, impatient of restraint, A tribe of priests unholy and unsent, Whose lives their arrogant conceit disprove; Vain sinful boasters of electing love; To evil sold they will believe a lie, And advocates for sin they live, and die. Yet these, even these his pity knew to bear, With all their long impertinence of prayer, Their factious party-zeal, their teaching pride, Their fierce contempt of all mankind beside; His love the mantle o're their folly spread, His candid love a just exception made, Page 22 O'rejoy'd to see a few of heart sincere As burning, and as shining lights appear, To find a WHITEFIELD and an HARRIS here! True piety impartial to commend, He dar'd to call a Calvinist his friend;