Wesley Corpus

In presence of thy heavenly host Thyself we faithfully require; Come Father, Son, and Holy Ghost By blood, by water, and by fire, And fill up all thy human shrine, And seal our souls for ever thine. Hymns for Parents. Father of all, by whom we are, For whom was made whatever is, Who hast intrusted to our care A candidate for glorious bliss, Poor worms of earth, for help we cry, For grace to guard what grace hath given, We ask the wisdom from on high To train our infant up for heaven. We tremble at the danger near, And crouds of wretched parents see, Who blindly fond their children rear In tempers far as hell from thee: Themselves the slaves of sense and praise Their babes who pamper and admire, And make the helpless infants pass To murtherer Moloch thro' the fire. But let not us the demon please, Our offspring to destruction doom, Strengthen a sin-sick soul's disease, Or damn him from his mother's womb; Page 65 Rather this hour resume his breath From selfishness and pride to save, By death prevent the second death, And hide him in the silent grave. Or if thou grant a longer date, With resolute wisdom us endue, To point him out his lost estate, His dire apostacy to shew, To time our every smile and frown, To mark the bounds of good and ill, And beat the pride of nature down, And bend or break his rising will. Him let us tend, severely kind, As guardians of his giddy youth, As set to form his tender mind By principles of virtuous truth, To fit his soul for heavenly grace, Discharge the Christian parent's part, And keep him, 'till thy love takes place, And Jesus rises in his heart. How fast the chains of nature bind Our poor degenerate race! What darkness clouds the parent's mind If unrenew'd by grace! As sworn to take the tempter's part They fatally employ Their utmost power and utmost art Their offspring to destroy. By Satan's subtilty beguil'd To Satan's school they send, And each delights the fav'rite child To humour and commend: Page 66 The proud with ranker pride they fill, Heighten their worst disease, And fondly sooth the stubborn will To ten-fold stubborness.